Otto Weidinger

Otto Weidinger
Born (1914-05-27)27 May 1914
Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire
Died 10 January 1990(1990-01-10) (aged 75)
Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Waffen-SS
Years of service 1934–45
Rank Obersturmbannführer
Unit SS-PzAufklAbt 2 "Das Reich"
SS-PzGrenRgt 4 "Der Führer"
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Otto Weidinger (27 May 1914 – 10 January 1990) was a member of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany and a regimental commander in the 2nd SS Division Das Reich during World War II. In this capacity, he was involved in the Oradour massacre in France in June 1944. He held the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

SS career

Otto Weidinger enlisted in the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) (precursor to the Waffen-SS) in April 1934. His first duty assignment was as a concentration camp guard at SS-Wachsturmbann (camp guard detachment) Dachau. He volunteered for officer training and entered the SS-Junkerschule in Braunschweig in May 1935. After graduating from Junkerschule, he completed Zugführer (platoon leader) training back in Dachau and was commissioned as an SS-Untersturmführer in April 1936.

In the spring of 1944, his SS Panzer Division received orders to move to France. On 21 April 1944, Weidinger was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) and the assumption of command of the 4th SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment "Der Führer", which had the responsibility for defending the Normandy coastline. Command of "Der Führer" passed from colonel Sylvester Stadler to Weidinger on 14 June. Until then Weidinger had been with the regiment for familiarisation purposes.

Following the withdrawal of German forces from Vienna, remnants of the SS Regiment “Der Führer” led by Weidinger, were relocated to Prague to affect the rescue and evacuation of several hundred German citizens, (mostly women and children). These evacuees formed a convoy of approximately a thousand vehicles leaving Prague in the direction of Pilsen. En route, they surrendered to the American 2nd Infantry Division, near the town of Rokycany.

Post-war

When World War II ended, Weidinger was held at the Dachau internment camp administered by the US Army. In August 1947, he was transferred to French custody, where he remained a prisoner until June 1951.

After six and a half years in prison, he was put on trial as a war criminal, along with 50 other SS soldiers. He was acquitted by a military court in Bordeaux on 19 June 1951 and released on 23 June 1951. At the trial of the perpetrators of the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane in Bordeaux in January 1953, Weidinger was a witness for the defense.

Upon his release from prison, Weidinger trained as a pharmacist, working in a pharmacy until his retirement in 1982.

From 1967 to 1982, Weidinger wrote the history of Regiment "Der Führer" (he was its last commander) titled "Comrades to the End," as well as a 6 volume history of "Das Reich" consisting of five text volumes and a photo compilation published by Munin Verlag in Germany. Most of the "Das Reich" volumes have been translated into English as well as the regimental history.

In 1984, Weidinger self-published a revisionist account of the Tulle massacre, Tulle and Oradour. A German-French tragedy. Re-issued after his death, by the right-wing Nation und Europa, it was subsequently banned in France.

Otto Weidinger died January 10, 1990, aged 75, in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.[1]

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Scherzer as commander of SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2.[6]
  2. ↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. The award was unlawfully presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The date is taken from the announcement made by the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "150" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Weidinger was member of the AKCR.[9]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.oradour.info/images/weiding3.htm
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Berger 1999, p. 369.
  3. 1 2 Thomas 1998, p. 424.
  4. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 501.
  5. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 439.
  6. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 773.
  7. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 94.
  8. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 48.
  9. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 184.

Bibliography

  • Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Waffen-SS]. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
  • Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 : The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4. 
  • Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross, Oak-Leaves and Swords Recipients 1941–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-643-0. 
  • Yerger, Mark C., "German Cross in Gold Holders of the SS and Police," volumes 1 and 2, R. James Bender Publishing corrects considerable fact errors of this article
  • Yerger, Mark C., "Otto Weidinger, Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords, Commander SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 4 "Der Führer," Schiffer Publishing, is a detailed biographical study of this officer. Its text corrects the considerable personal and military career fact errors in this article.

External links

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