The 7th Infantry Division (''7. Infanterie-Division'') was a formation of the German

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It was formed 1 October 1934 in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

from the Artillerieführer VII staff and renamed ''7. Infanterie-Division'' with the disclosure of German rearmament on 15 October 1935. In preparation of the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

, the division was transferred to Slovak Republik on 1 August 1939. The division surrendered to Soviet forces near

Stutthof Stutthof was a Nazi concentration camp established by Nazi Germany in a secluded, marshy, and wooded area near the village of Stutthof (now Sztutowo) 34 km (21 mi) east of the city of Danzig ( Gdańsk) in the territory of the Germ ...

after the unconditional surrender of 8 May 1945.

Commanders

Franz Halder Franz Halder (30 June 1884 – 2 April 1972) was a German general and the chief of staff of the Oberkommando des Heeres, Army High Command (OKH) in Nazi Germany from 1938 until September 1942. During World War II, he directed the planning and i ...

1 October 1934 – 12 November 1936 * Otto Hartmann 12 November 1936 – 31 July 1939 * Eugen Ott 1 August 1939 – 30 September 1939 *

Eberhardt Bohnstedt Eberhardt Julius Georg Waldemar Bohnstedt, also sometimes spelt Eberhard, (22 July 1886 – 3 October 1957) was a German general and commander of the 7th Infantry Division in 1939. He is most well known for being the director of the Military S ...

30 September 1939 – 1 December 1939 *

Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz __NOTOC__ Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz (26 January 1891 – 17 December 1978) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He participated in the campaigns of Poland, France and the invasion of the Sovi ...

1 December 1939 – 13 December 1941 * Hans Jordan 13 December 1941 – 1 November 1942 *

Fritz-Georg von Rappard __NOTOC__ Fritz-Georg von Rappard (15 August 1892 – 29 January 1946) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 7th Infantry Division. In 1946, he was part of a group of Wehrmacht personnel tried for war crimes in open court by ...

1 November 1942 – 2 October 1943 *Carl Andre 2 October 1943 – 30 November 1943 *

Gustav Gihr Gustav Gihr (18 August 1894 – 31 October 1959) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 19 ...

30 November 1943 – 8 December 1943 *Fritz-Georg von Rappard 8 December 1943 * Alois Weber August 1944 – May 1945

References

*Burkhard Müller-Hillebrand: ''Das Heer 1933–1945. Entwicklung des organisatorischen Aufbaues.'' Vol.III: ''Der Zweifrontenkrieg. Das Heer vom Beginn des Feldzuges gegen die Sowjetunion bis zum Kriegsende''. Mittler: Frankfurt am Main 1969, p. 285. * Georg Tessin: ''Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg, 1939 – 1945''. Vol. III: ''Die Landstreitkräfte 6 -14''. Mittler: Frankfurt am Main 1967. {{DEFAULTSORT:7th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) 0*007 Military units and formations established in 1934 1934 establishments in Germany Military units and formations disestablished in 1945