Hermann Harm

Hermann Harm ( 30 September 1894 – 28 November 1985) was a Nazi German SS-''Brigadeführer'' and a ''Generalmajor'' of Police who served as an SS and Police Leader (SSPF) in occupied Ukraine and Lithuania during the Second World War.

Early life

Harm was born in Halle (Saale), the son of a railway inspector. He studied electronics until the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914 when he joined the Imperial German Army. He served in an artillery unit, was commissioned as a ''Leutnant'' in September 1915 and earned the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class. After the end of the war, he trained in agriculture and became an estate manager. He joined the Nazi Party on 1 February 1930 (membership number 204,385). He also became a member of its paramilitary wing, the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA), on 1 August of the same year and was commissioned an SA-''Sturmführer'' on 15 June 1931.

Peacetime SS career

Harm left the SA to join the SS (SS number 21,342) and was made an SS-''Sturmführer'' on 1 February 1932. From February to December 1932 he led the second ''Sturmbann'' (battalion) of the 40th SS-''Standarte'' in Kiel, then until June 1933 he was the commander of the 4th SS-''Standarte'' in Hartenholm. His next posting from 20 March to 2 December 1933, was as Chief of Staff in the SS-''Oberabschnitt'' (Main District) "Nord" (later, "Nordsee") based in Altona, Hamburg. He was then commander of ''SS-Abschnitt'' (District) XIV, headquartered in Bremen, until 20 March 1935. He then took a staff position in SS headquarters as Chief of Staff in the Race and Settlement Main Office (RuSHA), remaining there until April 1937. At that time, he was appointed Deputy to SS-''Gruppenführer'' Paul Scharfe in the ''Gerichtsamt'' (later, the SS Court Main Office) on the staff of the ''Reichsführer-SS'', Heinrich Himmler. From 15 May 1939 to 1 July 1942 he was Chief of Staff in SS-''Oberabschnitt'' "Nord" ("Ostsee" after 1 February 1940) in Stettin under SS-''Gruppenführer'' Emil Mazuw.

Second World War

In July 1942, Harm was assigned to police duties as SS and Police Leader (SSPF) for Special Assignments in the office of Higher SS and Police Leader (HSSPF) for "Russland-Süd," SS-''Obergruppenführer'' Hans-Adolf Prützmann. On 1 August 1942, Harm took over as SSPF " Dnjepropetrovsk- Kriwoi Rog" where he served until 4 October. Returning to his "Russland-Süd" assignment, his tasks included anti-partisan warfare in the Pripet marshes which was conducted with ruthless brutality. He then left southern Russia on 2 July 1943 for the ''Generalbezirk Litauen'' where he was assigned as SSPF "Litauen" until 8 April 1944. There, Harm was involved along with HSSPF "Ostland und Russland Nord" ''Obergruppenführer'' Friedrich Jeckeln, in establishing the short-lived Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force, a unit of Lithuanian volunteers to be used in combating the Red Army and in anti-partisan activities. Returning to ''Reichskommissariat Ukraine'', Harm served again under Prützmann through October 1944. His last position from 1 November 1944 to the end of the war in Europe on 8 May 1945, was in Salzburg as Acting HSSPF "Alpenland" and Acting commander of ''Oberabschnitt'' "Alpenland," as the permanent Deputy to ''Obergruppenführer'' Erwin Rösener, who was detailed to Slovenia as head of the anti-partisan campaign there.

After the end of the war, Harm worked as a farmer in Schleswig-Holstein. He died on 28 November 1985 in Hartenholm.

Awards

* Iron Cross (1914) 1st and 2nd class
* Clasp to the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class
* War Merit Cross 1st and 2nd class

References

Sources

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Harm, Hermann
1894 births
1985 deaths
People of Generalbezirk Litauen
German Army personnel of World War I
Military personnel from Halle (Saale)
Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 2nd class
Recipients of the War Merit Cross
SS and Police Leaders
SS-Brigadeführer
Sturmabteilung officers