Manfred Rommel (24 December 1928 – 7 November 2013) was a German politician belonging to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who served as mayor of

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the Sw ...

from 1974 until 1996. Rommel's policies were described as tolerant and liberal, and he was one of the most popular municipal politicians in Germany. He was the recipient of numerous foreign honours. He was the only son of

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 previo ...

field marshal

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...

and his wife Lucia Maria Mollin (1894–1971), and contributed to the establishment of museums in his father's honour. He was also known for his friendship with

George Patton IV George Smith Patton IV (December 24, 1923 – June 27, 2004) was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Military career Patton was e ...

and David Montgomery, the sons of his father's two principal military adversaries.

Background and family

Rommel was born in Stuttgart and entered service as a

Luftwaffenhelfer A ''Luftwaffenhelfer'', also commonly known as a ''Flakhelfer'', was any member of the auxiliary staff of the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. Such terms often implied students conscripted as child soldiers. Establishment ''Luftwaf ...

(air force assistant) in 1943 at age 14, serving in an anti-aircraft battery. He considered joining the

Waffen SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from th ...

, but his father opposed it. On 14 October 1944, he was present at his parents' house when his father was led off to be forced to commit suicide for his alleged complicity in the

20 July plot On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...

to assassinate

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

, which was publicly portrayed by the Nazi leadership as a death resulting from a war injury. In February 1945, Rommel was dismissed from air force service and in March was conscripted into the paramilitary

Reichsarbeitsdienst The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major organisation established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with Nazi ...

service. Stationed in

Riedlingen Riedlingen () is a town in the district (''Kreis'') of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, in the south-west of Germany. It is one of the destinations of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. Riedlingen has approximately 10,000 inhabitants. Geography ...

at the end of April, he deserted just before the

French First Army The First Army (french: 1re Armée) was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War. First World War On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in the ch ...

entered the town. He was taken prisoner of war, was interrogated by (among others) general

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French général d'armée during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952. As ...

, and disclosed the truth about his father's death.

Post-war life and career

In 1947, he took his

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen ye ...

while studying in

Biberach an der Riß Biberach an der Riß (Swabian: ''Bibra''), often referred to as simply Biberach (), is a town in southern Germany. It is the capital of Biberach district, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state (Land) of Baden-Württemberg. It is called B ...

and went on to study law at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-W� ...

. He married Liselotte in 1954 and had a daughter named Catherine.Was Macht Eigenlich...: Manfred Rommel
stern.de After a stint working as a lawyer, in 1956, Rommel entered the civil service and later became state secretary in the state government of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

. In 1974, Rommel succeeded

Arnulf Klett Arnulf Klett (8 April 1905 in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire - 14 August 1974 on the Bühlerhöhe/Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg) was a German lawyer and politician. He was the first Lord Mayor of Stuttgart after the Seco ...

Oberbürgermeister Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...

(equivalent to Mayor) of Stuttgart by winning 58.5% of the votes in the second round of elections, defeating Peter Conradi of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

. He was re-elected after the first round of elections in 1982 with 69.8% and in 1990 with 71.7% of the votes. As the mayor of Stuttgart, he was also known for his effort to give the

Red Army Faction The Red Army Faction (RAF, ; , ),See the section "Name" also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (, , active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970. The ...

terrorists who had committed suicide at the Stuttgart-

Stammheim prison Stammheim Prison (german: Justizvollzugsanstalt Stuttgart-Stammheim) is a prison in Stuttgart, Baden Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the northern boundaries of Stuttgart in the city district of Stuttgart-Stammheim, right between fields a ...

a proper burial, despite the concern that the graves would become a pilgrimage point for radical leftists. In defending his decision against criticism from within his own party, Rommel said: "All enmity must end at some point and I think in this case it ends with

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offic ...

death." While Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart, Rommel began a much-publicised friendship with U.S. Army Major General

, the son of his father's World War II adversary, General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

, who was assigned to the

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII R ...

headquarters near the city. Additionally, he was also friends with

David Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein David Bernard Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (18 August 1928 – 8 January 2020) was a British politician and businessman. He was the son of Bernard Montgomery. Early life and education Montgomery was the only child of Field ...

, the son of his father's other great adversary, Field Marshal

Bernard Law Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and th ...

, a friendship viewed by some as a symbol of Anglo-German reconciliation following the War and West Germany's admission into

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

. In a 1996 celebration at the Württemberg State Theatre, Manfred Rommel received the highest German civil distinction, the

Bundesverdienstkreuz The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

. In his speech,

Helmut Kohl Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to 1998. Kohl's 16-year tenure is the longes ...

put particular emphasis on the good relations that were kept and built upon between

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and Germany during Rommel's tenure as Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart. A few days after this distinction was given to Rommel, the city of Stuttgart offered him the Honorary Citizen Award. He risked his popularity when he stood out for the fair treatment of foreign immigrants, who were being drawn to Stuttgart by its booming economy. Dan van der Vat
Manfred Rommel obituary

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

, 7 November 2013 As mayor, Rommel also exerted "tight control over the city's finances, reducing its debt and enabling a radical makeover of the local infrastructure, especially roads and public transport hile working..to foster Franco-German relations." Rommel's political position was described as tolerant and liberal.

Outside politics

Having retired from politics in 1996, Rommel was still in demand as an author and stirring speaker, despite suffering from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms beco ...

. He wrote various political and humorous books. He was known for his down-to-earth and often funny sayings and quotations. Occasionally, he wrote articles for the ''

Stuttgarter Zeitung The ''Stuttgarter Zeitung'' ("Stuttgart newspaper") is a German-language daily newspaper (except Sundays) edited in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, with a run of about 200,000 sold copies daily. History and profile It was first edited ...

''. Rommel collaborated with

Basil Liddell-Hart Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart (31 October 1895 – 29 January 1970), commonly known throughout most of his career as Captain B. H. Liddell Hart, was a British soldier, military historian and military theorist. He wrote a series of military histor ...

in the publication of ''

The Rommel Papers ''The Rommel Papers'' is the collected writings by the German World War II field marshal Erwin Rommel published in 1953. Background and publication The book included Rommel's writings of the war, edited by the British journalist and historian B ...

'', a collection of diaries, letters and notes that his father wrote during and after his military campaigns. He was awarded several foreign awards including the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the French

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

, the US

Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...

and the highest grade of the German federal order of merit. He died on 7 November 2013, survived by his wife Lieselotte and his daughter Catherine.

Movies

In the following movies about his father during the Second World War, Manfred Rommel was played by the following actors: * 1951: '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' (German: Rommel, der Wüstenfuchs) (Director:

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgrou ...

), William Reynolds as Manfred Rommel * 1962: '' The Longest Day'' (German: der längste Tag) (Director(s): Annakin/ Marton/ Wicki/

Oswald Oswald may refer to: People *Oswald (given name), including a list of people with the name *Oswald (surname), including a list of people with the name Fictional characters *Oswald the Reeve, who tells a tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''The Canterbur ...

/ Zanuck),

Michael Hinz Michael Hinz (28 December 1939 – 6 November 2008) was a German actor. Life and career Hinz came from an acting family, his parents were Werner Hinz and Ehmi Bessel, both actors, as well as his brother Knut and half-sister Dinah. After gro ...

as Manfred Rommel. Hinz's father

Werner Hinz Werner Hinz (18 January 1903 – 10 February 1985) was a German film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1935 and 1984. Selected filmography * '' The Old and the Young King'' (1935) - Kronprinz Friedrich ('Fritz') * '' White Slaves'' ( ...

played Field Marshal Rommel in the film * 1989: ''

War and Remembrance ''War and Remembrance'' is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in October 1978 as the sequel to Wouk's '' The Winds of War'' (1971). ''The Winds of War'' covers the period 1939 to 1941, and ''War and Remembrance'' continues the story of the extende ...

'' (TV-Series), Matthias Hinze as Manfred Rommel * 2012: ''

Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...

'' (Director: Niki Stein), Patrick Mölleken as Manfred Rommel Additionally, interviews with Manfred concerning his father are featured in the 2021 documentary Rommel: The Soldier, The Son, and Hitler narrated by

Greg Kinnear Gregory Buck Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''As Good as It Gets'' (1997). Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, including '' Sabrina'' (19 ...

Honours

Manfred Rommel once wrote about his many honours: "Die Zahl der Titel will nicht enden. Am Grabstein stehet: bitte wenden!" which translates as: "The number of honours seems to be endless. The inscription on my gravestone will read: Please turn over!" *1979: Honorary citizen of Cairo *1982: Orden wider den tierischen Ernst, for his sense of humor *1982: Grand Officer in the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

of the Netherlands *1982: Honorary Senator of the University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart *1984: General-Clay Medal *1985: Knight of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

of the French Republic *1987: Guardian of Jerusalem *1987: Grand Officer Cross of Merit of the Italian Republic *1990: Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

*1990: Medal of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg *1990: Dr. Friedrich Lehner Medal for the development of public transport *1990: Bonding medal for German-American friendship *1992: Honorary doctorate of the University of Maryland *1993: Golden Order of Merit of the IAAF *1995: Otto Hirsch Medal *1996: Honorary Citizen of the City of Stuttgart *1996: Chairman of the joint chiefs of staff award for distinguished public service *1996: Friedrich E. Vogt Medal for Services to the Swabian dialect *1996: Honorary doctorate of the University of Wales *1996: Great Cross of Merit (1978) with star (1989) and sash (1996) *

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

*1996: Appointed Professor *1997: Price of the Entente Franco-Allemande for the German-French friendship *1997: Honorary member of the German Association of Cities *1997: Heinz Herbert Karry Prize *1998: Dolf Sternberger Award for *2008: Hans-Peter-Stihl Preis

Things named after him

* After his death

Stuttgart Airport Stuttgart Airport (German: ''Flughafen Stuttgart'', formerly ''Flughafen Stuttgart-Echterdingen'') is the international airport of Stuttgart, the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is christened in honor of Stuttgart's for ...

added "Manfred Rommel" to its official long form name. * A central square in Stuttgart which will be created in the course of

Stuttgart 21 Stuttgart 21 is a railway and urban development project in Stuttgart, Germany. It is a part of the Stuttgart–Augsburg new and upgraded railway and the Main Line for Europe (Paris—Vienna) within the framework of the Trans-European Networks ...

is to be named after him.

Works

* ''Abschied vom Schlaraffenland. Gedanken über Politik und Kultur''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, München 1987, . * ''Manfred Rommels gesammelte Sprüche'', Gefunden und herausgegeben von Ulrich Frank-Planitz, Engelhorn Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, * ''Wir verwirrten Deutschen''. Ullstein, Frankfurt am Main 1989, . * ''Manfred Rommels gesammelte Gedichte''. Engelhorn-Verlag, Stuttgart 1993 * ''Die Grenzen des Möglichen. Ansichten und Einsichten''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, München 1995, . * ''Trotz allem heiter. Erinnerungen''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, München 1998, . * ''Neue Sprüche und Gedichte''. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Ulrich Frank-Planitz, Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, * ''Manfred Rommels gesammelte Sprüche'', dva, Stuttgart 2001, . * ''Holzwege zur Wirklichkeit''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, . * ''Soll und Haben''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, München 2001, . * ''Das Land und die Welt''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, . * ''Ganz neue Sprüche & Gedichte und andere Einfälle''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, * ''Vom Schlaraffenland ins Jammertal?''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, . * ''Gedichte und Parodien''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, . * ''Manfred Rommels schwäbisches Allerlei. Eine bunte Sammlung pfiffiger Sprüche, witziger Gedichte und zumeist amüsanter Geschichten''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2008, . * ''Auf der Suche nach der Zukunft. Zeitzeichen unter dem Motto: Ohne Nein kein Ja''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2008, . * ''1944 – das Jahr der Entscheidung. Erwin Rommel in Frankreich'' (1944: The year of decision: Erwin Rommel in France), Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, . * ''Die amüsantesten Texte''. Hohenheim-Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, .

References

Bibliography

*Puhl, Widmar: ''Manfred Rommel: Der Oberbürgermeister''. (in German). Zürich/Wiesbaden: Orell Füssli 1990, .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rommel, Manfred 1928 births 2013 deaths Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Luftwaffenhelfer Honorary Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Mayors of Stuttgart University of Tübingen alumni People from the Free People's State of Württemberg Erwin Rommel Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau German prisoners of war in World War II held by France Deserters Reich Labour Service members Luftwaffe personnel of World War II Child soldiers in World War II