Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager (6 September 1917 – 1 May 2008) was the second-last surviving member of the 20 July Plot, a conspiracy 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 ...

officers to assassinate the German dictator

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

in 1944.

Early life

Born at Burg Heimerzheim, near

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...

, he was the fifth and the second surviving son of the nine children of Albert Dominikus Hyacinthus Antonius Johannes Hubertus Vitus Joseph Maria ''Freiherr'' von

Boeselager Boeselager (or ''Böselager'') is the name of a German noble family from Magdeburg. History The members of this noble house whose line begins with one Squire ''Boeselager'' of by Magdeburgon first appearing in the documents on April 12, 1 ...

(Bonn 15 June 1883-Heimerzheim, Kr. Euskirchen 20 May 1956), by his wife (they married in Kassel on 22 September 1910), Maria-Theresia Ferdinandine Antonie Alonsia ''Freiin'' von Salis-Soglio (1890–1968), daughter of Anton Joseph Alonsius Nepomuk Stanislaus Maria ''Freiherr'' v. Salis-Soglio (1860–1939), of Gemünden and

Mandel Mandel is a surname (and occasional given name) that occurs in multiple cultures and languages. It is a Dutch, German and Jewish surname, meaning "almond", from the Middle High German and Middle Dutch ''mandel''.''Dictionary of American Family Nam ...

, Kreuznach, by Maria Adelheid Theresia ''Gräfin'' von Bissingen und Nippenburg (daughter of Ernst Maria Ferdinand Adam Johann Nepomuk Joseph ''Graf'' von Bissingen-Nippenburg). He attended Aloisius Jesuit secondary school

Aloisiuskolleg The Aloisiuskolleg is a co-educational, Jesuit (Catholic), University-preparatory school in Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Germany, which includes boarders. It is named for Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Highly ranked academically, it is considered one of the m ...

in Godesberg.

Role in conspiracy against Hitler

When Boeselager was a 25-year-old field lieutenant, he was part of Operation Walküre, a plan developed to take control of Germany once Hitler had been assassinated. Boeselager's role in the plan was to order his troops, who were unaware of the plot, to leave the front lines in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...

and to head west, where they would be airlifted to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

to seize crucial parts of the city in a full-scale

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

after Hitler had been killed. Boeselager's opinion turned against the Nazi government in June 1942, after he received news that five

Roma people The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

had been shot in cold blood solely because of their ethnicity. Together with his commanding officer, Field Marshal

Günther von Kluge Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge (30 October 1882 – 19 August 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II who held commands on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He commanded the 4th Army of the Wehrmacht during the invasio ...

, he joined a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. The first attempt was in March 1943, when both Hitler and

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

were coming to the front to participate in a strategy meeting with Kluge's troops. Boeselager was given a

Walther PP The Walther PP (german: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-a ...

with which he was to shoot both Hitler and Himmler at a dinner table in the officers' mess. However, nothing ever came of this plan because at the last minute, Himmler left Hitler's company, and the risk of leaving him alive to succeed Hitler was too great. The second assassination attempt was in summer 1944. No longer caring about Himmler, the conspiracy planned to kill Hitler with a bomb when he was attending another strategy meeting in a wooden barracks. When the assassin's bomb failed to kill the ''Führer'', Boeselager was informed in time to turn his unexplained cavalry retreat around and return to the front before suspicions could be aroused. Because of Boeselager's fortunate timing, his involvement in the operation went undetected, and he was not executed, unlike the majority of the conspirators. Philipp's brother Georg was also a participant in the plot, and likewise remained undetected, but was later killed in action on the Eastern Front. Shortly before the end of the war, Boeselager overheard General

Wilhelm Burgdorf Wilhelm Emanuel Burgdorf (15 February 1895 – 2 May 1945) was a German general during World War II, who served as a commander and staff officer in the German Army. In October 1944, Burgdorf assumed the role of the chief of the Army Personnel O ...

saying, "When the war is over, we will have to purge, after the

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

officers in the army". The devoutly-Catholic Boeselager noisily objected, citing his own decorations for heroism in combat. Boeselager then left before Burgdorf could respond.

Postwar life

After the war, Boeselager's part in the failed attempt on Hitler's life became known. He was regarded as a hero by many in Germany and France and received the highest military medals that both countries could provide. He studied

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...

and became a

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

expert. Even in his old age, Boeselager still had nightmares about the conspiracy and the friends whom he lost during the war. He urged young people to become more involved in politics, as he felt apathy and the political inexperience of the German masses had been two of the key reasons why Hitler was able to come to power. The entrance to his residence in Kreuzberg bears the Latin motto ''Et si omnes ego non'' ("even if all, not I"). Boeselager was a member of K.D.St.V. Ripuaria Bonn, a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

student fraternity at the

University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine ...

that now belongs to the ''

Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen The Union of Catholic German Student Fraternities (german: Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or ''Cartellverband'' (CV)) is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities (Studentenverbindung). ...

''. Until his death on 1 May 2008, he still had the Walther PP pistol he was given to use to shoot Hitler. On 18 April 2008, just two weeks before his death, Philipp von Boeselager gave his last videotaped interview, which was conducted by Zora Wolter for the feature documentary ''The Valkyrie Legacy''. It was televised on

The History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

in spring 2009 to coincide with the release of the film ''

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

'', starring

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

and directed by

Bryan Singer Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Singer ...

. The documentary was produced by Singer and directed by

Kevin Burns Kevin Burns (June 18, 1955September 27, 2020), was an American television and film producer, director, and screenwriter. His work can be seen on A&E, National Geographic Channel, E!, Animal Planet, AMC, Bravo, WE tv, Travel Channel, Lifetim ...

. Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin was the last survivor of the 20 July plot until his death on 8 March 2013.

Marriage

Boeselager married Rosa Maria, born Gräfin von Westphalen zu Fürstenberg (1924 - 2014). Albrecht von Boeselager (born 4 October 1949, Altenahr), former Grand Chancellor of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

, is their child.

Honours

* Iron Cross (1939) 1st (1941) and 2nd class (1940) * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 July 1944 as '' Major'' and commander of the I./Kavallerie-Regiment MitteScherzer 2007, p. 231. *

Eastern Front Medal The Eastern Medal (german: Ostmedaille), officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (german: Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42, links=no), was a military award of the ''Wehrmacht'' which was created by ordinance of Adolf Hi ...

Wound Badge The Wound Badge (german: Verwundetenabzeichen) was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between ...

in Silver (1944) *

General Assault Badge The General Assault Badge (german: Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen) was a military decoration awarded during World War II to personnel of the German Army, Waffen-SS and ''Ordnungspolizei'' (order police) who supported an infantry attack but were not pa ...

Close Combat Clasp The Close Combat Clasp (german: Nahkampfspange) was a World War II German military award instituted on 25 November 1942 for participation in hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters. Intended primarily for infantry, other Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, gro ...

in Bronze * Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (1944) *

Grand Cross of the 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 ...

(''Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland'', 1989) *

Officier de la 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 ...

(2004)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Antonius John: ''Philipp von Boeselager – Widerstand und Gemeinwohl''
Bouvier-Verlag, Bonn 2007
* Bernheim, Robert: "Assassinating Hitler: The Last Plotter,"

The Dorchester Review ''The Dorchester Review,'' founded in 2011, is a semi-annual journal of history and historical commentary that describes itself as a non-partisan but "robustly polemical" outlet for "elements of tradition and culture inherent to Canadian experie ...

, Vol. 1, No. 1, Spring-Summer 2011, pp. 5–15. * Ulrich Cartarius: ''Opposition gegen Hitler. Deutscher Widerstand 1933–1945''. Berlin 1984, * * '' Kaltenbrunner-Berichte an Bormann und Hitler über das Attentat vom 20. Juli 1944'', in: Hans-Adolf Jacobsen (Hrsg.): ''Spiegelbild einer Verschwörung''. Stuttgart 1961 * von Boeselager, Philipp. ''Valkyrie: the Plot to Kill Hitler''. London:

Weidenfeld & Nicolson Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or Weidenfeld, is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It has been a division of the French-owned Orion Publishing Group since 1991. History George Weidenfeld a ...

. 2008. * ''Der 20. Juli 1944. Ein Zeitzeuge berichtet'' (Hörbuch), Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager. Interview: Prof. Hans Sarkowicz. Doppel-CD. Audiobuch Verlag, Freiburg i. Br. 2004, * ''Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager 80 Jahre'', in: ''Holz-Zentralblatt'', 123. Jahrgang, Folge 107/1997, S. 1524, * Ilkka Ahtiainen, ''Hitlerin murhaaja''. Helsingin Sanomat monthly supplement, August 2007. * * Fabian von Schlabrendorff, ''German Officers Against Hitler'', ''Deutsche Offiziere gegen Hitler'', Zurich, 1948.

External links

*
„Der letzte Zeuge“

Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...

, 15. November 2007
„Du kannst ihn stoppen – also bitte!“
WDR, 28. December 2005, incl. live recordings
Mein Weg zum 20. Juli. – Die Einsamkeit des Widerstands
2004, Speech at the Bavarian Parliament.

17. February 2006 * ttp://www.jf-archiv.de/archiv06/200639092202.htm Boeselager: Appell für Lebensschutz und gegen Abtreibung Front page of "Junge Freiheit", 22. September 2006
"Philipp Von Boeselager: Last of the Conspirators in the July 20 Plot to Assassinate Hitler, whose Role Remained Undetected until After the War,"
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' (London). May 3, 2008. * Grimes, William
"Philipp von Boeselager, Who Attempted an Assassination of Hitler, Dies at 90,"
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

.'' May 3, 2008. Interviews
An interview with von Boeselager

FAZ, published 1. May 2008
„Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager, Widerstandskämpfer“
Conversation, 8. March 2008, incl

44 Min.

Junge Freiheit, 20. July 2007

FAZ, 20. July 2007
„Der Mut des Gewissens“
SZ, 19. July 2004
Interview mit Philipp von Boeselager
''geschichts.net'', December 2005

Junge Freiheit, 18. July 2003 {{DEFAULTSORT:Boeselager, Philipp Von 1917 births 2008 deaths People from Rhein-Sieg-Kreis People from the Rhine Province

Philipp Philipp is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: "Philipp" has also been a shortened version of Philippson, a German surname especially prevalent amongst German Jews and Dutch Jews. Surname * Adolf Philipp (1864 ...

Barons of Germany Members of the 20 July plot Roman Catholics in the German Resistance Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Failed assassins of Adolf Hitler Failed assassins of Heinrich Himmler Military personnel from North Rhine-Westphalia