__NOTOC__ Rudolf Konrad (7 March 1891 – 10 June 1964) was a German general in the

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 ...

who served as a corps commander. He was a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

and, by the end of the war, held the rank of ''

General der Gebirgstruppe General der Gebirgstruppe (Literally: General of the Mountain Troops) was a category of German Army three-star, a new example of the traditional German 'General der' rank introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1940, comparable to the NATO grade OF- ...

'', (General of Mountain Troops).

Life and career

Rudolf Konrad was born in

Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its sausages, or ''Bratwürste''. Geography Location Ku ...

in Northern Bavaria on 7 March 1891. He entered the German Army in July 1910 as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

. Joining a Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment in October 1912 as a Lieutenant, he served with them in World War I. He remained in the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

after 1918, rising to command a '' Gebirgsjager'' (Mountain) Regiment from October 1935. Becoming a staff officer, in 1940 he became chief of staff of XVIII Corps, then of 2nd Army. He was then given a field command, first of

7th Mountain Division The 7th Mountain Division (german: 7. Gebirgs Division) was formed through the redesignation of 99th Light Infantry Division, which had fought on the southern sector of the Eastern Front until being withdrawn to Germany in October 1941. In 1942 ...

then, for most of the period from December 1941 to May 1944, of

XXXXIX Mountain Corps XXXXIX Mountain Corps was a mountain corps of the German Army during World War II that participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia. In June 1941, it participated in Operation Barbarossa as part of Army Group South. It fought in the Battle of Uma ...

on the Eastern Front. He received the

in August 1942 for his command of this corps. Finally, he commanded LXVIII Corps from early 1945 until the end of the war. In 1966 the

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

barracks in

Bad Reichenhall Bad Reichenhall (Central Bavarian: ''Reichahoi'') is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgau Alps (including Mount Staufe ...

was named 'General Konrad Barracks'. In August 2012 it was renamed 'Hochstaufen Barracks', Christian Schmidt the Federal Minister of Defence describing the previous name as outdated.

Awards and decorations

As a General of Mountain Troops and commander of XXXXIX Mountain Corps Konrad received: * mention in the ''

Wehrmachtbericht ''Wehrmachtbericht'' (literally: "Armed forces report", usually translated as Wehrmacht communiqué or Wehrmacht report) was the daily Wehrmacht High Command mass-media communiqué and a key component of Nazi propaganda during World War II. Pr ...

'' (Armed Forces Report) of 27 July 1942 for his role in the capture of

Bataisk Bataysk (russian: Бата́йск) is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Rostov-on-Don. Population: History It was founded in 1769, and was granted town status in 1938. The reconstructed Church of the Ascension was built be ...

, near

Rostov Rostov ( rus, Росто́в, p=rɐˈstof) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population: While t ...

; * the

on 1 August 1942; * the

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...

in Gold on 23 February 1944.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Konrad, Rudolf 1891 births 1964 deaths Generals of Mountain Troops German prisoners of war in World War II Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Military personnel from Bavaria People from Kulmbach