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Karl Höfer also Hoefer; (29 December 1862 in
Karl Höfer also Hoefer; (29 December 1862 in Pleß
Pleß is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany. The town has a municipal association with Boos, Bavaria
Boos is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free St ...
– 12 May 1939 in Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzburg ...
) was a German general. During World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
he became known as the ''Held vom Kemmelberge''
(hero of Kemmel hill) after his division had captured the Kemmelberg
Kemmelberg (, ) is a hill formation in Flanders, Belgium. It is located less than a kilometer from the village of Kemmel, part of the municipality of Heuvelland in West Flanders.
History
The earliest settlements on the Kemmelberg date back 2.500 y ...
during the Fourth Battle of Flanders.
Retired, as "Generalleutnant
is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.
Austria
Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...
a. D.", Höfer defended German Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...
against Polish insurgents in the Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings (german: Aufstände in Oberschlesien, Polenaufstände, links=no; pl, Powstania śląskie, links=no) were a series of three uprisings from August 1919 to July 1921 in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Weimar Republic ...
in 1921. The Freikorps
(, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European military volunteer units, or paramilitary, that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenary or private armies, rega ...
leaders had agreed upon Höfer as commander; he led them to success in the Battle of Annaberg
The Battle of (the) Annaberg ( pl, Bitwa o Górę Św. Anny) was the biggest battle of the Silesian Uprisings. The battle, which took place between May 21–26, 1921, was fought at the Annaberg (Polish: ''Góra Św. Anny''), a strategic hill ...
. In the international press, he was referred to as "General Hoefer" or "Teuton Commander Hoefer".
Decorations
*Pour le Mérite
The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Order of the Red Eag ...
with Oak Leaves
** Pour le Merite on July 23, 1916
** Oak Leaves on April 14, 1918 (86th award)
Works
* Karl Hoefer: ''Oberschlesien in der Aufstandszeit, 1918-1921: Erinnerungen und Dokumente'', published by E.S. Mittler & Sohn, 1938, 376 pages **reviewed by H. F. P. Percival, International Affairs, Vol. 17, No. 6 (Nov. - Dec., 1938), pp. 853–854 (review consists of 2 pages)Notes
1862 births 1939 deaths People from Pszczyna 20th-century Freikorps personnel German Army generals of World War I Lieutenant generals of the Reichswehr Major generals of Prussia Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) {{Germany-mil-bio-stub