Adolf Hühnlein (12 September 1881 – 18 June 1942) was a German soldier and
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
(NSDAP) official. He was the ''
Korpsführer'' (Corps Leader) of the
National Socialist Motor Corps
The National Socialist Motor Corps (, NSKK) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that officially existed from May 1931 to 1945. The group was a successor organisation to the older National Socialist Automobile Corps (, NS ...
(NSKK) from 1933 until his death in 1942.
Early years
Hühnlein was born in
Neustädtlein,
Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...
the son of a teacher. He attended ''
volksschule
The German term ''Volksschule'' () generally refers to compulsory education, denoting an educational institution every person (i.e. the people, ''Volk'') is required to attend.
In Germany and Switzerland it is equivalent to a combined primar ...
'' and ''
gymnasium'' in
Bayreuth
Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
until 1900 and then entered the
Royal Bavarian Army. He was commissioned a ''
Leutnant
() is the lowest junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland.
History
The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum ...
'' in September 1902. He married his wife Paula (nee Däumling) in 1906 and the couple had three daughters, one of whom died in infancy. He was promoted to ''
Oberleutnant
(English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
'' in 1908 and attended the
Bavarian War Academy from 1909 to 1912. Promoted to ''
Hauptmann
() is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''.
Background
While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literall ...
'' in 1913, Hühnlein served in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, as a
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
and
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
commander, obtaining the rank of ''
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
''. From 1917, he was a
general staff
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...
officer with the 15th Royal Bavarian Infantry Division. He was decorated with the
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
, second class and first class. After the war, he was a company commander in the ''
Freikorps
(, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...
'' Epp from 1919 to 1920. He remained in the military, serving in the ''
Reichswehr
''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
'' of the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
.
Nazi Party and SA membership
Hühnlein first heard
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
speak in the barracks of the
Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment in 1919. He later described Hitler's effect on him thusly:
I was possessed by his philosophical outlook on the world, it drew me to him, held me fast, and inspired that sort of disciplineship which only ends with death.
By 1923, he was a member of both the ''
Sturmabteilung
The (; SA; or 'Storm Troopers') was the original paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power, Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and early 1930s. I ...
'' (SA), and
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Günther Röhm (; 28 November 1887 – 1 July 1934) was a German military officer, politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party. A close friend and early ally of Adolf Hitler, Röhm was the co-founder and leader of the (SA), t ...
's short-lived
anti-Semitic
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
''
Bund Reichskriegsflagge'' (Imperial War Flag Society). He participated in the
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch, also known as the Munich Putsch,Dan Moorhouse, ed schoolshistory.org.uk, accessed 2008-05-31.Known in German as the or was a failed coup d'état by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Erich Ludendorff and other leaders i ...
, the unsuccessful attempt by Hitler and the Nazi Party to seize power in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
on 9 November 1923, for which he would be awarded the
Blood Order
The Blood Order (), officially known as the Decoration in Memory of 9 November 1923 (), was one of the most prestigious decorations in the Nazi Party (NSDAP). During March 1934, Hitler authorized the Blood Order to commemorate the 9 November 1 ...
. He then was held in investigative detention from November 1923 to March 1924 at
Stadelheim prison
Stadelheim Prison (), in Munich's Giesing district, is one of the largest Prisons in Germany, prisons in Germany.
Founded in 1894, it was the site of many executions, particularly by guillotine during the Nazi period.
Notable inmates
*Ludwig Thom ...
, Neudeck and
Landsberg Prison
Landsberg Prison is a prison in the town of Landsberg am Lech in the southwest of the German state of Bavaria, about west-southwest of Munich and south of Augsburg. It is best known as the prison where Adolf Hitler was held in 1924, after the ...
. Discharged from the ''Reichswehr'' in March 1924, he was sentenced to six months' incarceration at Landsberg for his role in the failed putsch. There he joined Hitler and other conspirators. This event would set Hühnlein on a life of Nazi politics and he rose through the ranks after being released from prison.
Hühnlein worked as a businessman in the tire industry from 1925 to 1930. That year, he joined the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
(membership number 375,705) and rejoined the SA, serving on the staff of its supreme command (''Obersten Führung''). On 1 April 1930 he joined the National Socialist Automobile Corps (NSAK), the motorized corps of the SA, and by December was appointed its Deputy ''
Korpsführer''. The NSAK was re-designated the
National Socialist Motor Corps
The National Socialist Motor Corps (, NSKK) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that officially existed from May 1931 to 1945. The group was a successor organisation to the older National Socialist Automobile Corps (, NS ...
(NSKK) on 1 May 1931. Promoted to SA-''
Gruppenführer
__NOTOC__
''Gruppenführer'' (, ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. Since then, the term ''Gruppenführer'' is also used for leaders of groups/teams of the police, fire d ...
'' on that date, Hühnlein was named
Quartermaster
Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...
of the SA and Deputy to SA-''
Stabschef
(, ) was an office and paramilitary rank in the (SA), the paramilitary stormtroopers associated with the Nazi Party. It was a rank and position held by the operating chief of the SA. The rank was equivalent to the rank of in the German Army an ...
''
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Günther Röhm (; 28 November 1887 – 1 July 1934) was a German military officer, politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party. A close friend and early ally of Adolf Hitler, Röhm was the co-founder and leader of the (SA), t ...
on 1 July 1932. On 1 January 1933, Hühnlein was promoted to SA-''
Obergruppenführer
(, ) was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissioned SS rank after ...
''.
After the
Nazi seizure of power
The rise to power of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919, when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He quickly rose t ...
at the end of January 1933, Hühnlein on 5 March was elected to the ''
Reichstag'' as a deputy from electoral constituency 31,
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...
. He would remain a member of this body until his death, switching to constituency 25,
Lower Bavaria–Upper Palatinate, at the 1936 election.
NSKK ''Korpsführer''
On 30 April 1933, Hühnlein was named ''
Korpsführer'' of the NSKK. On 2 September 1934, some two months after Röhm's death in the
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives (, ), also called the Röhm purge or Operation Hummingbird (), was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from 30 June to 2 July 1934. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, urged on by Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, ord ...
, the NSKK was made an independent organization, free from SA oversight. It was a paramilitary organization with its own
system of paramilitary ranks and the smallest of the Nazi Party paramilitary organizations. Under Hühnlein's leadership, the NSKK membership rose rapidly, from 30,000 men in April 1933 to 350,000 in September 1933, after absorbing all of Germany's private motor clubs. By 1939, there were 500,000 NSKK members.
The primary aim of the Corps was to educate its members in motoring skills and to transport NSDAP and SA officials/members. Hühnlein organized and supervised many propaganda-oriented racing events, such as the 2000 kilometer "Race through Germany." All race car drivers were required to become members of the NSKK. Hühnlein often presented the trophies at German Grand Prix races and made certain that Nazi flags and bunting covered the victory tribunes. The most famous race car driver that had to answer to Hühnlein was
Bernd Rosemeyer
Bernd Rosemeyer (14 October 1909 – 28 January 1938) was a German racing driver and speed record holder. He is often considered one of the greatest racing drivers of his era.
Career
Rosemeyer's father owned an auto and motorcycle garage a ...
, who drove the
Auto Union Silver Arrow. From 1935 onward, the NSKK also provided training for
panzer
{{CatAutoTOC, numerals=no
Words and phrases
Germanic words and phrases
Words and phrases by language
la:Categoria:Verba Theodisca ...
crews and drivers of the
German Army
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
. Working with Hühnlein,
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (; 17 June 1888 – 14 May 1954) was a German general during World War II who later became a successful memoirist. A pioneer and advocate of the "blitzkrieg" approach, he played a central role in the development of ...
, the architect of Germany's panzer formations, was able to ensure the training of Germany's future tank and truck drivers, approximately 187,000 of them in the years 1933 to 1939.
In June 1933, Hühnlein was named leader of the German Motor Transport Association. In September 1933, he founded the German Automobile Club and became the president of the National Sports Authority for German Motor Sports. In December 1935, Hühnlein was made a member of the Reich Transportation Council and in 1936 made a member of the
Academy for German Law
The Academy for German Law () was an institute for legal research and reform founded on 26 June 1933 in Nazi Germany. After suspending its operations during the Second World War in August 1944, it was abolished after the fall of the Nazi regime on ...
. On 19 May 1936, he was raised to the rank of a ''
Generalmajor
is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...
'' (retired), in the ''
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
'', and in December of that year was named to the Board of Directors of the ''
Reichsautobahn
The system was the beginning of the German autobahns under Nazi Germany. There had been previous plans for controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traf ...
'' Association. In addition, on 8 September 1938 he was appointed as an NSDAP ''
Reichsleiter
(, ) was the second-highest political rank in the Nazi Party (NSDAP), subordinate only to the office of . also functioned as a paramilitary rank within the NSDAP and was the highest rank attainable in any Nazi organisation.
Each reported d ...
'', the second highest political rank in the Nazi Party. After the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he was named by ''
Reichsmarschall
(; ) was an honorary military rank, specially created for Hermann Göring during World War II, and the highest rank in the . It was senior to the rank of (, equivalent to field marshal, which was previously the highest rank in the ), but ...
''
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
, in his capacity as the head of the
Four Year Plan, to be the "Representative for Motorized Transport of the War Economy" on 22 February 1940.
Hühnlein remained the NSKK ''Korpsführer'' from 30 April 1933 until his death from cancer in Munich on 18 June 1942. He was honored with a state funeral on 21 June at which
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...
provided the eulogy and Hitler laid a wreath on the coffin.
He was posthumously awarded the Party's highest decoration, the
German Order, on 22 June 1942.
Awards and decorations
*1914
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
2nd Class (1914)
*
Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
The Bavarian Military Merit Order () was established on 19 July 1866 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was the kingdom's main decoration for bravery and military merit for officers and higher-ranking officials. Civilians acting in support of the a ...
4th Class with Swords (1915)
*1914
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
1st Class (1915)
*
Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
The Bavarian Military Merit Order () was established on 19 July 1866 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was the kingdom's main decoration for bravery and military merit for officers and higher-ranking officials. Civilians acting in support of the a ...
4th Class with Crown and Swords (1919)
*
Blood Order
The Blood Order (), officially known as the Decoration in Memory of 9 November 1923 (), was one of the most prestigious decorations in the Nazi Party (NSDAP). During March 1934, Hitler authorized the Blood Order to commemorate the 9 November 1 ...
(number 8, 1934)
*
War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross () was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit Cross was reissued in 1957 ...
2nd Class with Swords and 1st Class with Swords
*
German Order (1942)
Notes
References
*
*
* Bastian, Till: ''High Tech unterm Hakenkreuz. Von der Atombombe bis zur Weltraumfahrt''. Militzke, Leipzig 2005, , p. 45.
*
*
* Hochstetter, Dorothee: ''Motorisierung und „Volksgemeinschaft“. Das Nationalsozialistische Kraftfahrkorps (NSKK) 1931–1945''. Oldenbourg, München 2004, .
*
*
*
* Schmitz-Berning, Cornelia: ''Vokabular des Nationalsozialismus''. de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 2000, , p. 439.
* Weiß, Hermann (Hrsg.): ''Biographisches Lexikon zum Dritten Reich''. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2002, .
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huhnlein, Adolf
1881 births
1942 deaths
20th-century Freikorps personnel
Deaths from cancer in Germany
German Army personnel of World War I
German Protestants
Major generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht)
Members of the Academy for German Law
Members of the Reichstag 1933
Members of the Reichstag 1933–1936
Members of the Reichstag 1936–1938
Members of the Reichstag 1938–1945
Military personnel from the Kingdom of Bavaria
Military personnel of Bavaria
National Socialist Motor Corps members
Nazi Party politicians
Nazis who participated in the Beer Hall Putsch
People from Bayreuth (district)
Recipients of the German Order (decoration)
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 2nd class
Reichsleiters
Reichswehr personnel
SA-Obergruppenführer