Fritz Weitzel (27 April 1904 – 19 June 1940) was a German SS commander during the

Nazi era Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. Weitzel became a member of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...

in 1925 and of SS in 1926. In 1930 he was promoted leader of the SS in the

Rheinland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

and

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...

. He became ''Polizeipräsident'' in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

in 1933, and ''Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer West'' in 1938. During 1939 Weitzel wrote the book ''Celebrations of the SS Family'' which described the holidays to be celebrated and how married SS men and their families should celebrate them. This book, written by Weitzel, described how the

Julleuchter Julleuchter (; "Yule lantern") or ''Turmleuchter'' ("tower lantern") are modern terms used to describe a type of earthenware candle-holder originating in 16th-century Sweden, later redesigned and manufactured in Nazi Germany. Swedish artefact ...

, a Yuletide gift by

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 ...

to the SS, should be used. Following the

German invasion of Norway German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

on 9 April 1940, Weitzel was sent to Norway on 21 April to become ''Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer'' in the country's capital,

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

. However, he was killed two months later by shrapnel in an aerial attack on his home town, Düsseldorf, during a visit on 19 June 1940. He is buried in the cemetery at Düsseldorf.

References

1904 births 1940 deaths SS and Police Leaders Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic Members of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany SS-Obergruppenführer German military personnel killed in World War II Deaths by airstrike during World War II {{Germany-bio-stub

See also

References