Hellmuth Mäder
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__NOTOC__ Hellmuth Mäder (5 July 1908 – 12 May 1984) was a German general during
World War II 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 a recipient of the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), 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. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
.


Early life

Hellmuth Mäder was a native of Rotterode,
Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...
, which at the time of his birth was in the
Province of Hesse-Nassau The Province of Hesse-Nassau () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868 to 1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944. Hesse-Nassau was created as a consequence of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by combining the ...
,
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
. On April 1, 1928, Mäder joined the
German police German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ger ...
as an
officer candidate Officer candidate or officer aspirant (OA) is a rank in some militaries of the world that is an appointed position while a person is in training to become an Officer (armed forces), officer. More often than not, an officer candidate was a civilia ...
, attending the
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
State
Police Academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or to o ...
, the State Police School for Weapons and Physical Training in
Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs of Berlin, boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence (geography), confluence of the Havel and Spree (river), Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smalle ...
near Berlin, the Eiche Higher State Police School, and the School for Technology and Transport in Berlin-
Tempelhof Tempelhof () is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. The former airport and surroundings are now a park call ...
. On April 1, 1933, he was promoted to
police lieutenant A police lieutenant is a police rank in some police departments, such as the French National Police, the Netherlands Royal Marechaussee, the Philippine National Police, the Police of Russia, the National Police of Ukraine, the Estonian Polic ...
and exactly one year later to police ''oberleutnant''. On 1 October 1935, Mäder joined 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 ...
'' as a first lieutenant.


World War II


1939–1941

Between August and December 1939, he served as an junior officer in the 34th Infantry Division, after which he completed a three-month
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 ...
course at the Dresden War Academy. In the spring of 1940, Oberleutnant Mäder commanded the 522nd Infantry Regiment's 14th Company in the newly-formed 297th Infantry Division, which was not deployed in the
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
. In late 1940, he was appointed commander of the 522nd Infantry Regiment's III Battalion and served in that post during the opening phase of
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
.


Eastern Front

His division fought under
Army Group South Army Group South () was the name of one of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland, Army Group South was led by Ge ...
, advancing on
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
and
Rostov Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...
, and for his gallantry during the defensive action of winter 1941–1942, Mäder was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), 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. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
on April 3, 1942. In July 1942, he was promoted to Major and took command of 522nd Infantry Regiment, which distinguished itself during 6th Army's drive to the Don, fighting at
Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.
, the Izyum Pocket, and
Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...
.


Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943)

Promoted to ''
Oberstleutnant () (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...
'', Mäder led his regiment into Stalingrad, where it was cut off with the rest of the 6th Army. Hellmuth Mäder led battle groups of his regiment and others during the defensive fighting of December 1942 and January 1943. A serious wound led to his evacuation by air before the final collapse of the 6th Army at Stalingrad. While recovering from his wounds Mäder was placed on the ''
Führerreserve The (“Leaders Reserve” or "Reserve for Leaders") was set up in the German Armed Forces during World War II in 1939 as a pool of temporarily unoccupied high-ranking military officers awaiting new assignments. The various military branches ...
'' until early 1944.


Spring 1944

Promoted to ''
Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...
'', he was given command of the ''Eingreifbrigade Narwa'' and returned to the northern sector of the Eastern Front. Here, he was successful in halting a number of localized Soviet attacks before being severely wounded once more. This time, on recovery from his wounds, he was appointed commander of the ''Heeresgruppen Waffenschule Nord'', a weapons training establishment.


Summer 1944

When the Soviets launched their 1944 summer offensives, he returned to the front, having responsibility as ''Kampfkommandant'' for organizing the defense of a vital railway junction at
Šiauliai Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...
, between
Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...
and
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
, during the
Šiauliai offensive The Šiauliai offensive () was an operation of the Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front, commanded by General Hovhannes Bagramyan, conducted from 5 July to 29 August 1944, during the Second World War. It was part of the third phase of the Opera ...
. He held it open under heavy attack for two days, allowing retreating German units to pass safely through. For this achievement, he was awarded the Oak Leaves on August 27, 1944.


Autumn 1944 and Spring 1945

In autumn 1944, Mäder served briefly as commander of the 7th Panzer Division, again on the northern Russian front. At the end of 1944, he was given command of the elite ''
Führerbegleitbrigade The ''Führerbegleitbrigade'' (also spelt Führer-Begleit-Brigade; abbreviated FBB; ''Führer escort brigade'') was a German armoured brigade and later an armoured division (''Panzer-Führerbegleitdivision''), in World War II. It grew out of ...
'', a part of '' Panzerkorps Großdeutschland''. He led it through the
Ardennes offensive The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
, and when, in early 1945, the brigade was expanded to become the '' Führer-Grenadier-Division'', the promoted Generalmajor Mäder was put in command. The new division saw fighting on the eastern front near
Stettin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...
before being forced to retreat southwest to the outskirts of Vienna. Here, during the final battles for the Austrian capital, Generalmajor Mäder was awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross on April 18, 1945.


Cold War

Although Mäder had surrendered to US forces, he was handed over to the Soviets, who held him in captivity until 1955. In 1956, Mäder joined the ''
Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
'', serving with the rank of Brigade general and commanding the ''Infanterieschule''
Hammelburg Hammelburg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It sits in the district of Bad Kissingen, in Lower Franconia. It lies on the river Franconian Saale, 25 km west of Schweinfurt. Hammelburg is the oldest winegrowing town (''Weinstadt'') in Francon ...
. His last rank before retirement was a general lieutenant. In 1974, he was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to two years imprisonment for money he
embezzled Embezzlement (from Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman, from Old French ''besillier'' ("to torment, etc."), of unknown origin) is a type of financial crime, usually involving theft of money from a business or employer. It often involves a trus ...
in his position in the ''Bundeswehr'', as well as for inconsistencies in his expense reports. It was an accusation that he denied until he died on May 12, 1984, in
Konstanz Konstanz ( , , , ), traditionally known as Constance in English, is a college town, university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the Baden-Württemberg state of south Germany. The city ho ...
.Berger 1999, p. 204.


Awards

*
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 ...
(1939) 2nd Class (27 June 1941) & 1st Class (1 August 1941)Thomas 1998, p. 51. *
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), 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. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
** Knight's Cross on 3 April 1942 as ''
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 ...
'' and commander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 522Scherzer 2007, p. 522. ** 560th Oak Leaves on 27 August 1944 as ''
Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...
'' and leader of the '' Lehr-Brigade Nord''/'' Heeresgruppe Waffenschule Nord'' and at the same time combat commander of ''
Šiauliai Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...
'' ** 143rd Swords on 18 April 1945 as ''
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 ...
'' and commander of the Führer-Grenadier-Division


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mader, Hellmuth 1908 births 1984 deaths People from Schmalkalden-Meiningen Major generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht) Bundeswehr generals Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords German prisoners of war in World War II held by the Soviet Union Lieutenant generals of the German Army Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Military personnel from Thuringia German Army generals of World War II People convicted of embezzlement