Karl Höfer also Hoefer; (29 December 1862 in Pleß – 12 May 1939 in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

) was a German

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

during

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 ...

he became known as the ''Held vom Kemmelberge'' (hero of Kemmel hill) after his division had captured the

Kemmelberg The Kemmelberg (, ) is a hill formation in Flanders, Belgium. It is located less than a kilometre from the village of Kemmel, part of the municipality of Heuvelland in the province of West Flanders. The Kemmelberg is the highest point in the pro ...

during the Fourth Battle of Flanders. Retired, as "

Generalleutnant () is the German-language 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 ...

a. D." ('retired lieutenant general'), Höfer defended German

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( ; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic. The area is predominantly known for its heav ...

against Polish insurgents in the

Silesian Uprisings The Silesian Uprisings (; ; ) were a series of three uprisings from August 1919 to July 1921 in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Weimar Republic at the time. Ethnic Polish and Polish-Silesian insurrectionists, seeking to have the area tran ...

in 1921. 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 ...

leaders had agreed upon Höfer as commander; he led them to success in the

Battle of Annaberg The Battle of (the) Annaberg () 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 near the village of Annabe ...

. In the international press, he was referred to as "General Hoefer" or "Teuton Commander Hoefer".

Decorations

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

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 SS-Oberführer