| Hermann Leopold August von Oppeln-Bronikowski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 January 1899 |
| Died | 19 September 1966 (aged 67) |
| Place of birth | Berlin |
| Place of death | Gaißach |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service | 1917 – 1945 |
| Rank | Generalmajor |
| Unit | 20th Panzer Division |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Hermann Leopold August von Oppeln-Bronikowski (2 January 1899 – 19 September 1966) was a German Army officer and panzer ace. Oppeln-Bronikowski fought during World War I and World War II. At the 1936 Summer Olympics he won the Gold Medal in the team Dressage. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Biography[]
Oppeln-Bronikowski was born in Berlin. On 1 April 1912 he entered the Bensberg Cadet School near Cologne. Two years later he was transferred to the cadet institute at Groß-Lichterfelde near Berlin. On 23 March 1917 the cadet reported to the Ulan Regiment "Prinz August von Württemberg" No. 10 at Züllichau in East Brandenburg. A few weeks later he was transferred from the reserve troop to the active regiment, which was stationed in Poland as part of the occupying force.
Oppeln-Bronikowski volunteered for front-line service in the infantry and was transferred to the Western Front to the Infanterie-Regiment "Prinz Carl" Nr. 118.[1] He received the Iron Cross, Second Class and three months later became one of the youngest Leutnants ever to receive the Iron Cross, First Class. On 14 October 1918 he also received the Hessian Medal of Bravery.
After World War II he worked as a civilian advisor and helped setting up of the German Bundeswehr. He also worked for the Canadians as a riding instructor at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He died in Gaißach, in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Bavaria.
On 17 June 1931 Oppeln-Bronikowski married Edelgard von Kleist, the daughter of Lieutenant-General Adolf von Kleist and Gertrud von Sydow.
Awards[]
- Iron Cross (1914)
- Hessische Tapferkeitsmedaille (14 October 1918)
- Panzer Badge in Silver (2. Class)
- German Cross in Gold (7 August 1943)
- Wound Badge in Black
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight's Cross on 1 January 1943 as Oberst and commander of Panzer-Regiment 204[3]
- 536th Oak Leaves on 28 July 1944 as Oberst and commander of Panzer-Regiment 22[4]
- 142nd Swords on 17 April 1945 as Generalmajor and commander of the 20. Panzer-Division[5]
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Berger, Florian (1999) (in German). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War]. Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001) (in German). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2]. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz (1998) (in German). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
- Frey, Gerhard; Herrmann, Hajo: Helden der Wehrmacht - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2004. ISBN 3-924309-53-1.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category:Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski. - von Oppeln-Bronikowski @ waffenHQ.de
- von Oppeln-Bronikowski @ Die Ritterkreuzträger
- von Oppeln-Bronikowski @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht
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