Bernhard Elsner
Bernhard Elsner (born January 30, 1927 in Königsberg ; † July 24, 2017 ) was a major general in the Ministry for State Security (MfS) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). From 1972 to 1987 he was commander of the "Feliks Dzierżyński" guard regiment .
Life
Elsner, son of a coachman , trained as a machine fitter after primary school , which he completed in 1944. In the same year he went to the Reich Labor Service (RAD), then as a volunteer in the German Wehrmacht and fought in the Second World War . At the end of the war in 1945 he was taken prisoner by the Soviets , from which he was released in 1949.
Elsner settled in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany (SBZ) and was hired by the People's Police (VP) in 1949 . He joined the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) in 1950 , switched to the Adlershof Guard Battalion of the Stasi in 1951, later the "Feliks Dzierżyński" guard regiment, and in 1952 became company commander. There he was promoted to Chief of Staff of the 1st Battalion in 1957 .
From 1958 to 1959 he studied at the Military Institute in Moscow , then became Chief of Staff of the I. Command and in 1960 officer for military science work in Regimental Staff I. In 1961 he became 1st Deputy Commander of the Guard Regiment "Feliks Dzierżyński" and in 1962 Chief of Staff of the regiment. From 1965 to 1968 he studied at the military academy "Friedrich Engels" of the National People's Army (NVA) with a degree in military science. Elsner was promoted to colonel in 1971 and was then commander of the guard regiment from 1972 to 1987 (successor to Heinz Gronau ). On February 6, 1976, Elsner was appointed major general by the chairman of the GDR's National Defense Council , Erich Honecker . In 1987 he was transferred to the main management and training department, where he was an officer for special tasks.
After the fall of the Wall and the peaceful revolution in the GDR , Elsner was dismissed from the service in 1990. Later he was managing director of the initiative group for the protection of the social rights of former members of the armed organs and the customs administration of the GDR (ISOR).
literature
- Jens Gieseke: Bernhard Elsner . In: Who was who in the GDR? 5th edition. Volume 1. Ch. Links, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-86153-561-4 .
- Jens Gieseke: Who was who in the Ministry for State Security (MfS manual) . BStU, Berlin 2012. (online)
- Roger Engelmann, Bernd Florath , Helge Heidemeyer , Daniela Münkel, Arno Polzin, Walter Süß : The MfS Lexicon. 3. updated edition, Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin 2016, ISBN 978-3-86153-900-1 , page 76, bstu.de .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ mfs-insider ; accessed on August 2, 2017
- ↑ Neues Deutschland , February 7, 1976, p. 1.
- ↑ Uni, Stasi, NVA: The pension is safe In: Die Welt . April 29, 1999.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Elsner, Bernhard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German major general in the Ministry for State Security (MfS) of the GDR |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 30, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Königsberg (today Russia ) |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 24, 2017 |
| Place of death | Berlin |