Helmut Poppe
Helmut Poppe (born October 8, 1926 in Niederhannsdorf , † July 26, 1979 in Berlin ) was a German officer . He was Lieutenant General of the National People's Army (NVA) and Deputy Minister for National Defense of the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
Life
The son of a chemical worker began an apprenticeship as an electrician after eight years of attending school and joined the People's Police of the Soviet Occupation Zone (SBZ) on September 22, 1948 , where he was initially a sergeant in the 5th People's Police standby in Apollensdorf . Then he was in succession group leader, platoon leader and company commander in the VP readiness in Bernburg (Saale) and the VP school in Erfurt . In 1950 he joined the SED as a member and attended a special course in the USSR from 1951 to 1952 .
After his return he was first deputy commander for general matters in the office of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei (KVP) Kochstedt and then from 1953 to 1956 department head in the staff of the KVP. In 1954 he was promoted prematurely to lieutenant colonel. Between 1956 and 1959 he was head of the training administration in the Ministry of National Defense (MfNV) before he studied at the General Staff Academy of the USSR until 1961, where he graduated with the degree of Diplom Military Scientist.
After he had returned to the GDR , he was on August 15, 1961 as Colonel in command of the 4th Motorized Rifle Division (MSD) in Erfurt . On August 23, 1962, he was appointed Major General City Commander of East Berlin and thus, after Andrei Solowjow, the first officer of the National People's Army (NVA) to hold this post. In this position he ordered his officers: “No border violator may reach West Berlin alive.” He held the post of city commandant for almost nine years until May 31, 1971. He was appointed to this position on March 1, 1971, the anniversary of the NVA , promoted to lieutenant general. In 1971 he was appointed 1st Deputy Chief of Military District Command V ( Neubrandenburg ). He was succeeded as city commander of Berlin by Lieutenant General Artur Kunath .
On September 15, 1972, he was appointed Deputy Minister for National Defense and, as such, was Head of Reverse Services . He held this office until his death.
For his services within the NVA he was awarded, among other things, the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold and the battle for "For merits to the people and fatherland" in gold.
Poppe died in Berlin at the age of 52.
literature
- Klaus Froh, Rüdiger Wenzke : The generals and admirals of the NVA. A biographical manual. 4th edition, Ch. Links, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-86153-209-3 , p. 159.
- Andreas Herbst : Poppe, Helmut . In: Who was who in the GDR? 5th edition. Volume 2. Ch. Links, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-86153-561-4 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Daniel Niemetz: The field-gray legacy. The Wehrmacht Influences in the Military of the Soviet Zone / GDR. 2006, ISBN 3861534215 , p. 273.
- ↑ Homepage of the 4th Panzer Regiment "August Bebel"
- ↑ Chronicle of the Wall
- ↑ Stasi debate "If you don't shoot, you are a traitor"
- ↑ Hans Ehlert , Armin Wagner: Comrade General! The GDR military elite in biographical sketches. 2003, ISBN 386153312X , p. 606.
- ↑ Berliner Zeitung , October 7, 1976, p. 5
- ^ Munzinger online archive
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Poppe, Helmut |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German officer, lieutenant general of the NVA |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 8, 1926 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Niederhannsdorf |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 26, 1979 |
| Place of death | Berlin |