Karl-Christian Trentzsch

Karl-Christian Trentzsch (* 1919 ; † October 31, 1970 in Bonn , pseudonyms included Christian Herms , Michael Bergen and Werner C. Christiansen ) was a German brigadier general in the Bundeswehr .

Life

Trentzsch grew up in Auerbach and attended high school there. In 1930 he joined the national-conservative German Scout Association and in 1932 the German Young Society ( dj. 1.11 ). Because of his activities for the dj. 1.11 In 1935, according to his own statements, he had to leave high school with the middle school leaving certificate. After he left school, Trentzsch completed an apprenticeship as a banker. He became a member of the Hitler Youth and in 1937 a member of the NSDAP . On November 10, 1938, he volunteered in the 31st Infantry Regiment in Plauen . Shortly before the start of the war, Trentzsch was called up for active military service and was allowed to catch up on his school leaving examination in 1940 in order to pursue an officer career. In 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant , in 1943 to first lieutenant and finally to captain . Trentzsch belonged to the 389th Infantry Division , in which he served first as a company commander and later as a battalion leader. For his work in the defensive battles of 1944 and 1945 he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class, the Wound Badge in gold, the close combat clasp in bronze and in April 1945 with the German Cross in Gold. He was wounded while his division was deployed in Latvia .

After the war, Trentzsch's denazification process was discontinued on August 6, 1946, due to the amnesty law for fellow travelers and those with minor charges. In 1946 he married his first wife, Margarethe Sofie Herms, with whom he had a son. From the summer semester 1946 to the winter semester 1949/50 he studied sociology and history at the University of Heidelberg with a focus on Russian cultural and social history. Trentzsch was there in 1950 by Hans von Eckardt with his work , the principles of modern terror Systems Dr. phil. PhD.

After completing his doctorate, he moved from Heidelberg to Bremen , where he worked as managing director for his father-in-law's clothing company. After the early death of his wife, Trentzsch became involved in Bremen in 1952 in the Association of German Soldiers (VdS) and the Society for Military Studies .

On December 1, 1955, he joined the Bundeswehr as a temporary soldier with the rank of major . On June 29, 1956, he became a professional soldier and worked until 1958 as an assistant under General Werner Drews . On April 1, 1958, Trentzsch took over the department head for psychological warfare (PSK) in the Federal Ministry of Defense . On May 25, 1959, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel . From October 31, 1961, Trentzsch was colonel and head of the subdivision Fü B VII and S VII "Training, psychological warfare and military reconnaissance" and appeared under various pseudonyms.

From October 1, 1966 to March 31, 1969, Trentzsch was commander of Panzergrenadierbrigade 35 in Hammelburg. From April 1969 he was used as commander of the Bundeswehr department and deputy commander school at the command academy of the Bundeswehr in Hamburg. On July 30, 1969, he was promoted to brigadier general. Trentzsch fell seriously ill in the summer of 1969 and died in Bonn in October 1970.

literature

• Loretana de Libero : "Trentzsch, the Bundeswehr and the assassination attempt on Hitler", in: Helmut R. Hammerich, Rudolf Schlaffer (Ed.): Military build-up generations of the Bundeswehr 1955 to 1970: selected biographies (= security policy and armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany; Vol . 10). Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag 2011, pages 181 to 210. ISBN 978-3-486-70436-5 .

Web links

• Trentzsch in an interview with Der Spiegel under the cover name Herms DER SPIEGEL, 1958, No. 39, p. 16.