Lothar Engelhardt

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Lothar Engelhardt (second from left)

Lothar Engelhardt (born July 5, 1939 in Wangenheim , Gotha district ; † April 5, 2010 in Potsdam ) was a German officer and major general of the National People's Army (NVA) of the German Democratic Republic . Engelhardt was the last chief of the NVA.

Life

Lothar Engelhardt was born into a farming family. After he had passed the Abitur at the then cadet school in Naumburg, he joined the armed organs of the GDR in 1959 and became a soldier in the NVA guard regiment Hugo Eberlein . There he applied as a professional soldier in the NVA and was sent to the Grossenhain tank school for officer training . After successfully completing his degree and being appointed officer, he served as platoon leader in the 15th Panzer Regiment until 1962 . In 1962 he became a member of the SED in this unit .

Because of his consistently very good performance in the troop service, Engelhardt was commanded from 1962 to 1964 for training at the Military Science Institute of the Ministry of National Defense (MfNV) for reconnaissance officers. After successfully completing the course, he then served in a staff assignment in the intelligence administration of the MfNV until 1966 . This was followed by a deployment of troops as a company commander in reconnaissance battalion 7 of the 7th Panzer Division. Since he showed excellent performance here too, he was delegated from 1970 to 1973 to study at the Malinovsky Military Academy of the USSR Armored Forces.

After graduating with a degree in military science, he served until 1976 as a senior reconnaissance officer in the command of Military District III in Leipzig . From 1976 to 1978 he was head of a working group in the area of ​​chief reconnaissance. During this time, the now promoted to lieutenant colonel attended several special courses , including language courses in French at the NVA's Institute for Language Training in Naumburg (Saale) . Engelhardt was then appointed from 1978 to 1980 to head the troop reconnaissance subdivision at the chief reconnaissance unit in the Land Forces Command in Geltow . This was followed by a job as chief reconnaissance in the Military District III command. Engelhardt was then delegated from 1982 to 1984 for general staff training at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces . After successfully completing his studies, Colonel Engelhardt was appointed chief reconnaissance in the Land Forces Command. In this position he worked until 1987. From 1987 to December 31, 1989 he acted as deputy to the chief of staff for operational work of the command of the LaSK. On March 1st, 1988 he was appointed major general by Erich Honecker . From January 1, 1990 to September 1990 he was Deputy Chief of Land Forces and Chief of Staff (successor to Horst Skerra ). On September 15, 1990 he was appointed head of the NVA (successor to Theodor Hoffmann ). When the NVA was decommissioned, Major General Engelhardt was dismissed with effect from October 2, 1990. He then worked under a special contract as a consultant in Jörg Schönbohm's staff of the Bundeswehr Command East .

Engelhardt last lived in Schwielowsee . He died on April 5, 2010 at the age of 70.

Awards

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Obituary at genealogy.net in "Die Bundeswehr", magazine of the German Armed Forces Association, No. 6 / June 2010 (accessed on October 26, 2017).
personal data
SURNAME Engelhardt, Lothar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German officer, major general and last chief of the NVA
DATE OF BIRTH July 5, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Wangenheim
DATE OF DEATH April 5, 2010
Place of death Potsdam