Oskar Schwerk

Oskar Schwerk (born July 16, 1869 in Hünern , Silesia , † November 14, 1950 ) was a German major general and SS-Obergruppenführer .

Life

The pastor's son attended the Elisabet High School in Breslau . He entered on 15 October 1887 as a cadet in the third Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment no. 50 of the Prussian army in Rawitsch and was here on January 15, 1889 second lieutenant promoted. After his promotion to Premier Lieutenant on January 27, 1896 , he rose to regimental adjutant just under two months later. Schwerk was then transferred to the 5th Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 154 in Jauer on April 1, 1897 and was then adjutant at the local district command from October 1, 1898 to September 18, 1901 . Schwerk was then in the same position with the 31st Infantry Brigade of the 16th Division in Trier and was promoted to captain on September 12, 1902 . As such, on January 27, 1905, he was appointed company commander in the infantry regiment “Herwarth von Bittenfeld” (1st Westphalian) No. 13 in Münster . At the same time as his promotion to major , Schwerk became adjutant of the 2nd Division in Insterburg on February 21, 1911 . He held this position for the next three years and was then commander of the III. Battalion of the 3rd Upper Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 62 in Ratibor .

First World War

With this regiment Schwerk fought after the outbreak of the First World War in France at Neufchâteau , on the Meuse and the battles at Varennes and Vaubecourt-Fleury. Subsequently, it took part in the retreat and was in action at Reims in October . On November 12, 1914, Schwerk finally became commander of the 4th Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 51 . In the further course of the war, the regiment took part in the 11th Division in the winter battle in Champagne , in June / July in the fighting in Artois and in September / October 1915 in the autumn battle at La Bassée and Arras . This was followed by the trench warfare west of Péronne and in January / February 1916 the battles near Frize. In the meantime, Schwerk had become a lieutenant colonel on January 27, 1916 . In summer and autumn Schwerk and his regiment took part in the Battle of the Somme and was able to repel enemy attacks several times in his sector. For these achievements, he was awarded the highest Prussian bravery award, the Order Pour le Mérite , on September 21, 1916 .

In the spring of 1917 Schwerk and his regiment were engaged in heavy defensive battles in the St. Laurent-Tilloy lez Mosslaines section. In the Easter battle near Arras, the English, who were superior in men and material, overran the first two positions of his front section. Schwerk then withdrew with his staff to the third position and from there successfully led the defense against the enemy infantry advancing under the protection of a tank and was able to prevent the attempt to break through. Schwerk was wounded so badly by a shell hit that the amputation of his left leg was necessary. For his personal commitment, he was then awarded the oak leaves for Pour le Mérite as the first regimental commander on May 2, 1917.

Since he was no longer able to be used in the field due to his serious injury, he was appointed inspector of the military penal institutions on January 18, 1918, and promoted to colonel on July 15, 1918 . In mid-September 1918, he was appointed Commander of Berlin .

Interwar period

With the end of the empire and the proclamation of the republic , Schwerk handed over this post to his successor Otto Wels on November 9, 1918 , under whom he worked as second in command until Christmas Eve . He was then transferred to Breslau and appointed inspector of the Landwehr inspection there. In this function he organized the security police in the Silesian capital until he retired from active military service on January 31, 1920.

After his departure, Schwerk was first chairman of the officers' association of the former 4th Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 51 and leader of the Provincial Warrior Association for Silesia. As such, he was also the leader of SA Reserve II in Silesia. In the SA he achieved the rank of standard leader

At the time of National Socialism , he joined the NSDAP in May 1937 ( membership number 5.420.196). He was also a member of the SS (SS-No. 276.825) and last had the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer since July 16, 1944. In addition to his function as regional leader southeast of the NS-Reichskriegerbund , he was also Gauführer southeast and district leader Breslau-Stadt for this organization. Schwerk received on 27 August 1939 the so-called Tannenbergtag , the character as a major general . During the Second World War , from September 1943 to May 1945, he was also the Gauleiter's commissioner for the uniform orientation of the war comradeships in the Gau Lower Silesia .

literature

• Hanns Möller: History of the knights of the order pour le mérite in the world war. Volume II: M-Z. Bernard & Graefe Publishing House, Berlin 1935, pp. 318-320.
• Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Christian Zweig: The knights of the order Pour le Mérite of the First World War. Volume 3: P-Z. Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf 2011, ISBN 3-7648-2586-3 , pp. 290-292.