Wilhelm von Oertzen (1883–1945)

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Wilhelm v. Oertzen

Wilhelm von Oertzen (born June 6, 1883 in Schwerin , † May 4, 1945 in Roggow near Rerik ) was a German landowner in Mecklenburg.

Life

He studied at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg . With Edmund von Thermann and Julius von Zech-Burkersroda he became active in the Corps Saxo-Borussia Heidelberg in 1904 . As an inactive , he moved to the home university of Rostock in the summer semester of 1906 . After completing his legal traineeship, he de-registered in 1907.

In November 1924 Heinrich von Gleichen-Rußwurm and Hans Bodo von Alvensleben-Neugattersleben founded the German men's club . Wilhelm von Oertzen also sat on the board. With Heinrich von Gleichen-Rußwurm, Henning Baron Fölkersamb and Roland Brauweiler , he founded the Mecklenburg Herrengesellschaft on June 15, 1926 in his Roggow manor . It was integrated into the organizational structure of the German Men's Club. In a letter to Adolf Hitler , he admired him for how consistently he proceeded against the “blessings of international Marxism”. He therefore believed “personally in the penetration of the National Socialist idea”. Many times v. Winning Oertzen Hitler for a lecture - always in vain. Even Adolf Friedrich zu Mecklenburg , who knew Hitler personally and was open to his program, could not change his mind. Wilhelm v. Oertzen was upset, but after the failure of the Papen cabinet - like many others - he counted on Hitler as the new leader. After the Reichstag election in March 1933 , he wrote in a letter to Paul Lembke in Mülheim an der Ruhr :

“Apparently Hitler is growing into his task of no longer just being a drummer and a speaker, but actually becoming a statesman. In any case, I'm more and more in agreement with his speeches, and his gesture to Hindenburg in particular was very nice. The 21st [March 1933] can now be seen as the hour of birth of the Third Reich. We ourselves also celebrated the day in Alt Gaarz very nicely with a steel helmet and SA and the warrior clubs as well as a pile of wood and a torchlight procession, where I had to give a speech by the burning fire. Now it will be a question of maintaining this unity among the people as well as in the government. A big and difficult task, especially in view of the foreign policy situation! "

- Wilhelm v. Oertzen

Oertzen's admission into the National Socialist German Workers' Party was opposed to the personal feud with Gauleiter Friedrich Hildebrandt - a former farm worker. Hildebrandt was angry with the Mecklenburg knighthood, which had openly referred to him as the murderer of Andreas von Flotow . Wilhelm v. Oertzen did everything to refute Hildebrandt's mistrust. On January 8, 1934 there was a discussion in Neubukow . Oertzen advised the Gauleiter to find a few words of appreciation for those who, although not party members, were necessarily national by birth, position, and upbringing. These felt pushed back and were therefore offended, but not opposed to the current state. Hildebrandt naturally also bumped into v. Oertzen's support for Franz von Papen , the “South German Catholic threat” to the Hitler regime. Wilhelm v. Oertzen emphasized again that "for many years he had worked in the spirit and spirit of the National Socialist spirit". Hildebrandt gave in and promised membership in the NSDAP. He confidently stated that he was “in favor of maintaining large estates in a healthy mix with farm positions”; He rejects the “one hundred percent peasant policy” of Walter Darré and Walter Granzow . After this conversation, the relationship between the party and the master society relaxed temporarily. Wilhelm v. Oertzen was not accepted into the NSDAP. His enthusiasm for the "statesman" Hitler soon turned into skepticism and, during the war, into abysmal contempt. He had bet on the wrong guy.

Was married to v. Oertzen with Gerda geb. Countess von Westarp (1888–1945). Of the couple's children, the sons Jürgen (1913–1941) and Frithjof (1917–1943) died in World War II . When Red Army soldiers looted the mansion on May 4, 1945 , Wilhelm von Oertzen and his wife committed suicide; he shot his wife and himself.

Works

  • Paperback of the von Oertzen family . Rostock 1936.

See also

Commemorative plaque for the members of the v. Family who stayed during the war from 1939-1945 Oertzen with Wilhelm and Gerda v. Oertzen, in the Doberan Minster

literature

  • Lothar Elsner: The gentlemen's society: life and changes of Wilhelm von Oertzen. Edited by Eva-Maria Elsner and Heinz Koch, Rostock: Weymann Bauer 1998, ISBN 3-929395-39-8 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kösener Corpslist 1960, 66/1150.
  2. ^ Enrollment of Wilhelm v. Oertzen (Rostock matriculation portal)
  3. ↑ Stephan Malinowski: From King to Leader: Social decline and political radicalization in the German nobility between the German Empire and the Nazi state , 3rd edition (2003)
  4. ^ A b Hermann Langer: Life under the swastika. Everyday life in Mecklenburg 1932–1945 . Edition Temmen. ISBN 3-86108-291-8 , pp. 69-74
  5. ↑ Mecklenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv, Herrengesellschaft Mecklenburg (Deutscher Klub Meckl.), No. 2455, Vol. 12a
  6. ^ Mechthild Hempe: Rural Society in Crisis: Mecklenburg in the Weimar Republic (2002)
  7. ↑ Elsner's book (buchfreund.de)
personal data
SURNAME Oertzen, Wilhelm von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Oertzen-Roggow, Wilhelm von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German landowner, founder of the Mecklenburg Herrengesellschaft
DATE OF BIRTH June 6, 1883
PLACE OF BIRTH Schwerin
DATE OF DEATH May 4, 1945
Place of death Roggow near Rerik