Fritz Heldrich

Fritz Heldrich
Landgerichtsrat Major d. R. Dr. jur. Fritz Eberth-Heldrich
Birth date	18 March 1897(1897-03-18)
Place of birth	München, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire
Death date	3 June 1943 (aged 46)
Place of death	Charkow, Ukraine
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Imperial German Army Freikorps Preliminary Reichswehr Heer
Rank	Major d. R.
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Poland Campaign Western Campaign Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Iron Cross
Relations	∞ 1928 Marie-Luise Biergans
Other work	Jurist, Dr. jur., public prosecutor, councilor at the regional court (Landgerichtsrat)

Friedrich "Fritz" Karl Albrecht Heldrich, from 1942 Eberth-Heldrich (18 March 1897 – 3 June 1943), was a German reserve officer of the artillery and a jurist.

Life

After attending primary school and then Gymnasium in München (Theresien-Gymnasium) from 7 November 1910 (having learned Latin, Classical Greek and French), Fritz Heldrich achieved his Abitur on 15 July 1916. He volunteered for the Bavarian Army on 11 December 1916 during WWI and joined the 3rd Replacement Battery/II. Replacement Battalion/Royal Bavarian 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince Regent Luitpold". After basic training, he was deployed to the 7th Battery/Royal Bavarian 9th Field Artillery Regiment at the Western Front on 23 February 1917 and experienced the trench warfare between the Meuse and Moselle and the double battle on the Aisne and in Champagne. On 22 March 1917, he was transferred to the 4th Battery. He was wounded on 27 April 1918 (shot in the thigh). On 5 August 1918, he was assigned to the 1st Replacement Battery/I. Battalion/Royal Bavarian 9th Field Artillery Regiment.

On 5 November 1918, he was transferred to the 8th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment but returned to the 1st Replacement Battery/I. Battalion/Royal Bavarian 9th Field Artillery Regiment only days later on 11 November 1918. He was demobilized on 9 January 1919, served with the Freikorps under Franz Ritter von Epp (de) and was transferred to the 3rd Battery of 1. bayerisches Reichswehr-Artillerie-Regiment 21 and was transferred to the 4th Battery on 5 July 1919. On 15 August 1919, he was honorably discharged from the Preliminary Reichswehr. In March 1920, during the Kapp–Lüttwitz Putsch, when the Spartacists threatened Leipzig, he joined a temporary volunteer regiment and took part in the skirmishes.

22-year-old Heldrich enrolled at university in Munich, studied law, earned a doctorate (15 November 1921 in Erlangen; cum laude), and eventually became a public prosecutor. The Bavarian People's Party (BVP), to which Heldrich had belonged since the end of 1918, was the dominant force in Bavaria in 1933. After the Reichstag fire and the subsequent decrees, it was forced to submit to the new state and ultimately dissolved itself on 4 July 1933 to preempt the enforced ban. Many of its members, particularly those of the paramilitary Bayernwacht (Bavarian Guard), were taken into protective custody. This was a preventative measure to quell potential uprisings, although it was later admitted that such an uprising was never a real threat from the BVP. Fritz Heldrich, at that time a judge, was indeed taken into protective custody on 28 June 1933 (held in communal custody in Stadelheim Prison). This caused an uproar and protests. He, like most of the others, was released from protective custody on 5 July 1933. This incident did not negatively affect his career; on the contrary, on 1 December 1933, he became the First State Prosecutor at the Munich Regional (State) Court, a prestigious position.

In 1934, with the II. Mountain Artillery Bataillon/7. (Bayerisches) Artillerie-Regiment and 1935 with the I. Battalion/Artillerie-Regiment München, he participated in reserve military exercises. On 11 October 1935, the officers of the I. Battalion elected him as future reserve officer. On 15 October 1935, the Munich Artillery Regiment was to be renamed Artillery Regiment 17, but instead became the new Artillery Regiment 7. Instead, the former Nuremberg Artillery Regiment was renamed the new Artillery Regiment 17. On 1 June 1936, 38-year-old Dr. Heldrich became a 2nd Lieutenant of the Reserves of the Artillerie-Regiment 7 in Munich.

With the liberation of the Rhineland in March 1936, the regimental headquarters, along with the 1st Division of the Regiment and the 2nd Division of the 17th Artillery Regiment, were relocated to Darmstadt. There, the units were used to form Artillery Regiment 33 on October 6, 1936. The 2nd and 3rd Divisions of the Regiment were simultaneously renamed 2nd and 3rd Divisions of the 27th Artillery Regiment. Also on October 6, 1936, a new 7th Artillery Regiment was formed. The new regimental headquarters and the new 1st Division were established in Munich. Contributions from the 10th Artillery Regiment were used to establish the 1st Division. The new 2nd Division was provisionally stationed in Landsberg am Lech. Contributions from the 17th Artillery Regiment were used to establish the 2nd Division. The new regiment was again subordinate to the 7th Infantry Division.

By order of 11 March 1938, the division, and thus also the regiment, was alerted to participate in securing the Anschluss of Austria. The division was subordinate to the VII Army Corps and was assembled in the Simbach area. On 12 March 1938, the division crossed the border into Braunau and then advanced to Ried, which it reached on the evening of 12 March. On 13 March, the division reached Lambach via the Hausruck Pass after an arduous mountain march. On 18 and 19 March, the division finally reached its accommodation area west of St. Pölten around the towns of Melk, Ybbs, and Pöchlarn. After the liberation of Austria, the division returned to its barracks.

On 1 August 1939, the division was relocated to Slovakia. On 26 August 1939, the division was mobilized. From 1 September 1939, the division took part in the Polish Campaign. It advanced to the Jablunka Pass and the Zwardon Saddle. This was followed by pursuit battles over Dumajec and the capture of Przemysl. After the Polish campaign, the division was relocated west. From 10 May 1940, it took part in the Western Campaign. Via Leuven and Tournai, the division advanced into the Scheldt sector and then took part in the Battle of the Scheldt. The division then crossed the Lys and fought for Lille. After leaving France, the division remained in northern France as an occupation force.

In April 1941, the division was relocated to the General Government. From 22 June 1941, the division took part in Operation Barbarossa. Via Bialystok, the division advanced to Minsk, then to Mogilev and Roslavl. This was followed by the defensive battle of Yelnya, then offensive battles on the Nara and the advance on Moscow. After the start of the Russian Winter Offensive, the division defended itself in the Shelkhovka-Dorokhovo area. At the beginning of 1942, the division withdrew to the Nara River and then to the Gzhatsk Position. In 1943, the division fought in the Orel Bend and then withdrew across the Desna and Dnieper Rivers to Gomel.

Memberships

• Bavarian People's Party (Bayerische Volkspartei; BVP) December 1918 to July 1933
• Bavarian Rifle Corps (Bayerisches Schützenkorps) 17 April to 15 August 1919 (the renamed Freikorps "von Epp")
• Kyffhäuser League (Kyffhäuserbund)
  • the umbrella organization for war veterans' and reservists' associations
• Bavarian Judges' Association (Bayerischer Richterbund) 1925 to 1933
• Bayernwacht 1930 to 1933
  • The Bayernwacht (Bavaria Watch) was the uniformed paramilitary unit of the Bavarian People's Party formed in 1925. It disbanded itself in April 1933.
• Honorary member of the Munich City Council 20 April to 10 July 1933
• Reich Air Protection League (Reichsluftschutzbund; RLB) 1 May 1934 (#198,335)
  • his wife was also a member and served as a Hauswart (responsible for air raid protection in the entire residential building, whereby a sign, usually a metal sign, was attached to the caretaker's apartment door to indicate his or her role)
• SA-Landsturm (SA-Reserve II) July 1934
  • The Bavarian Veterans' Association of the Kyffhäuser League of German State Veterans' Associations, with its subordinate Bavarian structure and sub-associations down to the district level, was incorporated into the SA Reserve II in 1934 and dissolved at the national level in 1943.
• League of National Socialist German Jurists (Bund Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Juristen; BNSDJ) 29 July 1934 (#79,154)
  • 1936 renamed to National Socialist Association of Legal Professionals (Nationalsozialistischer Rechtswahrerbund; NSRB)
• National Socialist People's Welfare (Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt; NSV) 1 April 1936 (#5,645,262)

Death

Major d. R. Fritz Eberth-Heldrich, commander of the II. Battalion of the Artillerie-Regiment 139 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) Leopold Carl Bernhard Drieshen (b. 26 January 1898; DKiG), was severely wounded (severe head injury from grenade launcher impact, he never regained consciousness) at the Eastern Front on the evening of 2 June 1943 and succumbed to his wounds on 3 June 1943 (11 a.m.) at the military hospital (Kriegs-Lazarett 1/610) in Charkow. He was buried on 5 June 1943 with military honors at the Cemetery of Honor (Ehrenfriedhof) in Charkow. His name is also commemorated on the war memorial at the Steingaden estate in Upper Bavaria.

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Family

Dr. rer. pol. Marie-Luise Eberth-Heldrich

Fritz was the son of Catholic jurist and Reich Court Council (Reichsgerichtsrat am Oberlandesgericht München) Dr. jur. Albrecht Heldrich (1862–1928) and his wife (∞ 25 March 1895) Maria (Marie), née Eberth (b. 28 December 1875 in Munich), a sister of later General der Flieger Karl Eberth. He had at least one brother:

• Karl Ferdinand (b. 28 August 1900 in München), Fahnenjunker with the Royal Bavarian 1st Infantry Regiment "King" in WWI, received Charakter als Fähnrich (18 October 1920), jurist, Dr. jur., private lecturer for Roman Law and Civil Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Leipzig, later Professor, as well as higher regional court councilor and thus associate judge at the Thuringian Higher Regional Court, later also a member of the Contract Law Committee of the Academy of German Law; veteran of WWI (officer candidate) and reserve officer of the Wehrmacht
  • 1st Lieutenant of the Reserves Prof. Dr. jur. Karl Heldrich took part in the Poland Campaign as a company leader, was severely wounded in the first days and succumbed to his wounds on 5 September 1939.
    • His son was the prominent jurist and academic author Prof. Dr. jur. Andreas Heldrich (1935–2007)

On 31 January 1942, Fritz was adopted by Karl Eberth and his wife after all four of their own children (Karl Alexander, Annemarie, Elisabeth and Wolfgang) had died. Fritz adopted the double name "Eberth-Heldrich".

Marriage

On 3 February 1928 in Starnberg, Dr. Heldrich married his fiancée, lawyer and juvenile court judge (finally Oberamtsrichterin) Dr. rer. pol. Maria Luise "Marie-Luise" Biergans (b. 24 January 1903 in Landsberg am Lech; d. 28 February 1995 in München), daughter of Captain Ludwig Biergans (b. 8 January 1875) and his wife Margarete, née Jobst (1880–1969). Her father was a graduate of the Royal Bavarian War Academy and qualified for the Higher Adjutancy. He became commander of the 12th Company/Royal Bavarian 11. Infanterie-Regiment "von der Tann" in Regensburg, on 2 August 1914, he took over the 2nd Company of the new Royal Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 11. He was severely wounded and succumbed to his wounds on 15 September 1914. He had received the Iron Cross, 2nd Class shortly before his death. He was buried in the Munich Forest Cemetery. Marie-Luise received her doctorate in 1926 from the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Munich, graduating magna cum laude. In the autumn of 1927, at only 24 years old, she passed the Bavarian state law examination with flying colors.

Children

Fritz and Marie-Luise would have four children:

• Gertrud Maria (b. 16 February 1929 in Munich), jurist, Chief Legal Adviser of the Wacker Chemie AG in München for many years, the Group’s very first female director and later a member of the Supervisory Board
• Margarete Hildegard (b. 13 April 1931 in Munich; d. 11 December 2012 in Lauf); ∞ Karl Stauder (1926–2016), lawyer
• Maria Anna Veronika (b. 11 August 1936 in Munich); ∞ Attorney General Dr. jur. Werner Biebl
• Albrecht Karl Ludwig (b. 26 May 1940 in Munich), Dr. med. (pediatrics); ∞ Dr. Elisabeth Eberth-Heldrich

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Promotions

• 11 December 1916 War Volunteer
• 5 November 1917 Gefreiter (Private E-2/Lance Corporal)
• 31 December 1917 Unteroffizier der Reserve und Reserve-Offizier-Aspirant (Reserve Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
• 10 March 1918 Vizewachtmeister der Reserve (Reserve Vice Sergeant/Vice Staff Sergeant/Junior Sergeant-Major)
• 30 December 1920 Charakter als Leutnant der Reserve (honorary 2nd Lieutenant of the Reserves)
• 1 June 1936 Leutnant der Reserve (2nd Lieutenant of the Reserves) with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 March 1922 (18c)
• 1 March 1938 Oberleutnant der Reserve (1st Lieutenant of the Reserves) with RDA from 1 November 1937 (80)
• 1 February 1939 Hauptmann der Reserve (Captain of the Reserves)
• 1941/42 Major der Reserve (Major of the Reserves)

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd Class
• Wound Badge (1918) in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords
• Freikorps Fighter Certificate (Freikorpskämpferurkunde) on 23 April 1936 (#40204)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 3rd Class
• Medal to Commemorate the 13 March 1938
• Civil Loyal Service Medal (Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen), 2nd Grade for 25 years on 28 March 1942
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd Class (posthumously) as Major d. R. and Commander of the II. Battalion/Artillerie-Regiment 139/282. Infanterie-Division
  • awarded by Colonel Wilhelm Kohler, delegated with the leadership of the 282. Infanterie-Division

Sources

• German Federal Archives: BArch R 3001/54787 and R 3001/54788