Wolfgang Ziegler

Wolfgang Ziegler
Birth name	Karl Otto Hermann Wilhelm Wolfgang Ziegler
Birth date	5 February 1890(1890-02-05)
Place of birth	Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire
Death date	15 October 1939 (aged 49)
Place of death	Heidelberg, Gau Baden, German Reich
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Army of Baden Prussian Army Imperial German Army Reichswehr Heer
Years of service	1908–1939
Rank	Generalmajor
Commands held	71. Infanterie-Division
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Iron Cross Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion
Relations	∞ 1919 Paula Johns

Karl Otto Hermann Wilhelm Wolfgang Ziegler (5 February 1890 – 15 October 1939), was a German officer of the Baden / Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Generalmajor (Major General) and division commander in WWII.

Life

Birth entry (1890)

Death notice

Wolfgang Ziegler was born on 5 February 1890 in Mannheim, where his father was serving with the 2. Badisches Grenadier-Regiment „Kaiser Wilhelm I.“ Nr. 110 as Captain (Hauptmann) at the time. He was baptized as a Protestant on 3 April 1890. Like all of the family members, he was a Prussian citizen, even though born in the Grand Duchy of Baden.

Military

Ziegler joined the 7th Baden Infantry Regiment No. 142 on 3 November 1908 as an officer candidate. After attending military school (Kriegsschule), he was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on 19 August 1909. In World War I, he was not only wounded but also decorated for his bravery. He was then accepted into the Preliminary Reichswehr in 1919 as a Captain with his old seniority. In the spring of 1920, he belonged to the Reichswehr Rifle Regiment 113. When the 100,000-man army of the Reichswehr was formed, he was then taken over into the 14th (Baden) Infantry Regiment. In the spring of 1921, he was transferred to the staff of the 2nd Division of the Reichswehr in Stettin. On 1 October 1921, he was transferred to the 10th (Saxon) Infantry Regiment as a company officer. From spring 1924, at the latest, he was deployed to the Reichswehr Ministry (RWM) in Berlin. There he belonged to the army department (T 1) at the troop office (TA) at least until the summer of 1925. In the spring of 1926, he was part of the training squadron of the 13th (Prussian) Cavalry Regiment in Hanover.

In 1926/27, he was appointed commander of the 7th company of the 14th (Baden) Infantry Regiment in Tübingen. He then held this position for the next few years. On 1 November 1928, he was promoted to Major. As such, he was then transferred to the staff of the 1st Division of the Reichswehr in Königsberg. He was then deployed there again for several years. On 1 June 1938, he was appointed commander of the 88th Infantry Regiment in Hanau. He relinquished his command on 10 November 1938. He was then appointed Infantry Commander 19 in Hildesheim. During the mobilization for World War II in the summer of 1939, he and his staff formed the division headquarters of the 71st Infantry Division. He was then appointed first commander of the new 71st Infantry Division. With this unit, he first took up positions in the west.

Death

It is sometimes speculated in military forums that Major-General Ziegler committed suicide, although without evidence or documentation. What is known: Ziegler suffered a "serious injury" (death notice), he "died due to an accident" (Militärwochenblatt). On 14 October 1939 (possibly even before), he was apparently shot in the chest (Thorax-Schußverletzung) without explaining how (external influence, mishandling a handgun, etc.). he was transported to the Reserve Military Hospital (Reserve-Lazarett) in Heidelberg. He developed spinal cord inflammation (Rückenmark-Entzündung), in addition, there was acute circulatory weakness.

Wolfgang Ziegler died on 15 October 1939 at 2:45 a.m. in the Lazarett-Abteilung 1 (hospital department 1).

Family

Wolfgang was the son of Major Johann Georg Ludwig Wilhelm Ziegler (1848–1896) and his wife Annemarie Bernhardine Auguste Julia, née Holsten. He had three siblings, among them Gerhard-Georg Ziegler. On 22 April 1919 in Heidelberg, Captain Ziegler married his fiancée Paula Johns (b. 25 April 1895).

Georg Ziegler (father)

Am 25. Juli verschied in Rastatt nach schwerem Leiden im 48. Lebensjahre der Major und Bataillonskommandeur Georg Ziegler. Er entstammte einer althessischen Familie; sein Vater war der frühere hessische Landtagsabgeordnete Ziegler, seine Mutter war eine geborene Boedicker, Tochter des ehemaligen Stadtkommandanten von Kassel und Generallieutenants Ludwig Boedicker. In Hanau, wo die Eltern ansässig waren — die Mutter starb da selbst erst vor einigen Monaten —, wurde Georg Ziegler am 25. April 1848 geboren. Nachdem er das Gymnasium seiner Vaterstadt mit gutem Erfolg absolviert hatte, bezog er die alte Landesuniversität Marburg, um sich, einem Wunsche seines Vaters entsprechend, dem Studium der Rechtswissenschaft zu widmen. Vom 1. Oktober 1868 bis dahin 1869 diente Ziegler als Einjährig-Freiwilliger bei den Marburger Jägern und begab sich dann Herbst 1869 ans die Universität Heidelberg, um dort seine Studien fortzusetzen. Als im darauffolgenden Jahre der deutsch-französische Krieg ausbrach, trat er als Unteroffizier in die Reihen des 1. Nassauischen Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 87 ein, bei dem er den ganzen Feldzug hindurch verblieb. Während des Feldzuges avancierte Ziegler zum Secondlieutenant, blieb als solcher nach dem Feldzug im aktiven Dienst und wurde 1874 mit einem Patent vom 6. Februar 1869 in das 2. Badische Grenadier-Regiment Nr 110 versetzt, in welchem er 1875 zum Premierlieutenant, 1884 zum Hauptmann und 1893 zum Major befördert wurde. In Mannheim wurde Ziegler unter anderem mit der Prüfung der Dowe'schen sogenannten kugelsicheren Panzer betraut, die seiner Zeit so viel von sich reden machten. Am 15. Mai 1894 wurde Ziegler sodann als Bataillonskommandeur in das Infanterie-Regiment Markgraf Ludwig Wilhelm (3. Badisches) Nr. 111 versetzt. Ziegler hinterläßt eine Witwe mit vier Kindern. Er war mit Leib und Seele Soldat, ein begabter, tüchtiger Offizier und gerechter Vorgesetzter.

On July 25th [1896], major and battalion commander Georg Ziegler died in Rastatt after severe suffering at the age of 48. He came from an old Hessian family; his father was the former Hessian state parliament member Ziegler, his mother was née Boedicker, daughter of the former city commander of Kassel and Lieutenant General Ludwig Boedicker. Georg Ziegler was born on April 25, 1848 in Hanau, where his parents lived — his mother only died there a few months ago. After graduating from high school in his hometown with good results, he moved to the old state university of Marburg in order to devote himself to studying law, in accordance with his father's wishes. From October 1, 1868 to 1869, Ziegler served as a one-year volunteer with the Marburg Jäger [Kurhessisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 11] and then went to the University of Heidelberg in the fall of 1869 to continue his studies there. When the Franco-German War broke out the following year, he joined the ranks of the 1st Nassau Infantry Regiment No. 87 as a non-commissioned officer, with whom he remained throughout the campaign. During the campaign, Ziegler was promoted to second (2nd) lieutenant, and as such remained in active service after the campaign and was transferred to the 2nd Baden Grenadier Regiment No. 110 in 1874 with a patent dated February 6, 1869, in which he was promoted to first (1st) lieutenant in 1875 and to captain in 1884 and was promoted to major in 1893. In Mannheim, Ziegler was entrusted, among other things, with testing Dowe's so-called bulletproof tanks, which were so talked about at the time. On May 15, 1894, Ziegler was then transferred to the Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm (3rd Baden) Infantry Regiment No. 111 [Rastatt] as a battalion commander. Ziegler leaves behind a widow with four children. He was a soldier with heart and soul, a talented, capable officer and a fair superior.

• Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class
• Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PrA4)
• Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Knight's Cross II. Class with Oak Leaves (BZL3bmE)
• Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
• Anniversary Oak Leaves (Jubiläums-Eichenlaub „25“ 1870/1895) to his Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class

Promotions

• 3 November 1908 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
• 19 August 1909 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
• 24 July 1915 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
• 15 July 1918 Hauptmann (Captain)
• 1 November 1928 Major
• 1 April 1933 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 1 April 1935 Oberst (Colonel)
• 1 June 1938 Generalmajor (Major General)

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords (BZ3b⚔)
• Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918) in Black
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class