Gottschalk von Loewenich

Gottschalk von Loewenich
Birth name	Gottschalk Ludwig Adolf von Loewenich
Birth date	14 May 1881(1881-05-14)
Place of birth	Ulm, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Death date	18 November 1960 (aged 79)
Place of death	Erlangen, Bavaria, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army Freikorps Reichswehr Heer
Years of service	1900–1944
Rank	Generalmajor
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Iron Cross
Relations	∞ Charlotte Bertha Julie Maria Fehse

Gottschalk Ludwig Adolf von Loewenich (14 May 1881 – 18 November 1960) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Generalmajor (Major General) during World War II.

Military career

Gottschalk von Loewenich joined the 1. Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 14, on 20 September 1906 renamed Feld-Artillerie-Regiment "Großherzog" (1. Badisches) Nr. 14, on 22 March 1900 in Karlsruhe (Grand Duchy of Baden) and served in the 4th Battery. As of Rangliste 1908, he served in the 3rd Battery, as of Rangliste 1909 in the reitende Batterie or riding battery. On 1 October 1910, he was commanded to the Military Riding Institute (Militär-Reit-Institut) in Hannover. On 1 October 1912, he was transferred to the 5th Mounted Rifles (Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 5) in Mülhausen (Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen).

On 2 August 1914, at the beginning of WWI, he became squadron commander (Eskadronchef) in the 8th Reserve-Dragoon-Regiment (Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 8). On 21 December 1914, he fell ill and was transferred to a military hospital (Lazarett). In March 1915, he was named squadron commander in the Magdeburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 6. From June to September 1915, he served with the 29th Reserve-Division, then he returned to the 8th Reserve-Dragoon-Regiment, once again squadron commander.

From 15 September to 18 December 1918, he was leader of I. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment „Herwarth von Bittenfeld“ (1. Westfälisches) Nr. 13. He was then transferred to the Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 5 as squadron commander, at the same time he became leader of the regiment from January to May 1919.

In May 1919, his new volunteer squadron joined the Freikorps Hindenburg, which had been founded by men of the Sturm-Bataillon Nr. 5. The Freikoprs served with the Border Patrol (Grenzschutz Ost) in Upper Silesia. In April 1920, he joined the Reiter-Regiment 5 of the Reichswehr. From 16 May to 1 October 1920, he was with the Staff of the 4th Rifle-Regiment and was leader of the 44th Panzer-Platoon. He then became squadron commander in the 1. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Tilsit until 1925.

On 1 May 1925, he was transferred to the staff of the 16. Reiter-Regiment in Kassel. On 1 May 1926, he became commander of the 3. Eskadron/16. Reiter-Regiment in Langensalza and returned to the staff of the regiment on 1 May 1927, now in Erfurt. On 1 February 1928, he became commander of the 4. Eskadron/4. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Perleberg, where he was also garrison elder (Standortältester). On 31 January 1931, he officially retired.

Gottschalk von Loewenich stayed employed by the Reichswehr as of 1 February 1931 as L-Angestellter. On 1 October 1933, he was named Landwehr-Offizier, then supplemental officer (Ergänzungsoffizier) on 5 March 1935 and finally once again active officer on 1 April 1938. As of 1 November 1935, he was commander of the Wehrkreisremonteschule Lyck, the district military school for training cavalry. On 10 November 1938, he became commander of the Wehrkreisremonteschule in Babenhausen, Hessen. On 1 February 1942, he was detached for use as Field-Commandant in Krementschuk. On 29 March 1942, he became acting City-Commandant of Kharkov. On 23 April 1942, he became acting Field-Commandant 197 as head of the Feldkommandantur 197 (FK 197).

On 11 June 1942, he was delegated with special tasks with the commander of the Army-Group-Area South in Krementschug. On 30 June 1942, he became Field-Commandant 248, Kobeljaki and Pyatigorsk, then on 10 September 1942, he was named Field-Commandant 245, Novotcherkask, as well as Battle-Commandant Losovaya, Alexandria and Tulchin. From 26 Februay to 31 May 1944, he was placed in the Führer-Reserve and retired on 31 May 1944.

Family

Gottschalk was the son of Dr. jur. Gottschalk Karl von Loewenich (b. 6 July 1846 in Erlangen; d. 3 January 1924 in Waldheim, Gemeinde Urphertshofen, Mittelfranken), originally written Loevenich, who became director of the Reichsbank Düsseldorf in 1898. His older brother Kurt Karl Kamill von Loewenich served as Leutnant in the Infanterie-Regiment „von Lützow“ (1. Rheinisches) Nr. 25 and was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 October 1913 in the I. Bataillon/Infanterie-Regiment „Graf Bose“ (1. Thüringisches) Nr. 31 and was dismissed after WWI as Major. He was married to Julie Gläser and lived in Baden-Baden in the 1930s.

The Löwenichstraße in Erlangen was named after his grandfather Gottschalk von Löwenich (1816–1892) and his wife Adelgunde, née Hirschfeld (Gottschalk und Adelgunde von Löwenich´sche Stiftung), who donated rich donations to the city's charitable institutions. Grandfather Gottschalk was an officer of the Bavarian Landwehr and the wealthy owner of the Tabakfabrik Caspari Erben von Loewenich and owner of the opulent Loewenich'sches Palais in the Nürnberger Straße 9.

Marriage

Gottschalk von Loewenich was married to Charlotte Bertha Julie Marie, née Fehse (b. 1890 in Hesse). Their youngest son Hans Wolfgang Bartholomäus Georg von Loewenich (b. 27. September 1926 in Berlin-Tiergarten) fell in the last year of WWII as an officer candidate at the Eastern Front.

Promotions

• 22.3.1900 Charakter als Fähnrich
• 18.10.1900 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
• 18.8.1901 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
• 18.8.1910 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
• 8.10.1914 Rittmeister

Reichswehr

• 1.4.1924 Major
• 1.10.1929 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 1.2.1931 Charakter als Oberst (Honorary Colonel)

Wehrmacht

Ribbon bar

• 1.1.1937 Oberst (E)
• 6.4.1943 Generalmajor with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1.4.1943

Awards and decorations (excerpt)

Rank Seniority List 1927

• Baden Government Jubilee Medal of 1902 (Regierungs-Jubiläums-Medaille von 1902)
• Swedish Royal Order of the Sword (Schwertorden), Knight II. Class (SS3b)
• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Knight's Cross II. Class with Swords (BZL3b⚔/BZ3b⚔) in 1914 as Oberleutnant
• Prussian Long Service Cross (Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
• Silesian Eagle Order (Schlesischer Adler-Orden), II. Stufe (1st Grade is also possible)
• Royal Prussian Johanniter Order, Knight of Justice (Rechtsritter)
• Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
• Hungarian World War Commemorative Medal (Ungarische Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Medaille) with Swords
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class
• War Merit Cross (1939), 2nd Class with Swords (see ribbon bar, 1st Class is also possible)

External links

• The Babenhausen Kaserne (Archive)