Hans-Georg Schmidt von Altenstadt

Hans-Georg Schmidt von Altenstadt
Allegiance	Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Reichswehr Wehrmacht
Years of service	1923–1935 1935–1944
Rank	Generalmajor
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	German Cross in Gold

Hans-Georg Schmidt von Altenstadt (original and proper family name: von Schmidt auf Altenstadt; b. 21 August 1904 in Danzig-Langfuhr, West Prussia; d. 25 July 1944 in Bad Tölz, Bavaria) was a German officer of the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Generalmajor (posthumously) of the Heer in World War II. It is said, he knew of the treasonable plans by Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, but these post war theories remain unproven.

Chronology

Cause of death (Soldbuch)

Career of brother Oberstleutnant Sigmund Schmidt von Altenstadt with family coat of arms from 1713

Generalleutnant Gerhard Feyerabend and Generalmajor Hans-Georg von Altenstadt have found their final resting place in Rottach-Egern, where their grave was well looked after by their wives and widows until their death. Schmidt von Altenstadt is listed as Oberst (colonel), this is probably due to the fact, that he was buried before the promotion to Generalmajor was made official in October 1944. Maybe the widow, due to war turmoil, was or could not be informed.

• Easter 1923 Abitur (Gymnasium)
• 1 April 1923 joins in Potsdam the 4. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment (1. Kavallerie-Division) of the Reichswehr
• 1 May 1927 6. Eskadron / 4. Preußisches Reiter-Regiment
• 1 May 1928 to 1 May 1929 2. Eskadron / 4. Preußisches Reiter-Regiment
• 1 May 1931 to 1 May 1932 1. Eskadron / 4. Preußisches Reiter-Regiment
• 3 January 1939 to 5 November 1939 Generalstab XVIII Armeekorps Salzburg
• September 1939–November 1939 Poland Campaign as quartermaster (Quartiermeister) of the XVIII. Armeekorps
• November 1939–July 1940 Western Front as Erster Generalstabsoffizier (Ia; UK = GSO II) of the 18. Infanterie-Division
• July 1940–June 1943 Department head (Abteilungschef) in the General Staff of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH)
• 10 July 1940 General staff officer in the staff of the 18. Infanterie-Division
• October 1942–November 1942 Eastern Front as temporary regimental commander of the 18. Infanterie-Division
• August 1943–January 1944 Chief of the General Staff (UK = GSO I) of the LI Gebirgs-Armeekorps in Italy
• 6 October 1943 to 20 January 1944 Generalkommando LI. Gebirgskorps
• 22 January 1944 to 25 July 1944 Chief of the General Staff of the XIV. Panzer-Korps in Italy

Death

After the retreat of the 10th Army and 14th Army (Generaloberst Eberhard von Mackensen) as part of the Heeresgruppe C (Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring) northwards following the Battle of Monte Cassino (through Tuscany to Bologna), the XIV. Panzer-Korps was to protect the Gothic Line (German: Gotenstellung). On 11 June (other sources claim 16 June) 1944, he was severly wounded due to a car accident, other sources claim as a result of a low-flying enemy attack. He was brought to the Feldlazarett (field hospital), but transfered to the Teillazarett Schwaighof, which was a part (branch) of the Reserve-Lazarett Tegernsee. He arrived on 18 June 1944. His family lived nearby and he was visited daily. There was a sudden deterioration in the general condition, and von Altenstadt was transfered to the better equipped Bad Tolz military hospital (Reservelazarett), where he died on 25 July 1944 at 0830 Hours due to "fulminant pulmonary embolism".

Family

Hans-Georg's ancestor, Johann Fabricius, served Roman-German Emperor Maximilian II against the Turks and was given a coat of arms by the Imperial Letters Patent of 2 November 1564. His son Martin was ennobled on 10 December 1577. They were granted a swan coat-of-arms where the swan is in an attack position on the shield; this is repeated in miniature "above the crown". The Fabricius family reverted around 1638 to the surname of von Schmidt and on 23 February 1713, were granted the additive "auf Altenstadt". Hans-Georgs great-grandfather was Kapitän der Artillerie Johann Georg Eduard Schmidt von Altenstadt (1796–1850), his grandfather was Generalmajor Johann Eduard Friedrich Schmidt von Altenstadt (1836–1925), at last commandeur of the 15. Kavallerie-Brigade in Köln, who would become a wealthy landowner (Groß-Medunischken in Kreis Angerapp, that his wife Anna Theodora, née von Bujack, brought into the marriage), after his retirement in 1888.

Hans-Georg was the son of Ulrich Friedrich Philipp Schmidt von Altenstadt (1872-1949), who served in the Prussian Army, was adjutant to Oberstleutnant (later Generalfeldmarschall) August von Mackensen (de) when he was commander commandeur of the 1. Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 1 in Danzig, was retired as Rittmeister, returned to duty for WWI and served as Major. His mother was Hella, née von Rümker (1874-1946). His older brother was Heinrich Johann Sigmund Ulrich Schmidt von Altenstadt, veteran of WWI and at last Oberstleutnant of the Wehrmacht.

Marriage

In 1930, Oberleutnant von Schmidt auf Altenstadt married Danish woman Lillian/Lilian Thordsen (who is said to have been a member of the Vril Society), lived in Gattendorf near Hof, Bavaria and would have three daughters together. His widow would marry after the war Generalleutnant Gerhard Fritz Franz Feyerabend (1898–1965), who had returned from Russian war imprisonment in July 1947. It was now that Feyerabend should learn, that his wife (∞ 18 July 1924 ) Erna, née Reschke (b. 16 June 1901 in Bratricken) and their 9-year-old daughter Marie-Luise (b. 9 May 1935), who had lived on the family estate (Gut Dopsattel, Landkreis Königsberg) were raped and murdered by the Russians on 30 January 1945 after the invasion of East Prussia.

The new couple lived together in Bavarian Rottach-Egern near the house of General der Panzertruppe Gerhard Helmut Detloff Graf von Schwerin (since July 1958, Feyerabend was the treasurer and auditor of the Evangelische Kirchenbauverein Rottach-Egern am Tegernsee e. V.), where both of Lily's husbands were laid to rest in the same grave of the cemetery (Kißlingerstraße 45).

Promotions

Reichswehr

• 1 April 1923 als Fahnenjunker
• 1 August 1924 Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter
• 1 November 1924 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
• 1 October 1925 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
• 1 August 1926 Oberfähnrich
• 1 December 1926 Leutnant
• 1 February 1929 Oberleutnant
• 1 November 1934 Rittmeister

Wehrmacht

• 1 June 1940 Major i. G.
  • 18 March 1941 received new rank seniority as Major i. G. from 1 December 1939
• 2 March 1942 Oberstleutnant i. G.
• 6 October 1943 Oberst i. G.
• 15 October 1944 Generalmajor (posthumously) with rank seniority (RDA) from 1 July 1944

Awards and decorations

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th and 3rd Class on 2 October 1936
• Anschluss Medal (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938) on 21 August 1939
• Sudetenland Medal with the Prague Castle Bar (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 mit Spange „Prager Burg“) on 9 September 1939
• Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 29 September 1939
  • 1st Class on 18 May 1940
• Bulgarian Order of Bravery, IV Grade, I Class, also known as 4th Class, 1st Grade (IV. Klasse, I. Stufe) with Swords on 22 September 1941 as Major i. G.
• Order of the Star of Romania, Knight's Cross with Swords on 26 March 1942 as Major i. G.
• German Cross in Gold on 8 May 1944 as Oberst im Generalstab in the Generalkommando XIV. Panzer-Korps/10. Armee/Heeresgruppe C

Writings

• Unser Weg zum Meer: Kriegserlebnisse einer deutschen Infanterie-Division, Verlag „Die Wehrmacht“, Berlin 1940