Kurt von Obernitz

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Kurt von Obernitz
Oberst z. V. Kurt Albrecht Hermann Otto Justin von Obernitz.jpg
Birth name Kurt Albrecht Hermann Otto Justin von Obernitz
Birth date 12 December 1878(1878-12-12)
Place of birth Machnitz near Breslau, Kreis Trebnitz, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 4 April 1965 (aged 86)
Place of death Preetz, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany[1]
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Freikorps Flag.jpg Freikorps
War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933).png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Rank Oberst z. V.
Battles/wars World War I
World War II

Kurt Albrecht Hermann Otto Justin von Obernitz (12 December 1878 – 4 April 1965) was a German officer since 1899, finally Oberst z. V. (Colonel to disposal) of the Wehrmacht in World War II.

Life

Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Uradeligen Häuser, 1919
Death of brother Georg von Obernitz, in: "Helden-Gedenkmappe des deutschen Adels" by Alexis von Schoenermarck, 1921
Sons Edgar (left) und Horst-Günt(h)er von Obernitz

Kurt attended, as was tradition with his family, the Kadettenkorps and then joined the Prussian Army. In the 8. Kompanie/II. Bataillon/Grenadier-Regiment „König Friedrich III.“ (2. Schlesisches) Nr. 11 (Breslau), von Obernitz was promoted to Leutnant on 18 August 1899. In the following year, he was transferred to the 1st company (I. Bataillon). In 1902/1903 he was named adjutant of the I. Bataillon. In 1906/07, he was transferred to the hussars cavalry (Husaren) and became a member of the 1. Eskadron/Husaren-Regiment „von Schill“ (1. Schlesisches) Nr. 4. Serving as Oberleutnant in the 2. Eskadron was his older brother Gottfried Justin Friedrich Georg Ernst Willibald von Obernitz.

Kurt von Obernitz was promoted to Oberleutnant on 17 September 1909, was commanded to the Militär-Reit-Institut Hannover and promoted to Rittmeister on 1 October 1913, whereas he was transferred to the 2. Pommersches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 9 and served in the Staff, then becoming commander of the 1. Eskadron in Demmin (Regierungsbezirk Stettin).

WWI

During World War I, he was later a Bataillons-Kommandeur in the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 221 (48. Reserve-Division), being wounded multiple times and decorated highly. After the war, he served in the freiwillige Ulanen-Eskadron of his Ulanen with the Grenzschutz Ost.

Reichswehr

In March 1920, during the Kapp-Putsch, he was accused of shooting the mason Gräbler, head of the Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (USPD oder USP) in Gnoien near Rostock, who had been calling for a joining of the Comintern, which would allow the party to implement its socialist ideals. Rittmeister von Obernitz wanted to interrogate the man, but he attacked von Obernitz and tried to flee. 96 communists were arrested (one collapsed and died of a heart attack) and brought to Demmin, but they also tried to escape outside of the city, four were shot dead, others wounded by the Ulanen. The prosecutor in Rostock investigated concerning "martial law" and prosecutor (Oberstaatsanwalt) in Greifswald concerning "shooting of prisoners", but no charges were ever brought against von Obernitz or his men. Von Obernitz served in the 6. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment (commander of the 6. Eskadron) and the 14. Reiter-Regiment (staff officer in Ludwigslust) of the Reichswehr, being promoted to Major on 1 July 1921 and retiring c. 1930 as Oberstleutnant.

Wehrmacht

Kurt von Obernitz later became an Ergänzungsoffizier of the Wehrmacht, was an Oberst (E) and Kommandeur WBK Eberswalde in the 12 October 1937 Stellenbesetzung, but is not in the 10 November 1938 Stellenbesetzung, so he was probably retired on age grounds (he turned 60 in 1938). Judging by the KVK or War Merit cross ribbon (2nd Class), he was recalled in World War Two, presumably as an Oberst z. V. of the Heer.

Family

Descent

Parents

Kurt was the son of Justin Moritz Heinrich Erdmann Hans von Obernitz (1834–1902) and his wife Agnes Josine Christine Karoline, née von Baumbach (1848–1886), daughter of Generalleutnant Friedrich Wilhelm Karl von Baumbach (1817–1880). Kurt's father was an officer of the Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 and of the 3. Garde-Grenadier-Landwehr-Regiment in Breslau, lastly Major. He was a veteran of the Franco-German War, earning the Iron Cross 2nd Class and becoming Ehrenritter of the Johanniter-Orden and lord of the manors Machnitz, Bentkau und Klein-Schwundnig-Pürbischau.

Second marriage (father)

After the death of his first wife, Major a. D. von Obernitz married on 8 May 1889 in Buchenau Anna Maria "Annemarie" Charlotte Auguste Karoline Bertha von Biedenfeld (b. 20 November 1852 in Kassel).[2]

Siblings

Kurt had five siblings and one half-brother:

  • Georg Justin Friedrich Gottfried (1873–1914)
    • Rittmeister der Reserve and lord of the manors (after the death of his father)
  • Gottfried Justin Friedrich Georg Ernst Willibald (b. 9.8.1875 auf Machnitz)
    • Rittmeister on 1 October 1912, Major in WWI
  • Edgar Otto Heinrich Moritz Justin (b. 16 January 1877)
    • died as a Kadett at the Kadettenanstalt Wahlstatt on 1 March 1892[3]
  • Agnes "Inez" Hedwig Elisabeth Martha Helene (b. 20.9.1880 auf Machnitz)
    • studied medicine and became Dr. med.
  • Justin Eberhard Veit Moritz (1884–1956)
    • Rittmeister (18 August 1915) in WWI, officer of the Reichswehr, Generalleutnant of the Wehrmacht in WWII

Half-brother

  • Ernst Moritz Ludwig Justin (b. 23.5.1890 auf Machnitz)
    • Oberleutnant in WWI

Marriage

On 16 June 1907, Leutnant von Obernitz married in Breslau his fiancée Mathilde Hedwig von Motz (1887–1948) from Rudolstadt. They had two sons:

  • Edgar von Obernitz (b. 24 August 1910 in Ohlau, Niederschlesien; d. 17 October 1988 in Hamburg)
  • Horst-Günt(h)er von Obernitz (b. 3 July 1920; d. 1 August 2008 in Berlin), 1. Staatsanwalt beim Landgericht Berlin, later Oberstaatsanwalt ∞ 1947 Ingeborg Halla Margarete Driesen; two daughters

Awards and decorations (excerpt)

Reichswehr Rangliste (1926)

References

  1. ↑ Kurt Albrecht Hermann Otto Justin von Obernitz
  2. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Uradeligen Häuser, Volume 17, 1916, p. 74
  3. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Uradeligen Häuser, 1905, p. 562
  4. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Uradeligen Häuser, 1919, p. 557 (PDF)
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