Richard Schulze-Kossens
Richard Schulze-Kossens | |
---|---|
Birth date | 2 October 1914 |
Place of birth | Spandau near Berlin, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
Death date | 3 July 1988 (aged 73) |
Place of death | Düsseldorf, West Germany |
Allegiance | National Socialist Germany |
Service/branch | SS Waffen-SS |
Years of service | 1934–1945 |
Rank | SS-Obersturmbannführer |
Unit | LSSAH Führerbegleitkommando |
Commands held | 38th SS-Grenadier-Division "Nibelungen" |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | German Cross in Gold |
Richard Schulze, after 1945 Schulze-Kossens (b. 2 October 1914 in Spandau, Berlin, German Empire; d. 3 July 1988 in Düsseldorf, West Germany), was a German officer of the SS and Waffen-SS, who served in various positions. In April 1945 he served as provisional commander/leader (Führer) of the 38. SS-Grenadier-Division „Nibelungen“ in WWII, which was taken over by Knight's Cross holder SS-Brigadeführer Heinz Lammerding (de) on 15. April 1945.
Contents
Life
Richard Schulze was born in Spandau, Berlin. A year after graduating from Gymnasium in 1934, the 20-year-old Hitler Youth member Schulze entered the Allgemeine SS (SS-Nr.: 264 059) and was assigned to 6. SS-Standarte in Berlin. In November 1934, he served in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), one of Adolf Hitler's SS bodyguard units. Between 1935 and 1937 took various officer training courses at the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz, in Jüterbog and Dachau.
In May 1937, Schulze became a member of the NSDAP. Schulze served as personal adjutant to Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop from April 1939 until January 1941. Schulze is pictured standing with Molotov, Ribbentrop, Stalin and Soviet Chief of Staff Shaposnikov at the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939.
WWII
From October 1941 and at intervals thereafter, he was an SS ordinance officer and SS adjutant for Adolf Hitler. While serving in these roles, Schulze was also a member of the Führerbegleitkommando (FBK), which provided personal security for Hitler. In December 1942, Hitler transferred some of the command authority of the FBK to Schulze. He was placed in charge of administration, guidelines for training, discipline, deployment and transfer of members of the unit.
By 1944, he was promoted to the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel). He became the divisional commander of the 38th SS Division Nibelungen in 1945. At that time, Schulze was the commanding officer of the SS-Brigade Nibelungen and the SS cadet training school at Bad Tölz.
Post-war
David Irving has stated that
- "On June 9, 1977, I planted Hitler's personal adjutant Richard Schulze-Kossens (you can see him in the background at the Kremlin signing of the Ribbentrop-Stalin pact in August 1939) in the London audience of the live David Frost Programme, and invited this former S.S. colonel, when I was challenged on this point, to stand and tell the multi-million television audience just that: that from 1942-1944 he had been charged by Hitler to attend every single conference, even the most secret ones alone with Heinrich Himmler, and that not once had any extermination of the Jews been discussed or even mentioned in these conclaves."[1]
Death
SS-Obersturmbannführer a. D. Richard Schulze-Kossens died of lung cancer in 1988.
Funeral
His funeral was attended by more than 100 former SS personnel, including Hitler's aide Otto Günsche, a longtime close friend, as well as Himmler's, according to the "New York Times" in a 11 July 1988 article citing a report by "Die Welt" Chief adjutant Werner Grothmann, who was one of two former officers who gave dignified eulogies.
Family
Schulze had a younger brother, Hans-Georg Hubertus „Frettchen“ Schulze, who fell (⚔) on 27 July 1941 as an SS-Obersturmführer (SS-Nr. 270.844) in the 1st company of the 1st Sturmbann of the Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler" on the Eastern Front.
Marriage
After the war, Richard Schulze married his fiancée Monika Kossens, after which both of them used the marital double name "Schulze-Kossens".
SS-Promotions
- SS-Anwärter (9 November 1934)
- SS-Junker (1 April 1935)
- SS-Standartenjunker (9 November 1935)
- SS-Standartenoberjunker (10 February 1936)
- SS-Untersturmführer (20 April 1936)
- SS-Obersturmführer (9 November 1938)
- SS-Hauptsturmführer (1 August 1940)
- SS-Sturmbannführer (24 February 1943)
- SS-Obersturmbannführer (9/11 November 1944)
Awards and decorations
Pre-war
- SA Sports Badge (SA-Sportabzeichen) in Bronze
- Reich Sports Badge (Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen) in Bronze
- Goldenes HJ-Ehrenzeichen
- DLRG badge of the German Life Saving Association (Abzeichnen der Deutschen Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft)
- Honour Chevron for the Old Guard (Ehrenwinkel der Alten Kämpfer)
- Ehrendegen „Reichsführer-SS“
- SS-Ehrenring
- SS-Julleuchter (de)
WWII
- Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
- Wound Badge (1939) in Black and Silver
- Black in June 1940
- Silver in August 1941
- Infantry Assault Badge (Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen) in Bronze
- Order of the Cross of Liberty (Finnischer Orden des Freiheitskreuzes), 4th Class
- Bulgarian Military Order for Bravery, 4th Class, 1st Grade with Swords (Bulgarischer Militärorden für Tapferkeit, IV. Klasse, I. Stufe mit Schwertern)
- Close Combat Clasp in Bronze
- German Cross in Gold on 26 December 1941 as SS-Hauptsturmführer und Chef der 2. Kompanie/LSSAH (handed over personally by Sepp Dietrich)
Writings
- Tätigkeitsbericht des Chefs des Heerespersonalamtes General der Infanterie Rudolf Schmundt. 1.10.1942–29.10.1944. Fortgeführt von Wilhelm Burgdorf. Osnabrück 1984.
- Militärischer Führernachwuchs der Waffen-SS. Die Junkerschulen, Munin-Verlag, Osnabrück 1982 (Zweite, erweiterte Auflage, 1987)
- Europäische Freiwillige im Bild (gemeinsam mit Heinz Ertel), Munin-Verlag, 1986
- Rede von Richard Schulze-Kossens für das 1978 vorgesehene Treffen ehemaliger Junker, s. l. e. a. (published approx. 1988)
See also
Gallery
References
- ↑ A Radical's Diary Thursday, February 14, 2002 http://www.fpp.co.uk/docs/Irving/RadDi/2002/140202.html
- 1914 births
- 1988 deaths
- People from the Province of Brandenburg
- Hitler Youth members
- SS officers
- NSDAP members
- Adolf Hitler
- German military personnel of World War II
- Waffen-SS personnel
- German military writers
- Recipients of the Sword of Honour of the Reichsführer-SS
- Recipients of the SS-Ehrenring
- Recipients of the Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
- Recipients of the Golden HJ Honour Badge
- Recipients of the Iron Cross
- Recipients of the Order of Bravery
- Recipients of the Close Combat Clasp
- Recipients of the Gold German Cross