Rudolf von Bünau (general)

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Rudolf von Bünau
General Rudolf von Bünau.jpg
Birth date 19 August 1890(1890-08-19)
Place of birth Stuttgart, Amtsoberamt Stuttgart, Neckarkreis, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Death date 14 January 1962 (aged 71)
Place of death Kirchheim unter Teck, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Resting place Waldfriedhof Stuttgart
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Flagge und Wappen, Deutsches Reich, Königreich Württemberg, valid from 1817 to 1918.png Army of Württemberg
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
War Ensign of the Reichswehr, 1919 - 1935.png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1909–1945
Rank General of the Infantry
Commands held 177th Infantry Division
73rd Infantry Division
XLVII Panzer Corps
LII Army Corps
XI Army Corps
Battles/wars World War I
Liberation of the Sudetenland
World War II
  • Poland Campaign
  • Battle of France
  • Operation Barbarossa
  • Siege of Sevastopol
  • Battle of the Caucasus
  • Kuban bridgehead
  • Lower Dnieper Offensive
  • Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive
  • Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive
  • Battle of the Dukla Pass
  • Upper Silesian Offensive
  • Vienna Offensive
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Relations ∞ 1914 Käte Lauffer

Rudolf von Bünau (19 August 1890 – 14 January 1962) was a German officer, finally General of the Infantry of the Wehrmacht and commanding general of an army corps in World War II. The recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves was interned by the Americans from 8 May 1945 to 9 April 1947.

According to documents released by the Bundesnachrichtendienst in 2014, Rudolf von Bünau led a "group staff" of the Schnez-Truppe, a German secret paramilitary force established by patriotic anti-communist Wehrmacht veterans in 1949 in post-war West Germany.

Life

Rudolf von Bünau (1890) I.jpg
Rudolf von Bünau (1890).jpg
Rudolf von Bünau, Reichswehr.jpg
Günther (1920–1943), Rudolf's younger son
Burial site of the Lauffer and von Bünau families in Stuttgart (forest cemetery)

After being raised and educated in his parents' home, Rudolf attended the Royal Karls Gymnasium in Stuttgart from 1899. From 1902 to 1909, he attended the Karl-Friedrich-Gymnasium in Mannheim where he achieved his Abitur. On 15 July 1909, he joined the Grenadier-Regiment "Königin Olga" (1. Württembergisches) Nr. 119 as an officer candidate. On 17 July 1909, he was sworn-in. From 2 February to 10 October 1910, he was commanded to the war school in Hanover, in November 1911, he was commissioned. On 25 February 1914, he was granted permission to marry. In May 1914, he was commanded for four weeks to a machine gun course in Wünsdorf.

WWI

On 3 August 1914, he was appointed leader of a mobile machine gun platoon and was deployed into the field. Three weeks later, on 24 August 1914, he was wounded. On 7 September 1914, he was appointed commander of a Machine Gun Company of his regiment, on 28 March 1915, he was hospitalized (appendectomy). On 22 July 1915, he returned to service with the 1. Replacement Machine Gun Company/XIII (Royal Württemberg) Army Corps and was transferred to the Royal Württemberg Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 120 on 9 September 1915 as leader of the Machine Gun Company, being appointed machine gun officer with the regimental staff on 1 October 1916. On 3 October 1917, he was appointed deputy adjutant of the 407th (Württemberg) Infantry Brigade. On 2 December 1917, he was officially appointed adjutant. On 21 December 1918, he was commanded to the General Staff/XIII (Royal Württemberg) Army Corps and on 21 February 1919, he was commanded to the Württemberg War Ministry in Stuttgart.

Reichswehr

On 1 July 1919, he was appointed machine gun officer of the Reichswehr Brigade 13 in Stuttgart. On 18 October 1919, he was newly sworn-in, and on 1 October 1920, he was appointed machine gun officer of the Reichswehr Rifle Regiment 25. From 1921, he served for several years with the 13. (Württembergisches) Infanterie-Regiment as machine gun officer, commander of the 8th Company, as a regimental staff officer and, as of 1 October 1933, commander of the III. Battalion in Ludwigsburg. On 13 September 1934, he was newly sworn-in. On 1 October 1934, III. Battalion/13. (Württembergisches) Infanterie-Regiment was used to form the new III. Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment Tübingen.

Wehrmacht

  • 15 October 1935 Head of Course A at the War School in Dresden
  • 1 October 1938 Commanded to the staff of the Infanterie-Regiment 133
    • The regiment was subordinate to the 45th Infantry Division. The division was formed on 1 April 1938 in Linz, Military District XVII. The division participated in the liberation of the Sudetenland in 1938, followed by the occupation of Moravia in 1939.
  • 10 November 1938 Appointed commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 133
    • In August 1939, the division was mobilized and transferred to northern Slovakia. From the Friedeck area, it crossed the Polish border on September 1, 1939, and marched across the Olza River to Bielitz. The division then advanced south of Krakow and continued via Tarnow, Jaroslau, and Oleszycze. Finally, the division reached Dobrosin, north of Lviv. After the conclusion of the Polish campaign, the division was briefly deployed as an occupation force and subsequently transferred to its home garrisons. At the start of the Western Campaign, the division was an army reserve and was brought up behind the fighting troops. In mid-May 1940, the division was moved into the front line and turned towards the Aisne River, which it reached near Berry-au-Bac on 24 May 1940. At the beginning of the second phase of the campaign, the "Battle of France," the division crossed the Aisne near Neufchâteau on 9 June 1940, and then marched southeast. It passed east of Reims and advanced south along the east bank of the Marne. Near Bar-sur-Seine, it crossed the Seine and then marched to the Loire River southeast of Nevers. After the end of the French Campaign, the division was transferred to Belgium as an occupation force.
  • 25 October 1940 Appointed commander of the Division Nr. 177
  • 4 June 1941 Führerreserve (OKH)/Army High Command Leader Reserve and commanded to the task force (Arbeitsstab) of the Officers' War School in Bonn
  • 20 October 1941 Commanded to the staff of the 73. Infanterie-Division in Southern Russia
  • 1 January 1942 Appointed commander of the 73. Infanterie-Division
  • 7 September 1943 Führerreserve (OKH)/Army High Command Leader Reserve
  • 22 November 1943 Commanded to the Army Group South under Erich von Manstein
    • 26 November 1943 to 1 January 1944 Delegated with the leadership of the XLVII Panzer Corps
  • 5 January to 25 January 1944 Commanded to the training course for commanding generals and corps chiefs in Döberitz
  • 1 February 1944 Again commanded to the Army Group South as representative for division commanders on leave and wounded
    • 17 February to 15 March 1944 deputy leader of the LII Army Corps for General of the Infantry Erich Buschenhagen who had been granted leave
  • 20 March 1944 Delegated with the leadership of the XI Army Corps as successor to Wilhelm Stemmermann
  • 1 May 1944 Appointed Commanding General of the XI Army Corps
    • 15 December 1944 to 18 January 19145 granted leave; during this time, he was represented by Lieutenant General Max Grimmeiß
  • 14 March 1945 Führerreserve (OKH)/Army High Command Leader Reserve
  • 1 April 1945 Appointed commandant of the Vienna defense area (Battle of Vienna)
    • it is reported, he arrived on 5 April 1945.
    • c. 13 April 1945 ordered to retreat from Vienna in order to avoid capture
    • from 16 April 1945, he commanded the "Bünau" corps with the 6th Panzer Army in Styria.

Death

General of the Infantry (Ret.) Rudolf von Bünau was killed in a car crash in 1962 near Kirchheim unter Teck.[1]

Family

Descent

Rudolf was the son of Protestant district officer in Ludwigsburg and Cannstatt Major z. D. Rudolf von Bünau (1850–1898) and his wife (∞ Stuttgart 18 May 1889) Maria Karoline, née Staib (1868–1933).[2] On 23 September 1902, Maria, a young widow, would marry Hermann Israel Levinger (1865–1944), a Jew who converted to Protestant Christianity as a law student.[3] Rudolf had a sister, Margarete Sophie Klothilde (b. 20 November 1892 in Cannstatt), and a half-sister, Barbara Eleonore Eugenie Levinger (1904–1944), actress and writer.

Marriage

On 28 February 1914 in Stuttgart, 2nd Lieutenant von Bünau married his Protestant fiancée Katharina "Käte" Lauffer (1893–1975), daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Fritz Lauffer (1868–1941) and his wife Katharina Ernestine Karoline, née Langenscheidt (1873–1965), a sister of the writer and publisher Rittmeister (Ret.) Dr. phil. Paul Langenscheidt (1860–1925). They would have two sons, both would be ⚔ in WWII:

  • Rudolf "Rolf" (6 May 1915 – 15 August 1943), German Major in WWII
  • Günther (10 September 1920 – 21 April 1943), German 1st Lieutenant and company commander in the Panzer Regiment 119

Promotions

Württemberg Army

  • 15 July 1909 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 15 December 1909 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 22 March 1910 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 16 November 1910 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) with Patent from 20 November 1908
  • 22 March 1915 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 22 March 1918 Hauptmann (Captain)
    • 1 July 1922 received Reichswehr Rank Seniority (RDA) from 22 March 1918 (5)

Reichswehr

  • 1 February 1931 Major (33)
  • 1 July 1934 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with RDA from 1 July 1934 (9)

Wehrmacht

  • 2 August 1936 Oberst (Colonel) with effect and RDA from 1 August 1936 (27)
  • 17 August 1940 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1 September 1940 (2)
  • 15 August 1942 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1 September 1942 (1)
  • 20 April 1944 General der Infanterie (General of the Infantry) with effect and RDA from 1 May 1944 (2)

Awards and decorations

WWI

  • Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
    • 2nd Class on 9 September 1914
    • 1st Class on 14 November 1914
  • Military Merit Order (Württemberg), Knight's Cross (WMV3/WM3) on 24 December 1914
  • Friedrich Order, Knight 1st Class with Swords (WF3aX) on 15 June 1918

Between wars

WWII

Writings

  • Kriegsgeschichtlicher Bericht über die Kämpfe um und in Wien vom 29. März bis 16. April 1945 (Military history report on the fighting around and in Vienna from 29 March to 16 April 1945), 1954

Sources

  • German Federal Archives: BArch PERS 6/99 and PERS 6/299492

References

  1. ↑ von Bünau, Rudolf, Lexikon der Wehrmacht
  2. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, 1903, p. 231
  3. ↑ Hermann Levinger studied law, became chief administrative officer of the Grand Ducal Baden district of Überlingen in 1908, and district administrator in 1924. In 1930, Levinger retired "after a lifetime of utmost dedication to his duty and exemplary commitment to his high office." The Überlingen newspaper "Seebote" praised Levinger's conduct in office; he had served the Überlingen district since 1898. After his retirement in September 1930, Hermann Levinger moved with his family to Wiesbaden. The family lived a secluded life, hoping that a healing spring would provide relief for Maria Levinger, who suffered from gout. Maria Levinger, widow of von Bünau, née Staib, died in Wiesbaden on 26 January 1933.
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