Walter Lichtschlag

Walter Lichtschlag
Birth date	5 October 1889(1889-10-05)
Place of birth	Osnabrück, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	18 June 1969 (aged 79)
Place of death	Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Imperial German Army Schutzstaffel Heer
Rank	Feldhilfsarzt der Reserve SS-Oberführer Oberfeldarzt der Reserve
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Iron Cross War Merit Cross
Relations	∞ Hildegard Feyerabend

Walter Lichtschlag (5 October 1889 – 18 June 1969) was a German physician and military doctor (Sanitätsoffizier) as well as SS and Wehrmacht officer in World War II.

Life

Volkswacht für Schlesien, 17 July 1926

Volkswacht für Schlesien, 7 July 1928

Signature, 1939

After attending Gymnasium and achieving his Abitur, Lichtschlag studied medicine at the universities of Würzburg, Marburg, Freiburg, Kiel and Breslau. At the beginning of WWI, he joined the 1. Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 7, became a Feldunterarzt der Reserve (officer candidate for military doctors) with the Landwehr-Bezirk Wiesbaden and was commissioned in March 1917 as Feldhilfsarzt der Reserve for the duration of his deployment in the war medical service. After the war, he earned a doctorate with his dissertation Der Narbencarcinom. Aus der Chirurgischen Universitätsklinik Breslau (published 1919). He then settled as a surgeon in Breslau. He was also an elected member of the Breslau Medical Association (Ärztekammer) in 1931.

On 1 June 1931, he joined the NSDAP (No.: 566,222) and on 1 July 1931 the Allgemeine SS (No. 18,332). It appears that he was prominent in organizing the medical services for I. Sturmbann/16. SS-Standarte (Breslau) and this would account for his swift promotion. He was appointed provisional Standartenarzt on 19 December 1931 and Abschnittsarzt II (SS-Abschnitt IV in Braunschweig) on 9 November 1932 until 15 February 1936. In 1934, he became a deputy board member of the Medical Association of Lower and Upper Silesia. On 15 February 1936, he was named SS-Oberabschnittsarzt Südost, and thus the highest SS doctor in Silesia until the end of the war.

Dr. med. Lichtschlag also was a reserve military doctor of the Wehrmacht, serving as a Oberstabsarzt der Reserve (Major) during the Poland Campaign (head of the military hospital or Standortlazarett in Chełm) and the Operation Barbarossa (), being promoted to Oberfeldarzt der Reserve (Lieutenant Colonel) in December 1942. At the end of the war, he was interned in Ludwigsburg, relocated to Heidelberg after his release, and had his own practice from 1948 onward.

Family

Walter's older brother was Otto Lichtschlag (1885–1961), officer of the Imperial German Army, leader of the Freikorps „Lichtschlag“ and Colonel of the Wehrmacht in WWII. After WWI, Lichtschlag married his fiancée Dr. med. Hildegard Feyerabend in Breslau. They would have two children.

Hildegard Lichtschlag, née Feyerabend

Hildegard "Hilde" was born on 3 April 1889 in Görlitz as daughter of Prehistorian Ludwig Hermann Oswald Feyerabend (1855–1927), Oberlehrer (senior master at a Gymnasium), since 1885 head of the medical pedagogy at the Kahlbaumsche Heilanstalt in Görlitz, since 1896 head and owner of the Dr. Winkler preparatory school in Görlitz, since 1902 director of the newly created Upper Lusatian Memorial Hall with the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, since 1913 professor and in the first World War major with the quartermaster general. From Easter 1895 to autumn 1899, Hilde attended the municipal higher school for girls in Görlitz, from autumn 1899 to Easter 1905, she attended the Kunitz-Malbergschule (including Selekta) in Breslau. From Easter 1905 to Easter 1909, she attended the municipal secondary school courses for girls in Breslau, Easter 1909 Matriculation examination (Abitur) as an extranea at the secondary school for the Holy Spirit (Realgymnasium zum Heiligen Geist). In autumn 1909, she began her medical studies in Breslau, preliminary medical examination at Easter 1912, medical state examination in the form of the mandatory emergency medical examination in autumn 1914 (because of the war), approbation as doctor on 15 December 1914. Subsequently assistant at the Royal University Women's Clinic in Breslau until 1917. She earned a doctorate in 1916 with her dissertation Resultate der Interpositio uteri (Schauta) beim Prolaps. In 1921, she became a specialist in gynecology in Breslau. Like her husband, she was member of the NSDAP, the National Socialist German Doctors' League (NSDÄB) and the Reich Medical Association (approved by the Office of Public Health; zugelassen beim Amt für Volksgesundheit der Reichsärztekammer) as well as the National Socialist Women's League.

Promotions (excerpt)

• 25 March 1917: Feldhilfsarzt der Reserve (equivalent to sergeant lieutenant; officer rank without an officer's patent)
• 1 December 1942: Oberfeldarzt der Reserve (equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel)

SS-Promotions

• 1 June 1931: SS-Mann
• 16 December 1931: SS-Untersturmführer
• 19 December 1931: SS-Hauptsturmführer
• 1 December 1932: SS-Sturmbannführer with effect from 9 November 1932
• 28 April 1934: SS-Obersturmbannführer
• 4 July 1934: SS-Standartenführer
• 20 April 1937: SS-Oberführer

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords
• Honour Chevron for the Old Guard (Ehrenwinkel für Alte Kämpfer)
• SS-Julleuchter
• Honour Sword of the Reichsführers-SS
• Totenkopfring der SS
• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914, 2nd Class on 25 October 1939
• NSDAP Long Service Award (Dienstauszeichnung der NSDAP), I. Stufe in Bronze (for 10 years)
• War Merit Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class with Swords
  • 1st Class on 20 November 1941
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal on 6 August 1942
• SS Long Service Award (SS-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 2nd Grade (12 years)