Richard Schulze-Kossens
Born	(1914-10-02)2 October 1914 Spandau, Berlin,Germany
Died	3 July 1988(1988-07-03) (aged 73) Düsseldorf,West Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1934–1945
Rank	SS-Obersturmbannführer
Unit	LSSAH Führerbegleitkommando
Commands	SS Division Nibelungen

Richard Schulze-Kossens (2 October 1914 – 3 July 1988, born "Richard Schulze") was aNazi Party member andSchutzstaffel (SS) commander during theNazi era. Before and duringWorld War II, he served as a personaladjutant to foreign ministerJoachim von Ribbentrop. He also served at different intervals, as an ordinance officer and SS adjutant forAdolf Hitler and later commanded theSS Division Nibelungen,SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz. After the war in Europe ended, he was held in an American internment camp for three years and died in 1988.

Richard Schulze was born inSpandau,Berlin. A year after graduating from gymnasium in 1934, the 20-year-old Schulze entered theAllgemeine SS and was assigned to6.SS-Standarte inBerlin. In November 1934, he served in theLeibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), one ofAdolf Hitler's SS bodyguard units. Between 1935 and 1937 took various officer training courses at theSS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz, inJüterbog andDachau. In May 1937, Schulze became a member of the Nazi Party.^[1] Schulze served as personal adjutant to Foreign MinisterJoachim von Ribbentrop from April 1939 until January 1941.^[2] Schulze is pictured standing with Molotov, Ribbentrop, Stalin and Soviet Chief of Staff Shaposnikov at the signing of theMolotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939.^[3]

From October 1941 and at intervals thereafter, he was anSS ordinance officer and SS adjutant for Adolf Hitler.^[2] While serving in these roles, Schulze was also a member of theFührerbegleitkommando (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.^[4] By 1944, he was promoted to the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel).^[3] He became the divisional commander of the38th SS Division Nibelungen in 1945. At that time, Schulze was the commanding officer of theSS-Brigade Nibelungen and the SS cadet training school at Bad Tölz.^[5]

After the Second World War ended, Schulze changed his name to "Richard Schulze-Kossens". He was held in an American internment camp for three years. After being released, he worked as a salesman and wrote several books.^[3]

He remained in contact with a group of former adjutants, secretaries and other staff members who continued to have a favourable view of Hitler following the end of the war.^[6] Schulze-Kossens died oflung cancer on 3 July 1988.^[3] More than 100 former SS members attended his funeral, with many wearing the insignia of an SS veterans association, and his casket was draped with tributes from former SS units.Werner Grothmann and two former Nazi officers provided eulogies.^[3]

• Hoffmann, Peter (2000) [1979].Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer 1921-1945. New York: Da Capo Press.ISBN 978-0-30680-947-7.
• O'Donnell, James P. (2001) [1978].The Bunker. New York: Da Capo Press.ISBN 978-0-306-80958-3.
• New York Times Obituary: Monday, July 11, 1988 –https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/11/obituaries/richard-schulze-kossens-hitler-adjutant.html

• 1914 births
• 1988 deaths
• SS-Obersturmbannführer
• Recipients of the Gold German Cross
• People from Spandau
• Waffen-SS personnel
• German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States
• Adjutants of Adolf Hitler
• Deaths from lung cancer in Germany

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata