Udo von Woyrsch | |
|---|---|
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Udo Gustav Wilhelm Egon von Woyrsch 24 July 1895 |
| Died | 14 January 1983(1983-01-14) (aged 87) |
| Political party | Nazi Party |
| Occupation | Military officer Estate manager |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch/service | Imperial German Army Reichswehr Schutzstaffel |
| Years of service | 1914–1920 1930–1945 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant SS-Obergruppenführer |
| Commands | Einsatzgruppe VII Higher SS and Police Leader "Elbe" |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class War Merit Cross, 1st and 2nd class, with swords |
Udo Gustav Wilhelm Egon von Woyrsch (24 July 1895 – 14 January 1983) was aNazi Party politician and SS-Obergruppenführer inNazi Germany who participated in the massacre ofJews in Poland, and was later convicted of being an accessory to manslaughter in connection with theNight of the Long Knives murders.
Woyrsch was a member of an aristocraticSilesian family. His father was aRittmeister and estate owner and his uncle wasRemus von Woyrsch, aPrussianField Marshal in theFirst World War. Born in 1895, he was tutored at home until 1905 then went to secondary school in Brieg (today,Brzeg in Poland) followed by cadet school in Wahlstatt (today,Legnickie Pole) and the military academy atLichterfelde, Berlin. Commissioned as aLeutnant in the Prussian Army in August 1914, he served on theEastern Front during the First World War and earned theIron Cross first and second class. He was captured by the Russians but after the end of the war was repatriated in December 1918. He remained in theReichswehr, was promoted toOberleutnant in May 1920 but was decommissioned in the following October. He then took up studies in economics and agriculture. In May 1923, upon his father's death, he inherited the family estate at Schwanowitz (today,Zwanowice, Brzeg County) that he then managed.[1] According to the historianRichard Grunberger, Woyrsch also was a member of theFreikorps during the early 1920s.[2]
On 1 October 1929, Woyrsch joined the Nazi Party (membership number 162,349) and represented it on the Brieg District Assembly and District Committee. As an early Party member, he would later be awarded theGolden Party Badge. On 10 June 1930, he also joined theSS (member number 3,689). TheReichsführer-SSHeinrich Himmler charged Woyrsch with organizing the SS inGau Silesia.[3] Woyrsch was given command of several SS-Standarten there from March to September 1931. He then was selected as the first commander of SS-Abschnitt (SS–District) VI headquartered in Brieg until 15 March 1932. He next became the commander of SS-Gruppe (later, SS-Oberabschnitt) (SS–Main District) "Südost" where he served until 1 January 1935.[4]
While in this posting, Woyrsch led his forces in theNight of the Long Knives. On 30 June 1934, "he took command in Silesia, and on the orders of Göring arrested a number of SA leaders, disarmed all SA headquarters' guards and occupied the Breslau police headquarters. Woyrsch's men executed some of the SA officers as a result of an on-going private feud."[5] The settlement of personal scores was particularly savage in Silesia, where numerous personal vendettas resulted in murder and "vengeance was the order of the day."[6] This included Woyrsch's ordering the execution of his SS rivalEmil Sembach, despite a prior agreement with Himmler that he was to be arrested and taken to Berlin.[7]
Described as highly opinionated and headstrong, Woyrsch often was embroiled in disputes with the PartyGauleiter and other civilian authorities. Woyrsch had a close friendship with Himmler who often defended him in these instances. However, one such dispute with SilesianGauleiterHelmuth Brückner and other officials resulted in Woyrsch being removed from his command in Dresden and assigned to Himmler's Personal Staff in January 1935. In January 1939, he was detailed for six weeks to theSD, the Nazi Party intelligence service.[3]
Aside from his SS activities, Woyrsch continued his political career in these years, being elected to theLandtag of Prussia in April 1932 and serving there until March 1933 when he was elected as a deputy to theReichstag from electoral constituency 7 (Breslau). On 10 July 1933, he was also named to thePrussian State Council. He would retain these seats throughout the Nazi regime.[3]
On the outbreak of theSecond World War in September 1939, Woyrsch commandedEinsatzgruppe VII. Woyrsch was responsible for some of the deadliest massacres of Jews in Poland in 1939, where inEast Upper Silesia he led the group that murdered 500 Jews inKattowitz,Będzin, andSosnowiec.[8] At this early stage of the war Poland was still considered a military operational area under the command ofGeneraloberstGerd von Rundstedt. The brutality and illegal measures of theEinsatzgruppe, involving the mass shootings of Jews, shocked many of theWehrmacht officers. On 20 September 1939, they complained that it was having an effect on the morale of German troops who resented that the SS were not fighting the enemy on the front but instead "demonstrating their courage against defenceless civilians." Rundstedt told Himmler that the anti-Jewish measures already underway must cease and that theEinsatzgruppe would no longer be tolerated in the operational zone.[9]
Himmler gave way and was forced to recall Woyrsch to Germany where, on 20 April 1940, he was appointed the HigherSS and Police Leader (HSSPF) "Elbe" and commander of SS-Oberabschnitt "Elbe," both headquartered inDresden. On 15 April 1941, he was given the additional title ofGeneral of Police. By 1942 he was the seventh most senior officer in the SS.[10] However, his personality conflicts continued with denunciations and disputes with other authorities. Finally, Himmler lost patience with him and Woyrsch was removed from his command on 13 February 1944 and again assigned to Himmler's immediate staff where he remained for the remainder of the war. Ostensibly, his removal was for health reasons but the real issue was conflicts and disputes withGauleiterMartin Mutschmann whom he accused of cowardice.[4] According toRichard Grunberger, Woyrsch was part of Himmler's entourage trailing about northernGermany in May 1945 close to the end of hostilities.[11] Woyrsch last saw Himmler on 5 May 1945 inFlensburg before moving on toEckernförde where he surrendered to British forces on 11 May 1945.[12]
| SS ranks[13][12] | |
|---|---|
| Date | Rank |
| 13 November 1930 | SS-Sturmbannführer |
| 1 March 1931 | SS-Standartenführer |
| 1 September 1931 | SS-Oberführer |
| 15 March 1932 | SS-Gruppenführer |
| 1 January 1935 | SS-Obergruppenführer |
| 15 April 1941 | General der Polizei |
Woyrsch was interned until 1948.[14] In 1948, a denazification court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for his membership in the SS, citing his knowledge of the organization's atrocities.[15] However, Woyrsch was released early in 1952.[15] In 1957, he was sentenced by a court inOsnabrück to a further 10 years in prison after being convicted as an accessory to six counts of manslaughter for his role in the murders during the Night of the Long Knives, including that of Emil Sembach. Woyrsch was released once more in 1960, and died in 1983.[15]
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