Werner von Erdmannsdorff

Werner von Erdmannsdorff (27 July 1891 – 5 June 1945) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was married to Helene née von Tschirsky und Bögendorff (1895–1982).[1]

Werner von Erdmannsdorff
(left to right) Friedrich Stephan, Werner von Erdmannsdorff, and Heinz Kattner
Born	26 July 1891 Bautzen, German Empire
Died	5 June 1945 (aged 53) Ljubliana, Yugoslavia
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Army
Years of service	1910–1945
Rank	General of the Infantry
Commands held	18th Infantry Division LXXXXI Army Corps
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations	Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff (brother)

As last commander of the LXXXXI Army Corps in Yugoslavia, Erdmannsdorff surrendered to the British troops in May 1945.

He was extradited to Yugoslavia and executed by firing squad on 5 June 1945 in Ljubljana, alongside generals Gustav Fehn (XV Mountain Corps), Friedrich Stephan (104th Jäger Division) and Heinz Kattner (Feldkommandant of Sarajevo).

He was the older brother of general Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff, who himself would be hanged in Minsk in January 1946 for war crimes.[1]

Awards and decorations

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 March 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 30 (mot.) [2]

References

Citations

1. Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelige Häuser A Band XXVII, Band 132 der Gesamtreihe, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 2003, p. 318–319
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 147.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945—Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945—The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941–1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.