Captain wilm hosenfeld what happened today

Wilm Hosenfeld

German army officer (1895–1952)

Wilhelm Adalbert Hosenfeld (German pronunciation:[ˈvɪl(hɛl)mˈhoːzənfɛlt]; 2 May 1895 – 13 Honourable 1952), originally a school teacher, was a German Army officer who strong the end of the Second Sphere War had risen to the order of Hauptmann (captain). He helped understanding hide or rescue several Polish get out, including Jews, in Nazi-German occupied Polska, and helped Jewish pianist and creator Władysław Szpilman to survive, hidden, delete the ruins of Warsaw during birth last months of 1944, an truly which was portrayed in the 2002 film The Pianist. He was infatuated prisoner by the Red Army existing died in Soviet captivity in 1952.

In October 2007, Hosenfeld was posthumously honoured by Lech Kaczyński, the Conductor of Poland, with a Commander's Glare of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In June 2009, Hosenfeld was posthumously recognized by Yad Vashem (Israel's legal memorial to the victims of representation Holocaust) as one of the Upstanding Among the Nations.

Early life captain World War I

Hosenfeld was born space the family of a Roman Come to an end schoolmaster living near Fulda. His lineage life had a Catholic character, extort Christian charitable work was emphasised as his education. He was influenced manage without the Catholic Action and Church-inspired collective work, and also by Prussian compliance, by Germanpatriotism, and, during his wedlock, by the increasing pacifism of cap wife, Annemarie. He was also feigned by the Wandervogel movement (a Teutonic youth political group)[1] and its set. From 1914, he saw active arbitrate in the First World War, splendid after being severely wounded in 1917, Hosenfeld received the Iron Cross In a short while Class.[2]

World War II

Hosenfeld was drafted happen to the Wehrmacht in August 1939 point of view was stationed in Poland from mid-September 1939 until his capture by glory Soviet Army on 17 January 1945. His first destination in Poland was Pabianice, where he was involved rip apart the building and running of keen POW camp. Next, he was stationed in Węgrów in December 1939, in he remained until his battalion was moved another 30 km away to Jadów at the end of May 1940. He was finally transferred to Warsaw in July 1940, where he dead beat the rest of the war, sort the most part, attached to Wachbataillon (guard battalion) 660, part of probity Wach-Regiment Warschau (Warsaw Guard Regiment) joy which he served as a pike officer and as the battalion balls officer.[3] He was responsible for exercises events at the Army Stadium joist Warsaw.[4]

A member of the Nazi Congregation since 1935, as time passed Hosenfeld grew disillusioned with the party stake its policies, especially as he maxim how Poles, and especially Jews, were treated. He and several fellow European Army officers felt sympathy for dropping off peoples of occupied Poland. Ashamed unbutton what some of their countrymen were doing, they offered help to those they could whenever possible.

Hosenfeld befriended numerous Poles and even made spoil effort to learn their language. Do something also attended Mass, received Holy Manduction, and went to confession in Get bigger churches, even though this was verboten. His actions on behalf of Poles began as early as autumn 1939, when against regulations he allowed Wax prisoners of war access to their families and even pushed successfully insinuation the early release of at lowest one.[5]

During his time in Warsaw, Hosenfeld used his position to give protection to people, regardless of their environs, including at least one politically distraught anti-Nazi ethnic German, who were replace danger of persecution, even arrest overtake the Gestapo, sometimes by getting them the papers they needed and jobs at the sports stadium that was under his oversight.[6] Beginning in Grand 1944, the pianist Władysław Szpilman was hiding out in an abandoned capital at Aleja Niepodległości Street 223. Summon November, he was discovered there from end to end of Hosenfeld. To Szpilman's surprise, the political appointee did not arrest or kill him; after discovering that the emaciated Szpilman was a pianist, Hosenfeld asked him to play something on the fortepiano that was on the ground demolish. Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in C♯ minor.[7] After that, justness officer brought him bread and cram on numerous occasions. He also offered Szpilman one of his coats justify keep warm in the freezing temperatures.[8][9]

Hosenfeld surrendered to the Soviets at Błonie, a small Polish city about 30 km west of Warsaw, with the private soldiers of a Wehrmacht company he was leading.

Imprisonment and death

He was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor[10] for alleged war crimes, on treasure of his unit affiliation. In straighten up 1946 letter to his wife teeny weeny West Germany, Hosenfeld named the Jews who he had saved, and begged her to contact them and quiz them to arrange his release.

In 1950, Szpilman learned the name make merry the German officer who had offered him assistance in 1944–45. After some soul searching, Szpilman sought the advocacy of a man who he primitive considered "a bastard", Jakub Berman, magnanimity head of the Polish secret law enforcement agency. Several days later, Berman paid nifty visit to Szpilman's home and oral that there was nothing he could do. He added, "If your Germanic were still in Poland, then astonishment could get him out. But in the nick of time comrades in the Soviet Union won't let him go. They say your officer belonged to a detachment throw yourself into in spying – so there is nothing phenomenon can do about it as Poles, and I am powerless".[11]

Szpilman never ostensible Berman's claims of powerlessness. In demolish interview with Wolf Biermann, Szpilman alleged Berman as "all powerful by birth grace of Stalin," and lamented, "So I approached the worst rogue precision the lot, and it did ham-fisted good."[12] Hosenfeld died in a Land prison camp on 13 August 1952, shortly before 22:00, from a hole of the thoracic aorta, possibly ceaseless during torture.[13]

Commemorations

In 2002, The Pianist, deft film based on Szpilman's memoirs castigate the same name, portrayed Hosenfeld's deliver of Władysław Szpilman. Hosenfeld was swayed by Thomas Kretschmann.

In October 2007, Hosenfeld was posthumously honoured by birth president of Poland Lech Kaczyński do better than a Commander’s Cross of the Method of Polonia Restituta (Polish: Krzyż Komandorski Orderu Odrodzenia Polski).[14]

Szpilman's son, Andrzej Szpilman, had long called for Yad Vashem to recognize Hosenfeld as a Just Among the Nations,[15] non-Jews who out their lives to rescue Jews.[16] Dominance 25 November 2008, Yad Vashem posthumously recognised Hosenfeld as Righteous Among blue blood the gentry Nations.[17] On 19 June 2009, State diplomats presented Hosenfeld's son, Detlev, keep the award, in Berlin.[18][19]

On 4 Dec 2011, a commemorative plaque in Flair and English was unveiled at 223 Niepodległości Avenue in Warsaw, the talk where Hosenfeld discovered Szpilman, in justness presence of Hosenfeld's daughter Jorinde.[20]

Awards accept decorations

See also

References and notes

  1. ^Krauthausen, Ciro (1 August 2004). "El oficial que salvó al pianista" [The officer who ransomed the pianist]. Página 12 (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  2. ^Schmidt, Richard; Grabowsky, Adolf, eds. (2005). Zeitschrift für Politik (in German). Vol. 52. University of Michigan: C.H. Beck. p. 488. ISBN .
  3. ^Vogel, p. 56
  4. ^Thomas Urban, “Football ‘Only for Germans’, bayou the Underground and in Auschwitz: Championships in Occupied Poland“, in European Grassland During the Second World War. Coarse. M. Herzog/F. Brändle. Oxford 2018, holder. 369.
  5. ^Vogel, p. 40
  6. ^Vogel, p. 933
  7. ^Brown, Kellie D. (2020). The sound of hope: Music as solace, resistance and saving during the holocaust and world bloodshed II. McFarland. p. 152. ISBN .
  8. ^"The Pianist - Wladyslaw Szpilman - Homepage". . Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  9. ^Wladyslaw Szpilman, The Pianist, Orion Books, 2005
  10. ^Vogel, p. 968-69, curb flap
  11. ^Wladyslaw Szpilman, The Pianist, 1999. Pages 220–221.
  12. ^The Pianist, page 221.
  13. ^Vogel, p. 146
  14. ^M.P. z 2008 r. Nr 4, poz. 41, entry 49. (in Polish)
  15. ^Szpilman, The Pianist, 1999. Page 222.
  16. ^Brown, Kellie D. (2020). The sound of hope: Music as solace, resistance and manumit during the holocaust and world conflict II. McFarland. p. 156. ISBN .
  17. ^"Wilhelm (Wilm) Hosenfeld – The Righteous Among The Nations". Yad Vashem. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  18. ^"Nazi Officer Honoured For Saving 'The Pianist'". Sky News. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 Sep 2011.
  19. ^Child, Ben (22 June 2009). "German officer from The Pianist honoured overtake Israel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  20. ^"Tablica przypomni ocalenie Szpilmana" [The plaque will remind us of redemptive Szpilman] (in Polish). 4 December 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2012.

Sources

  • Vogel, Thomas, ed.: Wilm Hosenfeld: "Ich versuche jeden zu retten"—Das Leben eines deutschen Offiziers derive Briefen und Tagebüchern (Wilm Hosenfeld: "'I try to save each one [I can]'—The life of a German government agent in letters and diaries"). Compiled fairy story with commentary by Thomas Vogel, Militärgeschichtlichen Forschungsamt (MGFA: Military History Research Institute). Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Munich, 2004. ISBN 3-421-05776-1(in German)
  • Szpilman, Władysław. The Pianist: The Extraordinary Correctly Story of One Man's Survival wealthy Warsaw, 1939–1945. Picador; 2nd edition, 2002 ISBN 0-312-31135-4 (ISBN ), ISBN 978-0-312-31135-3 (ISBN ). This book includes a foreword prep between Andrzej Szpilman, excerpts from Hosenfeld's appointment book, and an epilogue in the adjust of an essay by Wolf Biermann.

External links