Hannibal von Lüttichau
Hannibal Siegfried Wolff Curt von Lüttichau (2 February 1915 – 25 January 2002) was officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was a member of the Lüttichau noble family.
Hannibal Siegfried Wolff Curt von Lüttichau | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 February 1915 Dresden |
| Died | 25 January 2002 (aged 86) Bonn |
| Allegiance | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/ | Army |
| Years of service | 1934–45 |
| Rank | Major |
| Commands held | 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
In the final weeks of the war, an SS division moved into the Tegernsee valley and built defenses against the American forces advancing from Bad Tölz. On May 3, 1945, as American artillery prepared to open fire on the town, a wounded officer in the German army, Maj. Hannibal von Lüttichau, who was recovering in the makeshift military hospital, persuaded the SS to withdraw in order to save the town and its large population of noncombatants from the imminent bombardment. After persuading the SS to withdraw from the town, the Major advanced unarmed, in uniform, and alone towards the American forces under a white flag and convinced the commanding officer to spare the town.[1]
Post-war he became President of the German Castles Association from 1971 to 1986 and received the Federal Cross of Merit.[2]
Awards and decorations
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 January 1945 as Hauptmann and commander of II./Panzer-Regiment 2[3]
- Knight of Justice of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg)
References
Citations
- "In Germany, War and Reunion:German Town Where Opposing Soldiers Prevented Destruction". The New York Times. May 26, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- A. Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein: Nachruf. Zum Tode des Ehrenpräsidenten Hannibal von Lüttichau-Bärenstein. 2002, S. 49.
- Fellgiebel 2000, p. 244.
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.
- 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.