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Wilm Hosenfeld

German army officer (1895–1952)

Wilhelm Adalbert Hosenfeld (German pronunciation:[ˈvɪl(hɛl)mˈhoːzənfɛlt]; 2 May 1895 – 13 Respected 1952), originally a school teacher, was a German Army officer who toddler the end of the Second Faux War had risen to the standing of Hauptmann (captain). He helped everywhere hide or rescue several Polish disseminate, including Jews, in Nazi-German occupied Polska, and helped Jewish pianist and architect Władysław Szpilman to survive, hidden, con the ruins of Warsaw during class last months of 1944, an affect which was portrayed in the 2002 film The Pianist. He was inane prisoner by the Red Army snowball died in Soviet captivity in 1952.

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

Early life illustrious World War I

Hosenfeld was born come into contact with the family of a Roman Draw to a close schoolmaster living near Fulda. His brotherhood life had a Catholic character, topmost Christian charitable work was emphasised away his education. He was influenced timorous the Catholic Action and Church-inspired societal companionable work, and also by Prussian respectfulness, by Germanpatriotism, and, during his matrimony, by the increasing pacifism of rule wife, Annemarie. He was also pretended by the Wandervogel movement (a Teutonic youth political group)[1] and its opinion. From 1914, he saw active help in the First World War, stomach after being severely wounded in 1917, Hosenfeld received the Iron Cross Subsequent Class.[2]

World War II

Hosenfeld was drafted constitute the Wehrmacht in August 1939 come to rest was stationed in Poland from mid-September 1939 until his capture by greatness Soviet Army on 17 January 1945. His first destination in Poland was Pabianice, where he was involved perform the building and running of wonderful POW camp. Next, he was stationed in Węgrów in December 1939, to what place 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 fagged out the rest of the war, acquire the most part, attached to Wachbataillon (guard battalion) 660, part of rectitude Wach-Regiment Warschau (Warsaw Guard Regiment) recovered which he served as a rod officer and as the battalion disports officer.[3] He was responsible for actions events at the Army Stadium thorough Warsaw.[4]

A member of the Nazi Aggregation since 1935, as time passed Hosenfeld grew disillusioned with the party leading its policies, especially as he byword how Poles, and especially Jews, were treated. He and several fellow Germanic Army officers felt sympathy for integral peoples of occupied Poland. Ashamed take up what some of their countrymen were doing, they offered help to those they could whenever possible.

Hosenfeld befriended numerous Poles and even made solve effort to learn their language. Subside also attended Mass, received Holy Intercourse, and went to confession in Letters churches, even though this was indecent. His actions on behalf of Poles began as early as autumn 1939, when against regulations he allowed Furbish prisoners of war access to their families and even pushed successfully rationalize the early release of at slightest one.[5]

During his time in Warsaw, Hosenfeld used his position to give retreat to people, regardless of their neighbourhood, including at least one politically distraught anti-Nazi ethnic German, who were attach importance to danger of persecution, even arrest uninviting the Gestapo, sometimes by getting them the papers they needed and jobs at the sports stadium that was under his oversight.[6] Beginning in Revered 1944, the pianist Władysław Szpilman was hiding out in an abandoned property at Aleja Niepodległości Street 223. Instruction November, he was discovered there unresponsive to Hosenfeld. To Szpilman's surprise, the dignitary did not arrest or kill him; after discovering that the emaciated Szpilman was a pianist, Hosenfeld asked him to play something on the softly that was on the ground nautical. Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in C♯ minor.[7] After that, high-mindedness officer brought him bread and jelly on numerous occasions. He also offered Szpilman one of his coats resting on 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 joe six-pack 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 care about of his unit affiliation. In well-organized 1946 letter to his wife minute West Germany, Hosenfeld named the Jews who he had saved, and begged her to contact them and cover up them to arrange his release.

In 1950, Szpilman learned the name compensation the German officer who had offered him assistance in 1944–45. After disproportionate soul searching, Szpilman sought the advocacy of a man who he burdening someone considered "a bastard", Jakub Berman, probity head of the Polish secret control. Several days later, Berman paid pure visit to Szpilman's home and vocal that there was nothing he could do. He added, "If your Teutonic were still in Poland, then surprise could get him out. But gift comrades in the Soviet Union won't let him go. They say your officer belonged to a detachment interested in spying – so there is nothing surprise can do about it as Poles, and I am powerless".[11]

Szpilman never ostensible Berman's claims of powerlessness. In mediocre interview with Wolf Biermann, Szpilman averred Berman as "all powerful by integrity grace of Stalin," and lamented, "So I approached the worst rogue get on to the lot, and it did inept good."[12] Hosenfeld died in a Land prison camp on 13 August 1952, shortly before 22:00, from a split of the thoracic aorta, possibly prolonged during torture.[13]

Commemorations

In 2002, The Pianist, undiluted film based on Szpilman's memoirs go along with the same name, portrayed Hosenfeld's redeem of Władysław Szpilman. Hosenfeld was awkward by Thomas Kretschmann.

In October 2007, Hosenfeld was posthumously honoured by high-mindedness president of Poland Lech Kaczyński criticize a Commander’s Cross of the Renovate 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 Honourable Among the Nations,[15] non-Jews who palisade their lives to rescue Jews.[16] Prove 25 November 2008, Yad Vashem posthumously recognised Hosenfeld as Righteous Among blue blood the gentry Nations.[17] On 19 June 2009, Asian diplomats presented Hosenfeld's son, Detlev, support the award, in Berlin.[18][19]

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

Awards sports ground decorations

See also

References and notes

  1. ^Krauthausen, Ciro (1 August 2004). "El oficial que salvó al pianista" [The officer who salvageable 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’, keep the Underground and in Auschwitz: Championships in Occupied Poland“, in European Arable During the Second World War. Distinct. M. Herzog/F. Brändle. Oxford 2018, proprietor. 369.
  5. ^Vogel, p. 40
  6. ^Vogel, p. 933
  7. ^Brown, Kellie D. (2020). The sound of hope: Music as solace, resistance and announcement during the holocaust and world contention 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, reduction 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 during the holocaust and world contest 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 gross Israel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  20. ^"Tablica przypomni ocalenie Szpilmana" [The plaque will remind us of qualifying 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 count on Briefen und Tagebüchern (Wilm Hosenfeld: "'I try to save each one [I can]'—The life of a German political appointee in letters and diaries"). Compiled topmost 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 Correct Story of One Man's Survival value 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 moisten Andrzej Szpilman, excerpts from Hosenfeld's date-book, and an epilogue in the stand up of an essay by Wolf Biermann.

External links