Ernst John von Freyend
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel Ernst John von Freyend (1909–1980) was a German
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
officer who served during World War II
as the adjutant
to Field Marshal
Wilhelm Keitel
. He is notable for unwittingly helping to place the 20 July plot bomb that was intended to kill Adolf Hitler
.
On 20 July 1944 he held the rank of Major
and arrived at the Wolf's Lair headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia
for a situation conference attended by Hitler. Also there as a subordinate to Field Marshal Keitel was Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg who arrived clutching a briefcase. As Stauffenberg was disabled following the loss of his right hand and two fingers from his left hand, von Freyend offered to carry it for him. Stauffenberg at first refused, but then relented upon approaching the conference room and he asked von Freyend to put him as near as possible to Hitler so that 'I catch everything the Führer
says for my briefing afterwards'. Freyend placed the briefcase by the conference map table to the right of General Adolf Heusinger
who was standing next to Hitler and Stauffenberg adjusted its position.
However, Heinz Brandt
, wanting to get a closer look at a map on the table, re-positioned the briefcase farther away from Hitler on the other side of a thick table leg. Seven minutes later the bomb exploded. It was later concluded that its exact positioning next to the table leg was a crucial factor in determining who in the room survived.
Freyend survived the explosion and the remainder of the war. After surrendering with Keitel he was briefly interrogated by the Americans who decided that he was not involved in military decision making and acted mainly as Keitel's valet
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
officer who served during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as the adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
to Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Wilhelm Keitel
Wilhelm Keitel
Wilhelm Bodewin Gustav Keitel was a German field marshal . As head of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and de facto war minister, he was one of Germany's most senior military leaders during World War II...
. He is notable for unwittingly helping to place the 20 July plot bomb that was intended to kill Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
On 20 July 1944 he held the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and arrived at the Wolf's Lair headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
for a situation conference attended by Hitler. Also there as a subordinate to Field Marshal Keitel was Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg who arrived clutching a briefcase. As Stauffenberg was disabled following the loss of his right hand and two fingers from his left hand, von Freyend offered to carry it for him. Stauffenberg at first refused, but then relented upon approaching the conference room and he asked von Freyend to put him as near as possible to Hitler so that 'I catch everything the Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
says for my briefing afterwards'. Freyend placed the briefcase by the conference map table to the right of General Adolf Heusinger
Adolf Heusinger
Adolf Heusinger was a German General. He briefly served as Chief of the General Staff of the Army during World War II and served as the first Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, the West German armed forces, from 1957 to 1961...
who was standing next to Hitler and Stauffenberg adjusted its position.
However, Heinz Brandt
Heinz Brandt
Generalmajor Heinz Brandt was a German Wehrmacht staff officer who served during World War II as an aide to Generalleutnant Adolf Heusinger, who was the head of the operations unit of the General Staff...
, wanting to get a closer look at a map on the table, re-positioned the briefcase farther away from Hitler on the other side of a thick table leg. Seven minutes later the bomb exploded. It was later concluded that its exact positioning next to the table leg was a crucial factor in determining who in the room survived.
Freyend survived the explosion and the remainder of the war. After surrendering with Keitel he was briefly interrogated by the Americans who decided that he was not involved in military decision making and acted mainly as Keitel's valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
.
Portrayal in the media
Ernst John von Freyend has been portrayed by the following actors in film productions.- Manfred Bendik in the 1971 Eastern Block co-production Liberation: Direction of the Main BlowLiberation (film series)Liberation is an epic five-part film series considered the most large-scale World War II film ever made in the Soviet Union. Filmed from 1967 to 1971, the first part was released during 1970 for the 25th anniversary of Victory Day...
. - Michael Fitzgerald in the 1990 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television movie The Plot to Kill HitlerThe Plot to Kill Hitler (film)#The Plot to Kill Hitler is a 1990 television movie. It is about the 20 July 1944 plot by German officers to kill Adolf Hitler. Brad Davis stars as Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg who plants a bomb in the conference room of the Führer's headquarters in East Prussia.- Plot summary :“The...
. - Andy Gätjen in the 2004 German TV movie StaufenbergStauffenberg (Film)Stauffenberg is a German-Austrian TV movie released in 2004 by Das Erste , about Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg and the 20 July 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler....
. - Werner DaehnWerner DaehnWerner Daehn is a German/international actor, who has worked with Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson in xXx, with Jason Priestley in Colditz an ITV1 2005 miniseries, with Bill Pullman in Revelations and with Steven Seagal in Shadow Man...
in the 2008 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film ValkyrieValkyrie (film)Valkyrie is a 2008 American historical thriller film set in Nazi Germany during World War II. The film depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country...
.