Fritz Wiedemann
Encyclopedia
Fritz Wiedemann was a German
soldier and Nazi Party activist. He was the personal adjutant
to Adolf Hitler
, having served with him in World War I
.
Wiedemann, as regimental adjutant, was Corporal Hitler's superior. Along with Max Amann
he was one of Hitler's strongest supporters in the regiment, nominating him for the Iron Cross
, First Class on a number of occasions before the medal was given in 1918. Whilst giving evidence at the Nuremberg Trials
Wiedemann suggested that Hitler had failed to gain promotion in the regiment due to commanding officers viewing him as a 'Bohemian
'.
. However when Hitler came to power Wiedemann accepted a new offer to link up with his former corporal, initially in the offices of Rudolf Hess
before taking up his post at Hitler's side, as well as Nazi Party membership, on 2 February 1934. From then on Wiedemann remained constantly at Hitler's side, accompanying him on state visits, facilitating meetings and deaing with Hitler's correspondence. He also attended a meeting with Lord Halifax
in July 1938 in which Wiedemann made it clear that Hitler intended to deal with the problem of the Sudetenland
by force.
became the more important adjutant. Seeking a way out in January 1939 Wiedemann was appointed Consul General to the United States
in San Francisco. Wiedemann became notorious in San Francisco not only for his public statements in support of Nazism
but also for his playboy lifestyle which included attendance at society parties, membership of the exclusive Olympic Club
and regular appearances in the columns of Herb Caen
. Allegations levelled in a case filed at the city's Federal District Court in 1941 also suggested that he worked on pro-Nazi initiatives with Henry Ford
. Wiedemann was subsequently sent to Tientsin where he was a central figure in German espionage in China
.
Wiedemann gave evidence at Nuremberg after the Second World War although charges made against him were dropped in 1948 and he subsequently returned to farming, disappearing from public life.
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...
soldier and Nazi Party activist. He was the personal 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 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...
, having served with him in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
War service
Wiedemann and Hitler first came into contact during the First World War when HauptmannHauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Wiedemann, as regimental adjutant, was Corporal Hitler's superior. Along with Max Amann
Max Amann
Max Aman was a German Nazi official with the honorary rank of SS-Obergruppenführer, politician and journalist.-Biography:Amann was born in Munich on November 24, 1891...
he was one of Hitler's strongest supporters in the regiment, nominating him for the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, First Class on a number of occasions before the medal was given in 1918. Whilst giving evidence at the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
Wiedemann suggested that Hitler had failed to gain promotion in the regiment due to commanding officers viewing him as a 'Bohemian
Bohemian style
In modern usage, the term "Bohemian" is applied to people who live unconventional, usually artistic, lives. The adherents of the "Bloomsbury Group", which formed around the Stephen sisters, Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf in the early 20th century, are among the best-known examples...
'.
Hitler's adjutant
After the war Wiedemann left the army and became a farmer, initially refusing an offer from Hitler at the regimental reunion in 1922 to help organise the SturmabteilungSturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
. However when Hitler came to power Wiedemann accepted a new offer to link up with his former corporal, initially in the offices of Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
before taking up his post at Hitler's side, as well as Nazi Party membership, on 2 February 1934. From then on Wiedemann remained constantly at Hitler's side, accompanying him on state visits, facilitating meetings and deaing with Hitler's correspondence. He also attended a meeting with Lord Halifax
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as...
in July 1938 in which Wiedemann made it clear that Hitler intended to deal with the problem of the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
by force.
Diplomatic service
Not long after this Wiedermann fell out of favour with Hitler as his rival Julius SchaubJulius Schaub
Julius Schaub wasthe chief aide and adjutant of German dictator Adolf Hitler at the end of World War II....
became the more important adjutant. Seeking a way out in January 1939 Wiedemann was appointed Consul General to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in San Francisco. Wiedemann became notorious in San Francisco not only for his public statements in support of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
but also for his playboy lifestyle which included attendance at society parties, membership of the exclusive Olympic Club
Olympic Club
The Olympic Club is a San Francisco, California, athletic club and private social club with three golf courses located at San Francisco's border with Daly City, California. The club's main "City Clubhouse" is located in downtown San Francisco. The club's "Lakeside Clubhouse" is located just north...
and regular appearances in the columns of Herb Caen
Herb Caen
Herbert Eugene Caen was a Pulitzer Prize-winning San Francisco journalistwhose daily column of local goings-on, social and political happenings,...
. Allegations levelled in a case filed at the city's Federal District Court in 1941 also suggested that he worked on pro-Nazi initiatives with Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
. Wiedemann was subsequently sent to Tientsin where he was a central figure in German espionage in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Wiedemann gave evidence at Nuremberg after the Second World War although charges made against him were dropped in 1948 and he subsequently returned to farming, disappearing from public life.