Jürgen Wagner
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Wagner was a Brigadeführer
in the Waffen SS during World War II
, he was the commander of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland and was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
.
, and was the son of Ernst Wagner
.
In his early years he attended a number of schools in Wesel
, Münster
and Erfurt
, in 1915 he joined the cadet corps in Naumburg
and was transferred to the main cadet school at Berlin
- Lichterfelde
in 1917.
In 1920 he was living with his parents in Münster when he decided to return to Berlin
to attend the National Education Institute, but he resigned prior to obtaining his baccalaureate
.
He then joined the Reichswehr
and was promoted to Fahnenjunker, Unteroffizier
in 1925 and was betrothed to be married.
He left the Reichswehr in 1929 and held a number of positions, he studied engineering at Friedberg
, was an assistant engineer at a power plant.
His next occupation was in Quedlinburg
where he opened a jewelry store with his wife and sister.
In 15 June 1931 he joined the SS {23692} and by October had been promoted to Scharführer
and soon after Oberscharführer
and by 1932 had been given command of the SS-Sportschule at Kalvoerde in the Altmark
. On 1 November 1931 he joined the NSDAP {707279}
In 1933 he was selected to join the SS-Sonderkommando at Jüterbog
which was one of the units that would become the Leibstandartes SS Adolf Hitler., initially in the 3rd Company, but would in October 1933 command the II Battalion LSSAH until 1939.
in 1940, first in command of the Germania Regiment, then commander of the 11th SS Regiment for the invasion of the Balkans
(Operation Marita).
In May 1942 he was given command of the 9th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Germania which was now part of the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
and participated in heavy fighting in the Caucasus
during Operation Barbarossa
the invasion of Russia.
For the destruction of the Tank Group Popov at Krassno - Armaiskoje he was promoted to Oberführer
and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
.
In October 1943 he was given command of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland, which was stationed in Croatia
. After some small battles with Josip Broz Tito
's Partisans
, the Nederland were moved to the Leningrad
sector of the Northern Front and become involved in the Battle for Narva Bridgehead, where the 48th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment was surrounded and destroyed.
In April 1944 Wagner was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS and given command of the 4th SS Polizei Division
.
The Division was located in the Pomerania
sector and was relocated to Frankfurt
for rest. The Division was then involved in numerous battles and suffered some heavy losses from Berlin
back to the river Elbe
, for which in December 1944 Wagner was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross. In August 1944, Wagner was given command of Kampfgruppe
Wagner which defended against the Tartu Offensive of the Soviet 3rd Baltic Front
.
Wagner was extradited to Yugoslavia
in 1947. There, he was put on trial before the military tribunal of the 3rd Yugoslav Army from 29 May to 6 June 1947 in Zrenjanin
. It is not precisely known for what he was indicted for, however his orders for the mass executions of civilians in 1941 and later on reportedly played a role in his conviction. Found guilty of the charges, he was sentenced to death by firing squad. It is unclear when the sentence was carried out. Other sources mention 5 April 1947 as the execution date, but this seems unlikely, as he was still alive and under trial in June 1947.
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
in the Waffen SS 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...
, he was the commander of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland and was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
.
Early life
Jürgen Wagner was born on 9 September 1901 in StrasbourgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, and was the son of Ernst Wagner
Ernst Wagner
Ernst Wagner was born on 14 August 1876 at Hildburghausen. He first studied medicine and physics at the Universities of Würzburg, Berlin, and Munich, obtaining his doctorate under Wilhelm Röntgen in 1903. He became Privatdozent in spring 1909 and extraordinary professor in 1915 at the University...
.
In his early years he attended a number of schools in Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
, Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
and Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, in 1915 he joined the cadet corps in Naumburg
Naumburg
Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
and was transferred to the main cadet school at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
- Lichterfelde
Lichterfelde
Lichterfelde may refer to:* Berlin Lichterfelde* Lichterfelde West elegant residential area in Berlin* the municipality of Lichterfelde, Saxony-Anhalt in the Stendhal District, Germany* VfB Lichterfelde...
in 1917.
In 1920 he was living with his parents in Münster when he decided to return to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to attend the National Education Institute, but he resigned prior to obtaining his baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
.
He then joined the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
and was promoted to Fahnenjunker, Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the...
in 1925 and was betrothed to be married.
He left the Reichswehr in 1929 and held a number of positions, he studied engineering at Friedberg
Friedberg
- Places :* Friedberg, Bavaria, Germany* Friedberg, Hesse, Germany** University of Applied Sciences Giessen-Friedberg* Aichach-Friedberg, Bavaria, Germany* Friedberg, Bad Saulgau, a district of Bad Saulgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany* Friedberg, Styria, Austria...
, was an assistant engineer at a power plant.
His next occupation was in Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
where he opened a jewelry store with his wife and sister.
In 15 June 1931 he joined the SS {23692} and by October had been promoted to Scharführer
Scharführer
Scharführer was a Nazi Party title that was used by several paramilitary organizations from 1925 to 1945. Translated as “Squad Leader”, the title of Scharführer can trace its origins to the First World War, where a Scharführer was often a Sergeant or Corporal who commanded special action or shock...
and soon after Oberscharführer
Oberscharführer
Oberscharführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1932 and 1945. Translated as “Senior Squad Leader”, Oberscharführer was first used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung and was created due to an expansion of the enlisted positions required by growing SA membership...
and by 1932 had been given command of the SS-Sportschule at Kalvoerde in the Altmark
Altmark
The Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
. On 1 November 1931 he joined the NSDAP {707279}
In 1933 he was selected to join the SS-Sonderkommando at Jüterbog
Jüterbog
Jüterbog is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is located on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin.-History:...
which was one of the units that would become the Leibstandartes SS Adolf Hitler., initially in the 3rd Company, but would in October 1933 command the II Battalion LSSAH until 1939.
World War II
Wagner transferred to the Das ReichDas Reich
Das Reich is the name of:* a German SS-division, see 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich* a national socialist newspaper, see Das Reich * the main work of German right-wing intellectual Friedrich Hielscher...
in 1940, first in command of the Germania Regiment, then commander of the 11th SS Regiment for the invasion of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
(Operation Marita).
In May 1942 he was given command of the 9th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Germania which was now part of the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
The 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking was one of the elite Panzer divisions of the thirty eight Waffen SS divisions. It was recruited from foreign volunteers, from Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia, The Netherlands, and Belgium under the command of German officers...
and participated in heavy fighting in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
during Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
the invasion of Russia.
For the destruction of the Tank Group Popov at Krassno - Armaiskoje he was promoted to Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
.
In October 1943 he was given command of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland, which was stationed in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. After some small battles with Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
, the Nederland were moved to the Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
sector of the Northern Front and become involved in the Battle for Narva Bridgehead, where the 48th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment was surrounded and destroyed.
In April 1944 Wagner was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS and given command of the 4th SS Polizei Division
4th SS Polizei Division
The SS Polizei Division was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II.The division was formed in 1939 as part of the Ordnungspolizei...
.
The Division was located in the Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
sector and was relocated to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
for rest. The Division was then involved in numerous battles and suffered some heavy losses from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
back to the river Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
, for which in December 1944 Wagner was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross. In August 1944, Wagner was given command of Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
Wagner which defended against the Tartu Offensive of the Soviet 3rd Baltic Front
Front (Soviet Army)
A front was a major military organization in the Soviet Army during many wars. It was roughly equivalent to an army group in the militaries of most other countries except Germany...
.
Wagner was extradited to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in 1947. There, he was put on trial before the military tribunal of the 3rd Yugoslav Army from 29 May to 6 June 1947 in Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
. It is not precisely known for what he was indicted for, however his orders for the mass executions of civilians in 1941 and later on reportedly played a role in his conviction. Found guilty of the charges, he was sentenced to death by firing squad. It is unclear when the sentence was carried out. Other sources mention 5 April 1947 as the execution date, but this seems unlikely, as he was still alive and under trial in June 1947.
Commands
- II. Battalion LSSAH
- 11th SS Infantry Regiment
- 3rd SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Deutschland , 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
- 9th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Germania, 5th SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking
- 4th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Brigade Nederland
- 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland
- 4th SS Polizei Division4th SS Polizei DivisionThe SS Polizei Division was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II.The division was formed in 1939 as part of the Ordnungspolizei...