Franz Waldemar Dr. Jur

Franz Beyer, born 27-05-1892 in Bautzen, was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II, who held commands at the divisional and corps levels. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Young Franz Beyer joined on 01-04-1911 as Seekadett the Kaiserliche Marine, age 18. At the beginning of World War I, he is Wachoffizier on the Lineship "Westfalen" and "Ostfriesland" and rewarded with both the Iron Crosses. After the war Beyer is a Police Oberst and reactivated in the Reichswehr in 1935, in the Staff of the 66^th Infantry Regiment in Magdeburg. With the breakout of World War II, he as commander of the 131^st  Infantry Regiment is involved in the invasion of Poland. Following by the battles on the Western Front and the Eastern Front, he again is decorated with the Ritterkreuz. On 01-01-1944 he loses the command of the 44^th Infantry Division to General Friedrich Franek

     and again in the Fuhrer Reserve. Franek died age 84 on 08-04-1976. Promoted to General der Infanterie, on 01-07-1944 and assigned to Commanding General of the V Army Corps. After the destroying of most of his Corps in the battle of the Krim, Beyer returned his command. As last command, for only two weeks, of the XXXIX Gebirgs Corps. At the beginning of August, also the commanding General of the LXXX Army Corps in France. Franz Beyer was captured in 1945 by the Americans Forces, in the Officers Island Farm Camp prison in England and released in 1947. Living in Bad Wiessee, he died at the age of 76, on 15-10-1968. He is buried on the small village cemetery of Bad Wiessee, Bad Wiessee where in 1934 Hitler (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know) root out his AS leaders and opponents, during the Night of the Long Knives, in hotel Hanselbaur, like SA leader Ernst Röhm (see Röhm), August Schneidhuber (see Schneidhuber) and Edmund Heines (see Heines). Former chancellor Kurt von Schleicher (see Schleicher) and Gustav von Kahr (see von Kahr) were also victims. 

 

     

General Dr. Franz Beyer is buried next to the graves of General Field Marshal Albert Kesselring (see Kesselring) and General Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg (see Blomberg) with his mistress.