Niemack, Robert Theodor Heinrich Ernst, later Horst.

Niemack, Robert Theodor Heinrich Ernst “Horst, born 10-03-1909 in Hanover , from a farming family from mother’s side in Nieder Sachsen. The son of the wholesale merchant Karl Heinrich Theodor Niemack, who, according to the documentary evidence, had died before the birth of his son, and his wife Molly Minna Maria Else Juliana Auguste, born Haarstrick. His baptism took place on 30-05-1909. When he got the nickname “Horst” is unknown, but on 15-04-1936  the District Court II in Bad Cannstatt officially changed his first name to “Horst” upon application. Horst could also be some kind of acronym (Heinrich = H, Theodor = O, Robert = R, Ernst = ST)

Horst Niemack found equestrian sports in his youth. He attended high schools in Hildesheim and Hanover and, after graduating from high school, chose the officer career in the cavalry, which suited his riding interests. He joined the Reichswehr as a Fahnenjunker in the 18^th Cavalry Regiment in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstadt in 1927, after finishing the Real School. He was promoted to Leutnant in 1931 and in 1933 transferred to the Tournement and Troting Race Department of the Army Cavalry and Driving School in Hanover. He participated in many different tournaments and already in 1934 he received the Golden Cavalry decoration , the highest in this sport. He became a teacher of the Calvary Schools for Officers in 1936 and in 1938 to Master and Leader of the hunting stables of the Calvary School. With the beginning of  World War II he as a Rittmeister became the Training Officer for Officers Candidates in the Calvary School in Potsdam-Krampnitz. Assigned as Squadron Chief of the 5^th Division Intelligence Department. On 01-06-1940 he was appointed to Commander of the Intelligence Department 5 and reached as the first German unit the Marne in France in June 1940. For his leading Niemack was awarded with the Knight Cross of the Iron Cross on 13-07-1940 and was the first Rittmeister in the French invasion to receive such a decoration. With the Operation Barbarossa his extensive forces were fighting in the Region of Njemen and he was leading his men in battle personal. He was successful in battles at Orla and his opponent lost a lot of men. Leading his men with his calvary squadron he was severely wounded but remained leading his men. He was called in the Wehrmacht announcements and was awarded as the 30^th Officer with the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves,   on 10-08-1941.

       Not jet recovered of his wounds  in the autumn of 1941, he now as a Major was assigned as commander of the Calvary Training Group at the School for Fast Troops, in Potsdam-Krampnitz. In February 1943 he as an Oberstleutnant took the command of the new raised 26^th Panzer Regiment which was almost completely destroyed in the battle for Stalingrad. Promoted to Oberst he was appointed as the commander of the Panzer Füsilierregiment “Großdeutschland”  and had his most heavy battles in his career.

  Willy Langkeit.      Niemack.  von Manteuffel.

In battles with panzerfaust and men to men fighting’s he was leading his men all the time and encouraged them highly. Now he was awarded on 04-06-1944 as the 69^th soldier with the Iron Cross with Swords and Oak Leaves . On 24-08-1944 his car was hit by machine gun fire and Niemack was nearly rescued from the burning vehicle. He was transported to Berlin where a long operation, several hours, by Professor Ferdinand Sauerbruch,

   saved his left arm for amputation. Sauerbruch died age 75 on 02-07-1951 in Berlin. Niemack took the command of General der Panzertruppe,

  Fritz Bayerlein’s Panzer Lehr Division on 24-01-1945 and on 10-03-1945 he crossed the river Rhein where the superiority of his opponents were to strong and they had to retreat. Bayerlein died age 71 on 30-01-1970 from his illness in Africa. Generalleutnant Niemack was severely wounded again, on 07-04-1945, he received the Wounded Cross in Gold  and landed in British captivity while staying in the hospital in Eutin. After the war he took up his favourite horse training and joined tournaments and became the president of the German Olympic Committee in 1952. General Bahamond Franco    offered him a Spanish decoration. He entered the new Bundeswehr as a Generalmajor of the Panzer Truppen and awarded by Bundespresident, Heinrich Lübke

with the Große Verdienstkreuz des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

Death and burial ground of Niemack, Horst.

    Briefing of the situation at the Panzer Grenadier Division “Greater Germany”. In the middle the commander  Generalleutnant Hasso von Manteuffel,

sword bearer Horst Niemack on the left, oak leaf bearer Generalmajor Willy Langkeit on the right

Horst Niemack died at the old age of 83, on 07-04-1992 in Hanover and is buried on the cemetery of Celle’s suburb Groß Hehlen.

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