Adam, Theodor Wilhelm.

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Adam, Theodor Wilhelm, born 15-08-1877 in Ansbach, the son of the merchant Theodor Adam and his wife Margarethe, born Engerer, attended the humanistic grammar school in Amberg and Ansbach until graduating from high school in 1897. Adam joined the German Army in 1897, serving in Bavarian telegraph and Communication units, before being detached to the Bavarian War Academy in 1907. At the end of 1914 he became a General Staff Officer on the Staff of the Army High command. At the end of the World War I and awarded with several decorations, Adam served in various posts within the 100.000 men Reichswehr, with 8 Infantry and two calvary, from posts such as a liaison officer to the Bavarian Military Ministry and being an infantry battalion commander, in the 20th Infantry Regiment . By Adolf Hitler’s (did you know) rise to power, Adam was Chief of the Troop Office and later was commanding a division. Adam retired on the 31-12-1938, but he was recalled for service from 26-08-1939. At the end of the World War II he came into trouble again for his critical attitude about the war events, after he told his pessimism about Hitler and the development of the war events during a play of cards with a friendly forester from Grainau and muscian, Richard Strauss in their local cafe, in Garmisch Partenkirchen\.richard_strauss-188x300 Strauss the famous German composer and conductor, died old age 85, on 08-09-1949, in Garmisch. Their criticizing talks about the Führer and the war loss was reported to the Gestapo by the mayor of Garmisch, the first Nazi one. Adam escaped of pursuit by the help of SS Reichsleiter, Heinrich Himmler an old friend from before World War II. The letter Adam wrote Himmler, is in the History Institute of Münich. In 1933 he already had criticized the then Reichskriegsminister, Werner von Blomberg a reason why he lost his post as commander of the VII Army Corps to Generalfeldmarschall, Walther von Reichenau   ,  Von Reichenau  died from wounds in battle near Lemberg, on 17-01-1942, age 57. At the disposal of the army for several years, because of his age,

In the expansion of the Reichswehr, he was appointed commander in military district VII on 01-10-1934. Even as a military commander, he continued to oppose the Nazi regime. He described leaving the League of Nations as “the first step into ruin”. On April 01-04-1935, he was promoted to General of the infantry. When exposed, he was appointed Commanding General of the 7th Army Corps. In the fall of 1935, Adam was due to be released from military service. Von Blomberg argued that he did not believe in National Socialism and therefore had to go. Field marshal Werner von Blomberg , however, changed his mind and Wilhelm Adam was appointed commander of the Wehrmacht Academy on 01-10-1935. On 01-03-1938, on Fieldmarshal Wilhelm Keitel‘s suggestion, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Group Command 2. On a tour of Hitler’s visit to the west wall on 27-08-1938, Adam spoke openly about the low combat value and the low level of expansion of the west wall. Hitler then broke off the sightseeing trip furiously. In early autumn 1938, Adam agreed to take part in a conspiracy against Adolf Hitler. After this became illusory after the Munich Agreement, Adam asked for his farewell.Fieldmarshal Walther von Brauchitsch and Hitler agreed. On 15-11-1938, he was made available to the commander-in-chief of the army. He was retired on 31-12-1938. On 01-01-1939, he was granted the right to wear the uniform of the 98th Infantry Regiment. On this day he was also given the character of Generaloberst z.V. awarded. He was made available to the army until 31-05-1943, without mobilization. Adam was married to Isabella “Ella”, born Buchner (1885–1970), and two sons were born from the marriage. The Adam brothers both died in World War II.

Death and burial ground of Adam, Theodor Wilhelm.

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Generaloberst Wilhelm Adams retired in 31-03-1943 and died in 1949 in Garmisch Partenkirchen at the age of 71 of a stomach illness. His sons Oberstleutnant Hermann, age 33, in 1944 and Werner, Adam’s 2nd son, were KIA on 02-09-1939, age 21, at Poledno/Poland as a Leutnant in Aufklarungs Abt. 3. Wilhelm Adam, with his wife Isabella Adams, born Buchner, who died age 85 in 1970, are buried on the Stadtfriedhof in Partenkirchen. On this cemetery are also buried the General der Flieger, Kommandeur Luftregio XVIII, Egon Doerstling, Generalleutnant der Gebirgstruppe, Commander of the 1st  Mountain Division. On 16-08-1943, the village of Kommeno was attacked at the order of Oberstleutnant Josef Salminger , the commander of Gebirgs Jäger Regiment 98, a total of 317 civilians were killed. Elements from the division took part in the murder of thousands of Italians from the 33 Acqui Infantry Division under command of General Antonio Gandin, in September 1943 on the Greek island of Cefalonia following the Italian surrender.Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-304-0604A-30,_Italien,_italienische_Kriegsgefangene Soldiers from the division took part in the murder of 32 officers and an estimated 100 soldiers from the Italian 151st Perugia Infantry Division File:Emblem of Italy.svg in Albania after the Italian surrender. Following the killing of Oberstleutnant Josef Salminger, age 40 on 01-10-1943, by Greek partisans, the commander of XXXII Gebirgs-Armeekorps, General der Gebirgstruppe Hubert Lanz
download (2) BmRKEL.jpg issued an order of the day on 01-10-1943 calling for a “ruthless retaliatory action” in a 20 km area around the place where Salminger had been attacked. In the village of Linqiades 87 civilians were killed, a total of at least 200 civilians died. Hubert Lanz died old age 86, on 15-08-1982 in Munich. Also buried in Partenkirchen, Walter von Trettner von Grabenhofen, Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Stadt Commander of Dresden, Robert Schlüter, composer, Richard Strauss, Korvetten Kapitän, Carl Daehncke and Wannsee Conference participant, Eric Neumann. On the Garmich Stadtfriedhof are the graves of the WWII General der Artillerie, Kommandeur 16th Armeekorps, Christian Hansen, Generalmajor der Artillerie, Kommandeur Artillerie Regiment Fallschirmjäger, Iwan von Ilsemann,  Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur Weapen-Development, Richard John,  Generalleutnant der Flieger, Inspector of the Military Replacement Inspection in Schwerin, Theodor Triendl,
  Generalleutnant der Panzertruppe, Kommandant Festung Pillau, Eduard Hauser and General der Flieger, Kommandeur Luftregio Belgium-France, Wilhelm Wimmer. Part of his biography and his gravepicture were kindly sent to me by his grandson, Werner Adam, also living in the beautiful town of Garmisch Partenkirchen.
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