André, Carl

André, Carl, born 24-05-1894 on Rittergut Freimissen, entered the Army Service as a Fahnenjunker on 20-06-1912, age 18. He participated in World War I and was wounded  in hospital on 07-09-1914. He was Company Commander of the 164^th Infantry Regiment and again in hospital because of an illness on 26-03-1916. Company Leader in Infantry Regiment 164^th and following Regimental Adjutant in the 164^th Infantry Division until the end of the war. Generalmajor Kurt Freiherr von Liebenstein,   the division’s final commander, surrendered to Generalleutnant Bernard Freyberg,   commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division  On 10-05-1943 Generalmajor Kurt Freiherr von Liebenstein was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Three days later, while commanding the 164th Infantry Division, he surrendered to the British forces in Tunisia, with the 164th Infantry earning the distinction of being “the last major German formation in North Africa to lay down its arms”.[1] He was sent to Trent Park, a special camp for generals north of London. In 1955, he joined the Bundeswehr. In 1960, he retired as Generalmajor and died 03-08-1975, aged 76.

After World War I, Andre stayed in the new Reichswehr  and as commander of the 521^st Infantry Regiment, World War II started for him. During some weeks he was in the Führer Reserve OKW , at the same time, detached to the 4^th Division Leader Course, before becoming Commander of Fortress Bergen in Norway,   on 20-12-1943 until 09-05-1945.  The surrender of Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway.   The German garrison’s commander Major Josef Nichterlein and his aide Captain Hamel handing the fortress over to the Norwegian resistance movement’s Terje Rollem,  date 11-05-1945. Terje Rollem (born Terje Rolld Martinsen, 16-09-1915 and died age 77 on 04-04-1993, was a Norwegian Oberst and officer in Milorg during the German occupation of Norway. Josef Nichterlein had been a renowned pianist before his involvement in the war, playing in venues all across Europe, such as in Paris, Madrid, and Royal Albert Hall in London. While imprisoned in Skien he kept in contact with Albert Schweitzert,

    a personal friend who he had toured with on piano with Schweitzer playing organ. Albert Schweitzert a German born French theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary, died in Lambaréné several months after his 90^th birthday the 04-09-1965. The Norwegian guards were quite fond of Nichterlein and many asked him to sign the famous liberation photograph. Nichterlein agreed, but said of the photo, “I hope nobody thinks that I brought my hand up for a Hitler salute in the picture—because that man I have loathed all my life.” Nichterlein was sent back to Germany in August 1945, but died only a week after he returned home and saw his wife and children again. André was in Allied captivity, the English Island Farm Camp, from 09-05-1945 until 17-05-1948. On 12-05-1948 transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation. After his release, he lived in the nice village of Bückeburg. The beautiful castle of Bückeburg, close to Flensburg, was after the suicide of Adolf Hitler (did you know)  and Eva Braun  (see Braun parents) temporary, Albert Speer’s new government headquarter under Gross Admiral, Karl Dönitz.

       

Armament Minister, Albert Speer was captured by the English Forces, while shaving in the bathroom.

Carl André died at the very old age of, 22-01-1985 and is buried with his wife Anna, born Clostermann, who died age 70 on 22-07-1943, on the village cemetery of Bückeburg. Also buried there are the Generalleutnant der Kavallerie, Kommandeur 464^th Infanterie Division , Otto Heidkamper, Generalmajor der Kavallerie, Commander of Army Gas Protection School Celle, Hans Graf von Kanitz and Generalmajor der Flieger, Kommandeur Luftwaffe Academia Hamburg, Sigismund Freiherr von Falkenstein