Frisius, Friedrich, born 17-01-1895 in Bad Salzuflen,
the son of the Lutheran pastor Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Frisius 1861–1932 from Tossens and his wife Karoline Luise Antoinette, born Fromme (1861–1942), who was married on 29-05-1890 in St. Amt in Wersabe. Friedrich had seven siblings (except for Rudolf all born in Wersabe): Rudolf (born 08-06-1891; died 28-05-1898), Liesel (died 21-06-1896; 1976), Grete ( 21-06-1896, death around 1980), Hans-Joachim (born 02-01-1898; death 1980), Lawyer (first assessor in Lingen, then in 1927 together with Legal Counsel Hermann Schneider founding the firm; his son Hans-Jürgen, born in 1931, took over after the war) and until November 1938 he was an SA leader, Hanna (born 20-07-1901) Anna Maria Frieda Lina (born 18-03-1903) and Johanne Anna Sophie (born 17-303-1905). His father was pastor at Salzuflen 1890-97, at Wersabe i.O. 1897–1905 and since then in Lingen Ems. Little is known about his childhood and youth. Yet we know that from the very beginning of his adult life, he was formed by his career with the Kriegsmarine
, which he entered as a Kadett in 1913. Shortly before the outbreak of the first World War he underwent a training on the protected cruiser Victoria Louise
to 31-03-1914 and attended Marine School in Mürwik
to 01-08-1914. During the four wartime years, during which he served on torpedo boats, as the II Torpedo Division, as well as cruisers, as the 18th Torpedo Boat Half Flotilla, he became a Leutnant of the Marine, on 18-09-1915. His career went steadily upward, though. Between 1919 and 1923 he was assigned to the Baltic coastal defences, as an Oberleutnant zur See, where he, aside from other activities, took part in suppressing the Communist uprisings and in maintaining law and order in the heavily shaken post-war Germany. From September 1929, now a Kapitänleutnant
, he went through a series of commanding and training posts in various assignments and he commanded another torpedo boat. From 1929 to 1931 he joined the Foreign Department of the Military Intelligence (the Abwehr)
at the Reich Defence Ministry. Later, two further commanding assignments followed on ships and the Marine School at Mürwick, but in 1935, a Korvettenkapitän at that time, rejoined the Abwehr. From a Consultant he shortly became a Group Leader in the Foreign Department and he was to see the outbreak of the World War II as a staff officer of the Hamburg Kriegsmarine Service Centre,
which was, like the other Kriegsmarinedienststellen, responsible for providing merchant ships for the war effort and for the overseeing the supply chain and the preparation and movement of troops. From here he moved to the Boulogne Service Centre and, on 26-01-1941, already in the rank of a Navy Captain, he became the commander of the local coastal defences. During the three following wartime years, from 16-12-1941 to 28-10-1944, he was assigned to Pas de Calais as the commander of its fortifications. Here his headquarter bunker after the war
His position was of major importance and of great impact on the German military strategy. Indeed, it was here that the main Allied blow was expected to strike hardest when the invasion to Europe was to come. On 15-09-1944, when the coastal defences of Pas de Calais, which he still commanding, are non-existent for some months, he is assigned to command the Fortress of Dunkirk.
Only a few days before his new assignment, he and his strong garrison were completely enclosed by the Allies with the Czechs forces of the 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade . Yet the port was to be held at all costs to tie down Allied units and to prevent them from using it. On 30-09-1944, Frisius was promoted to the rank of Vize Admiral. He was in command of German forces there throughout its long siege in 1944-45, he became a Vice Admiral on 30-09-1944.
By Operation Bluecher, the last desperate break-out attempt against the enemy lines on 05-05-1945, Frisius testified for the last time to his fanatic loyalty to Hitler and Nazi Germany. It had become evident that the German Kommandant, Vize (Rear) Admiral Friedrich Frisius, although agreeing to observe a cease-fire as from midnight, was not yet willing to lay down his arms and surrender. He claimed to be uncertain whether the surrender terms which the German High Command had accepted at Rheims included his Fortress Dunkirk and insisted on seeking further clarification from his new ‘Führer’, Großadmiral Karl Dönitz.
Although the attack was indeed very surprising to the British command, the bridges near the town were even blown up and the German units were not to be dislodged from their newly gained positions until the end of hostilities, four days later, on 09-05-1945, Vize Admiral Frisius

























Death and burial ground of Frisius, Friedrich.







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