Golz, Herbert, born 09-04-1887 in Berlin , Josef Goebbel)
(did you know) was the Gauleiter of Berlin, to a family with a long military tradition. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Golz, who had just graduated from the Andreas Gymnasium (High School), immediately volunteered for military duty. After a brief basic training period, he participated in the battle of Ypern in October 1914 as a member of the 201st Reserve Regiment. In the course of the war he would serve 4 tours of duty on the Western Front and 2 on the Eastern Front. He would also be decorated with both classes of the Iron Cross,
the Austrian Medal for Bravery
and receive a field promotion to Leutnant (2nd Lt.) of the Reserves in August 1917.Following the war, Golz served with the para-military Freikorps “Reinhold”
from January 1919 until May 1919, fighting against the communist “Sparticist” terrorists in Berlin. He would then join the Schutzpolizei (Protective Police), serving as a Police Captain in Cologne and Düsseldorf before being reassigned to Berlin with the rank of Major der Schutzpolizei. He joined the NSDAP
on 01-09-1932, nr 1.323.386, and became a SS member, nr 357154, on 01-06-1940.
He was a high decorated soldier who climbed the ranks in the SS smoothly to a SS Standartenführer on 14-10-1944 and to Oberst of the Schupo, Security Police, in the General Staff X of the SS. The Personal Staff of the Reich Leader of the SS, Hauptamt Persönlicher Stab Reichsführer-SS
was a main office of the SS which was established in 1933 by SS Reichsführer, Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich to serve as a personal office coordinating various activities and projects subordinate to the Reichsführer-SS.
From 1933 until 1942, the office was headed by SS Obergruppenführer, SS and Polizei Führer in Italy. Adjutant of Himmler, Karl Wolff
who would eventually become an SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Waffen SS.
Wolff’s daily activities involved overseeing Himmler’s schedule and serving as a liaison with other SS offices and agencies by conveying the wishes of the Reichsführer to all branches, offices, and subordinated units within the SS. Following the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942, Wolff fell out with Himmler and was replaced by SS-Obergruppenführer,Chief of the Persönlicher Stab Reichsführer SS, Himmler’s personal Staff, Maximillian von Herff
who served as its head until the end of the war. Von Herff was captured by British forces in 1945, and held at Grizedale POW camp. He suffered a stroke and died at nearby Conishead Priory Military Hospital. He was reburied at Cannock Chase German was cemetery, Stafforshire, where also Generalfeldmarschall, Commander 16th Army, is buried Ernst Busch
. Golz was also the Battle leader on the Eastern Front. In August 1917 a Leutnant, 01-06-1940 a SS Obersturmführer, 01-06-1942 Oberstleuntnant of the Police, Oberst on 01-08-1944 and SS Standartenführer
on 14-10-1944. Received both the Iron Crosses and many more decorations. He received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, German Cross in December 1943 as it was due to the special tactical ability of Oberstleutnant Golz that the crisis was overcome, in which the fighting groups against Operation Otto had become involved. The crisis had arisen because the Russian Army had broken through at Newel and entered the area of operation of the operation against the resistance. In doing so, Oberstleutnant Golz, with heroic efforts by his own person, made several distinctions, operating as a shining example, at the peak of his units. This willingness to commit and sacrifice has actually contributed to the outcome of the battle. ” He ended the war as commander of the X Armeekorps SS which was formed in January 1945. He succeeded SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Waffen-SS and Politie, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski
. Total casualties amongst the Waffen-SS will probably never be known, but one estimate indicates that they suffered 180.000 dead, 400.000 wounded, and 40.000 missing. World War II casualties indicates that the Waffen-SS suffered 314.000 killed and missing, or 34.9 per cent. By comparison, the United States Army suffered 318.274 killed and missing in all theatres of the war.
Death and burial ground of Golz, Herbert.

Following the war he went into British captivity which lasted for three years. After his release he became a successful businessman and remained active in Waffen-SS veteran’s affairs. He was a true heroic figure of World War II!. Herbert Golz lived in Bad Dürrheim after the war and died at the old age of 82, on 28-01-1979. He is buried with his wife Gertrude, born Mauler, who died age 67 in 1976, on the village cemetery of Bad Dürrheim.


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