Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim German officer and agent of the resistance forces Date of Birth: 25.03.1905 Country: Germany

1. German Officer and Resistance Agent
2. Early Life
3. Involvement in the Reichswehr
4. Resistance Activities
5. Failed Plot and Execution
6. Legacy

German Officer and Resistance Agent

Albrecht Merz von Quirnheim was a German officer and agent of the resistance forces who participated in a conspiracy to overthrow Adolf Hitler.

Early Life

Quirnheim was born in Munich, Bavaria, into the family of Hermann Mertz von Quirnheim, a captain in the Bavarian General Staff and a knight. He spent his youth in the capital of Bavaria before his family moved to Potsdam when his father became the head of the Imperial Archive. As a child, Quirnheim was friends with Hans-Jürgen von Blumenthal and later became acquainted with the brothers Werner and Hans Bernd von Haeften.

Involvement in the Reichswehr

In 1923, Quirnheim joined the ranks of the Reichswehr, where he befriended his future resistance colleague, Claus von Stauffenberg. During the early stages of World War II, Quirnheim was assigned to the organizational division of the General Staff. While initially impressed by Adolf Hitler's regime, Quirnheim later fully realized its cruel nature and distanced himself from it. His actions raised concerns among colleagues, such as his insistence on a more humane treatment of civilians in Nazi-occupied territories in Eastern Europe.

Resistance Activities

In 1942, Quirnheim was promoted to lieutenant colonel and later became the chief of staff for one of the army corps on the military front. It was during this period that his connections with the resistance forces strengthened, largely due to his brother-in-law, Wilhelm Dieckmann. In September 1943, Quirnheim engaged in a conspiracy with the aim of assassinating Adolf Hitler. Quirnheim, his leader General Friedrich Olbricht, and Stauffenberg developed the plan for Operation Valkyrie, with the charismatic Führer standing between them and their active actions.

Failed Plot and Execution

On July 20, 1944, Quirnheim learned of an attempt on Hitler's life in East Prussia. He immediately contacted Olbricht, ordering the operation to begin. Unfortunately, the conspirators soon discovered that Hitler had survived the assassination attempt. General Friedrich Fromm, one of the plotters, quickly realized that the plan had failed and attempted to save himself by sacrificing the lives of his fellow conspirators. Quirnheim, Stauffenberg, Olbricht, and Werner von Haeften were arrested and executed. They were buried near a church in the Schöneberg district. Today, a memorial stone stands at the burial site, although their remains were removed, burned, and scattered by order of Heinrich Himmler. Shortly after Quirnheim's arrest, his parents and one of his sisters were also arrested and executed. Wilhelm Dieckmann suffered the same fate.

Legacy

Albrecht von Quirnheim's life has been portrayed on the big screen multiple times. In the 1970 Soviet film "Liberation," he was played by Paul Berndt, while Christian Berkel took on the role of Albrecht in the 2008 thriller "Valkyrie" directed by Bryan Singer.