Ioahim Eggeling
GermanyBiography of Joachim Eggeling
Joachim Eggeling was a political figure and an Obergruppenführer of the SS (21.6.1943). He graduated from a military academy in Berlin-Lichterfelde. On March 10, 1904, he began his service as a lieutenant in the 10th Jäger Battalion. Eggeling participated in World War I, where he served as the commander of a machine gun unit. He was promoted to captain and awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class for his outstanding bravery in combat.
After being demobilized in October 1919, Eggeling worked as an agricultural inspector and studied at the Higher Agricultural School in Halle. In March 1923, he became a municipal councilor in Saxony-Anhalt. On July 29, 1925, he joined the NSDAP (Party Membership Number 11,579). From 1926, Eggeling served as the authorized Gauleiter for agricultural affairs. In 1930, he formed the agrarian-political apparatus of the Magdeburg-Anhalt province. In October 1932, he was appointed the head of agricultural policy for the NSDAP in Central Germany - Brandenburg.
In March 1933, Eggeling became a state councilor in Anhalt. From June 1933, he led the peasants and agriculture in Saxony and Anhalt. In 1933, he was elected as a deputy to the Reichstag from Magdeburg. In November 1933, after the death of W. Loeper, Eggeling was appointed the leader of the Magdeburg-Anhalt province as the deputy Gauleiter. On June 9, 1936, he joined the SS (Membership Number 186,515) and received the rank of Brigadeführer. On April 20, 1937, Eggeling became the Gauleiter of Halle-Merseburg.
From September 22, 1939, he served as an imperial commissioner for defense in the 4th military district. On November 16, 1942, Eggeling became the imperial commissioner for defense in Halle-Merseburg. On August 18, 1944, he became the Oberpräsident of Merseburg. In April 1945, Eggeling informed A. Hitler about the dire situation of the population in his province, and on April 13, 1945, he received the order to defend the province until the last man. Realizing the impossibility of resistance, Eggeling took his own life.
