Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld Gruppenführer of the Waffen-SS Date of Birth: 31.03.1885 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. World War I
3. Entry into the SS
4. Command Positions in the SS
5. Eastern Front and Command of the 10th SS Panzer Division
6. Later War Service and Suicide

Early Life and Military Career

Theodor Friedrich Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld was born on March 31, 1885, in Flensburg, Germany. His father was a high-ranking official in the Imperial German Navy, and his mother came from a prominent merchant family in Lübeck. Upon completing secondary school, von Treuenfeld entered the cadet corps in 1898. On August 18, 1904, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and served in the Prussian Leib Hussar Brigade during World War I.

World War I

At the outbreak of World War I, von Treuenfeld served as an adjutant in the Leib Hussar Brigade. In June 1915, he was wounded by shrapnel on the Eastern Front and later transferred to the General Staff for recovery. In December 1918, von Treuenfeld was discharged from the army with the rank of major.

Entry into the SS

On May 1, 1939, von Treuenfeld joined the SS (SS-No. 323792). Initially, he served in the SS cavalry units, but at the start of World War II, he commanded the 2nd Signal Battalion VT as a Sturmbannführer. By November 1940, von Treuenfeld had become a Brigadeführer SS and Generalmajor der Waffen-SS.

Command Positions in the SS

Von Treuenfeld served as the commander of the SS troops in North-West Europe (The Hague) from January 18 to April 30, 1941. He then commanded the 2nd SS Infantry Brigade until July 1941. In 1942, von Treuenfeld was appointed commander of the SS troops in Bohemia and Moravia. After the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, von Treuenfeld led the unsuccessful search for the perpetrators.

Eastern Front and Command of the 10th SS Panzer Division

In July 1943, von Treuenfeld became commander of the SS troops in southern Ukraine. From November 15, 1943, to April 27, 1944, he commanded the 10th SS Motorized Division "Frundsberg," later renamed the 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg." In January 1944, he was promoted to Gruppenführer SS and Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS. He was severely wounded in the defense of Tarnopol in April 1944.

Later War Service and Suicide

From July 27 to October 25, 1944, von Treuenfeld commanded the VI Volunteer (Latvian) SS Corps. He was then transferred to the General SS Office as an inspector. Von Treuenfeld ended the war as an American prisoner of war and committed suicide on June 7, 1946.