Matthias Kleinheisterkamp German officer, SS Obergruppenführer Date of Birth: 22.06.1893 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Matthias Kleinheisterkamp
2. Early Life and Military Service
3. Membership in Political and Military Organizations
4. SS Career and Achievements
5. Final Years and Death

Biography of Matthias Kleinheisterkamp

Matthias Kleinheisterkamp was a German officer and Obergruppenführer SS. During World War II, he commanded several SS divisions and corps, including the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich", 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf", 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord", as well as the 7th and 11th SS Army Corps. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest order of the Third Reich, for his outstanding military achievements.

Early Life and Military Service

Matthias Kleinheisterkamp was born on June 22, 1893, in the city of Erbelfeld (now Wuppertal) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. His father, Matthias Kleinheisterkamp Sr., served in the railway, and his mother was Anna Rupper. After completing his final exams, Kleinheisterkamp decided to dedicate his life to the military and joined the Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 219 in 1914. He fought on both the Western and Eastern fronts during World War I. Towards the end of the war, he suffered a severe head injury and spent the remainder of 1918 in hospitals. For his bravery, Kleinheisterkamp was awarded the Iron Cross and the Silver Wound Badge.

Membership in Political and Military Organizations

Following the armistice, Matthias Kleinheisterkamp joined the Freikorps, a semi-militarized revenge organization that later aligned with the Nazis. He then served in the Reichswehr, the limited forces of Germany imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. On March 27, 1921, he married Ellen Hoysing-Esch, who was seven years younger than him. They had five children together: Karl-Ernst (born in 1922), Hanz-Joachim (1928), Heinrich (1937), Waltruda (1923), and Marliese (1929).

SS Career and Achievements

In November 1933, Kleinheisterkamp joined the general SS forces with membership number 132399. In the spring of 1935, he transferred to the special SS forces and became an infantry instructor at the SS officer's school "Braunschweig". A year later, he became the chief staff officer under Brigadeführer SS Paul Hausser. In April 1937, he joined the Nazi Party with membership number 4158838. In June 1938, his career was threatened by serious disciplinary violations. After a trial by the SS, he was temporarily suspended from duty until August but then returned to serve in the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" in Munich. As the 3rd Sturmbann of the division, Kleinheisterkamp was responsible for the evacuation of German civilians and the diplomatic corps from Warsaw during the invasion of Poland in 1939. For his exemplary leadership on the Eastern Front, he was awarded the Knight's Cross in 1942. He was highly respected by his subordinates and his commander, Eduard Dietl.

Final Years and Death

On April 28, 1945, Kleinheisterkamp was captured by Soviet forces near the village of Halbe, southeast of Berlin. The following day, he took his own life. Posthumously, he was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.