Johann-Georg Richert
Johann-Georg Richert (14 April 1890 – 30 January 1946) was a German general during World War II. He commanded the 286th Security Division whose personnel committed numerous war crimes in occupied Belarus, in the Army Group Center Rear Area.
Johann-Georg Richert | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 April 1890 |
| Died | 30 January 1946 (aged 55) |
| Organization | Army (Wehrmacht) |
| Criminal charge | War crimes |
| Trial | Minsk Trial |
| Penalty | Death penalty |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Years of service | 1909–45 |
| Rank | Generalleutnant |
| Commands held | 286th Security Division 35th Infantry Division |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
The 35th Infantry Division also committed war crimes during early 1944 while Richert was its commanding officer. The division's operations against "partisans" (who were often civilians) became more frequent and brutal after Richert assumed command.[1] Richert also ordered that all of his soldiers who were in hospitals without injuries or a diagnosed illness be executed, and threatened units and commanding officers who were defeated in battle with severe penalties.[2]
Richert was taken prisoner by Soviet troops on 8 May 1945. He was charged with war crimes and convicted by the Soviet Military Tribunal in the Minsk Trial. Richert was executed by hanging on 30 January 1946 in Minsk.
Awards and decorations
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (20 September 1939) & 1st Class (3 October 1939)[3]
- German Cross in Gold on 1 December 1941 as oberst in 23rd Infantry Regiment[4]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 17 March 1944 as generalleutnant and commander of 35th Infantry Division[5]
- Oak Leaves on 18 October 1944 as generalleutnant and commander of 35th Infantry Division[6]
References
Citations
- Wildermuth 2019, pp. 1210-1211.
- Wildermuth 2019, p. 1197.
- Thomas 1998, p. 204.
- Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 376.
- Fellgiebel 2000, p. 290.
- Fellgiebel 2000, p. 76.
Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Heer, Hannes (2004). "The Logic of the War of Extermination". In Hannes Heer; Klaus Naumann (eds.). War of Extermination: The German Military In World War II. Berghahn Books. ISBN 1-57181-232-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
- Wildermuth, David W. (October 2019). ""I am fully aware of my guilt...": Insights from a Soviet Military Tribunal's Investigation of the German Army's 35th Division, 1946-47". The Journal of Military History. 83 (4): 1189–1213.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Further reading
- Beorn, Waitman Wade (2014). Marching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674725508.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Kurt Müller |
Commander of 286th Security Division 15 June 1942 – 1 November 1943 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Hans Oschmann |
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Ludwig Merker |
Commander of 35th Infantry Division 5 November 1943 – 9 April 1944 |
Succeeded by Generalmajor Gustav Gihr |
| Preceded by Generalmajor Gustav Gihr |
Commander of 35th Infantry Division 11 May 1944 – 5 January 1945 |
Succeeded by Oberst Paul Baade |
| Preceded by Oberst Paul Baade |
Commander of 35th Infantry Division 26 March 1945 – May 1945 |
Succeeded by Generalmajor der Reserve Dr. Ernst Meiners |