Joachim Ziegler

Joachim Ziegler
Born	2 October 1904
Died	2 May 1945 (aged 40) Berlin, Nazi Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Wehrmacht (to 1943) Waffen SS
Years of service	1931–45
Rank	Brigadeführer
Service number	SS #491,403
Unit	SS Division Nordland
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War World War II
Awards	Spanish Cross Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Joachim Ziegler (2 October 1904 – 2 May 1945) was a high-ranking commander in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was the commander of the SS Division Nordland, and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Career

Ziegler was awarded the Spanish Cross for his participation in the Spanish Civil War, fighting in the Condor Legion. In 1939 he served as the adjutant in the 3rd Panzer Brigade and on 23 September 1939 he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class followed by a 1st class award on 28 June 1940.^[1] On 14 March 1943 he was promoted to Oberst and served on the General Staff of the XXXXII Army Corps. He was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 15 March 1943 and later was invited by the Wehrmacht to a command position in the Waffen-SS. His SS number was 491,403.^[1] From 20 June 1943 Ziegler was the Chief of General Staff of the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps, and in November 1943 he was granted permission to wear an SS uniform for the duration of his command.

When Fritz von Scholz was killed in action on 28 July 1944, he was asked to take over command of the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland. On 5 September 1944 he was awarded the Knights Cross for the conduct of the division in action and the Oak Leaves in April 1945.^[1]

During the Battle of Berlin, SS-Brigadeführer Gustav Krukenberg was appointed on 25 April 1945 the commander of (Berlin) Defence Sector C which included the Nordland Division. Ziegler was relieved of his command the same day. The exact reason for the transfer of the command is not clearly known.^[2] It was requested by General Helmuth Weidling.^[3]

After Hitler's death on 30 April, Krukenberg assembled most of his escort made up of French volunteers of the SS Sturmbataillon "Charlemagne" for the breakout to try and get through the Soviet Red Army encirclement of that area of Berlin. They joined up with Ziegler and a larger group of Nordland troops. They crossed the Spree just before dawn. Near the Gesundbrunnen U-Bahn station they came under heavy fire and Ziegler was wounded. Ziegler died from his wounds on 2 May 1945.^[4]

Awards

• Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (31 May 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (23 September 1939)^[5]
  • 1st Class (28 June 1940)^[5]
• German Cross in Gold on 14 March 1943 as Oberstleutnant im Generalstab (in the General Staff) of XXXIX. Panzerkorps^[6]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves^[1]
  • Knight's Cross on 5 September 1944 as SS-Brigadeführer and commander of the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland^[7]
  • (848th) Oak Leaves on 28 April 1945 as SS-Brigadeführer and commander of the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland^{[7][Note 1]}

Notes

1. The sequential numbers greater than 843 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses.^[8]

References

Citations

1. Ailsby 1997, p. 186.
2. Beevor 2002, pp. 301, 302.
3. Beevor 2002, p. 291.
4. Beevor 2002, p. 383.
5. Thomas 1998, p. 472.
6. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 530.
7. Scherzer 2007, p. 805.
8. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 102–111.

Bibliography

• Ailsby, Christopher (1997). SS: Roll of Infamy. Motorbooks Intl. ISBN 0760304092.
• Beevor, Antony (2002). Berlin: The Downfall 1945. London: Viking-Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-670-03041-5.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• 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.