Hermann Franz

Hermann Franz
Born	16 August 1891 Stötteritz, German Empire
Died	18 February 1960 (aged 68) Bonn, West Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1911–1945
Rank	SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Eastern Front
Awards	Iron Cross 1st Class War Merit Cross 1st Class

Hermann Friedrich Franz (born 16 August 1891 in Leipzig-Stötteritz, died 18 February 1960 in Bonn) was a SS-Brigadeführer and Major general of Police during the World War II. He is infamous as Commander of the SS-Police Regiment "Süd", which took a part in the massacres of Jews in Ukraine on the Eastern Front. Subsequently, served as Commander of the Ordnungspolizei in Greece.

Military career

Franz was born in Stötteritz (now part of Leipzig) on August 16, 1891. From 1898 to 1906 Franz attended the civic school in Dresden. In 1906 he went to army Non-Commissioned Officer Preparatory School in Struppen and in 1909 he attended the Non-Commissioned Officer School in Marienberg, graduating as a corporal (Unteroffizier) in March 1911. He was subsequently assigned to the Royal Saxon Infantry Regiment Nr. 133 (Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 133) and participated with his unit in the combats on the Western Front.

During this time, Franz was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant (Vizefeldwebel) and was awarded for gallantry in action with Iron Cross 2nd Class, Saxon Friedrich-August Medal in Silver and Saxon Honor Cross with Swords. He was also wounded in action and thus he received the Wound Badge in Black.

Police career

After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Franz was transferred to the Saxon city of Zwickau, where he was assigned to the Staff of the Archive Command. Then he spent some time with Branch of the War Archive in Dresden. Conditions of the Treaty of Versailles ordered the Germany reduced the military forces and Franz was forced to left the Army. Franz finally left the Army on January 8, 1920.

Franz subsequently entered the Saxon state police and was assigned to the Officer Course in Dresden. With completing the course in December of the same year, he was promoted to the rank of Second lieutenant of the State police (Leutnant der Schutzpolizei) on December 1, 1920. He was then assigned to the city of Plauen, where he served as member of local police until November 1921.

He spent some time with the Police Office in Zwickau, where he was appointed a Training consultant. After brief period again in Plauen as Leader of the command post, he was assigned to the Advanced Officer Training Course in Leipzig. He was subsequently ordered to the Plauen Police School in July 1923, where he was appointed a Leader of Weapons and Physical Training. During this time, he was promoted to the rank of First lieutenant of the State Police (Oberleutnant der Schutzpolizei).

Franz joined the Nazi Party in December 1931 (Membership no. 824526). From 1933 to 1938 he was chief of police in Plauen.

SS career

At the beginning of World War II he was part of German occupation of Poland for a short time from Sept. 1939 to October 1939 as Commander of the Order Police at Army Headquarters 8th. In August 1940, he joined the SS in (SS-Nr. 361279), he was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer. After the invasion of the Soviet Union in July 1941 he was made commander of the police regiment South in the Ukraine, which took part in murder of the Ukraine Jews. In July 1943 he returned to Germany before transferring to Greece.

From November 1943 to February 1945 he was Commander of the Order Police in Athens. In September 1944, for two months, he was promoted to the acting Higher SS and Police Leader in all of Greece.

Franz was promoted November 1944 to SS-Brigadeführer (SS brigade leader). In September 1944 promoted to Major General of the Police. As Commander of the Order Police, Ordnungspolizei (Orpo), he was moved to Oslo, Norway from 7 February 1945 to the end of the war on 8 May 1945.

In Norway he was captured by British troops. From 25 September 1945 to 1947 he was a prisoner of war in British captivity. First, starting 9 January 1946, at Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1 on the outskirts of the town of Bridgend, South Wales. Then transferred 25 November 1947 to the Civil Internment Camp (CIC) at Adelheide, near Delmenhorst. By Dec. 1947 the British released him.

Hermann Franz married Frida Schneider on 18 December 1917, they had no children. Hermann Franz died 18 February 1960 in Bonn at the age of 66.

He left behind a book "memories of war", which were printed after his death:

• Gebirgsjäger der Polizei. Polizei-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 18 und Polizei-Gebirgs-Artillerieabteilung 1942–1945, Bad Nauheim 1963.
• Translated his book tile is: Mountaineer police. Police Mountain Infantry Regiment 18 and police Mountain Artillery Division from 1942 to 1945, Publisher: Bad Nauheim in 1963.^[1]

References

1. http://www.worldcat.org, book by Franz, Hermann, 1963.

• Friedrich Hermann Franz at http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/
• Degeners Wer ist's?, Berlin 1935, S. 434.
• Wolfgang Curilla: Der Judenmord in Polen und die deutsche Ordnungspolizei 1939–1945. Schöningh, Paderborn 2011, ISBN 978-3-506-77043-1, S. 218
• Angolia, John R. & Taylor, Hugh Page. Uniforms, Organization & History of the German Police, Volume 1. R. James Bender Publishing, San Jose, California, 2004 (1st Edition).
• Browning, Christopher R. Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., New York, New York, 1992.
• Klee, Ernst; Dressen, Willi; Riess, Volker (editors). “The Good Old Days”: The Holocaust as Seen by Its Perpetrators and Bystanders. Deborah Burnstone, translator. Konecky & Konecky, New York, New York, 1991.