Hans von Obstfelder

German general (1886–1976)

Hans von Obstfelder (6 September 1886 – 20 December 1976) was a German general (General of the Infantry) in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

In September 1941, during Operation Babarossa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Obstfelder commanded the 29th Army Corps, which was among the first units of the Wehrmacht to reach Kyiv.^[1] In October 2021, against the background of official commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the Babi Yar Massacre, Obstfelder's name appeared among the 161 names of the perpetrators of that crime, released by the Babi Year Holocaust Memorial Center.^[2] Obstfelder was never tried for his involvement in the Babi Yar massacre.^[3]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (September 1914) & 1st Class (June 1915)^[4]
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (20 September 1939) & 1st Class (29 September 1939)^[4]
• German Cross in Gold on 21 April 1943 as General der Infantry and commanding general of the XXIX. Armeekorps^[5]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 27 July 1941 as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the XXIX. Armeekorps^[6]
  • 251st Oak Leaves on 7 June 1943 as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the XXIX. Armeekorps^[6]
  • 110th Swords on 5 November 1944 as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the LXXXVI. Armeekorps^[6]

References

Citations

1. "BASIC HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE BABI YAR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER" (PDF). Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. October 2018. p. 66.
2. "80 years on: The true faces of the Babyn Yar Murders are being revealed". BYHMC. October 2021.
3. "BASIC HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE BABI YAR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER" (PDF). Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. October 2018. p. 87.
4. Thomas 1998, p. 127.
5. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 335.
6. Scherzer 2007, p. 575.

Bibliography

• 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 Militaer-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.