Born in Arensburg Estonia, a Baltic-German descended from an ancient and illustrious family first ennobled in the 12th century (Baron: Livonia, Courland 1198; Master of the Teutonic Order 1485, Gotha Register 1896, 1934 1942). After one year of law studies at the University of Königsberg, he joined the Reichswehr in 1933. In 1942 a tank battalion under Loringhoven's command was encircled during the Soviet counter-offensive at the Battle of Stalingrad, however, he was flown out of the pocket in January 1943. From July 1944-April 1945, he served as an adjutant to both Generaloberst der Infanterie, Oberbefehler B 2nd Panzer Armee, Heinz Guderian and General der Infanterie, Chief of the Army General Staff (OKH), Hans Krebs. Loringhoven's cousin, Wessel Freytag von Loringhoven, provided the detonator charge and explosives for the July 20 assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler. They knew each other well but Bernd was not involved directly in the plot. After it failed, Bernd managed to escape arrest, due to the support of Guderian. However, Wessel was suspected of complicity in the plot and committed suicide on 26 July, age 44, rather than risk implicating his family and colleagues. Loringhoven's last assignment was as a staff officer responsible for the preparation of reports for Adolf Hitler. After 4/23/1945, when Hitler's communications staff began to desert, he had to improvise and he based his intelligence reports on information he was able to gather from the Allied news agencies Reuters and the BBC. Fortunately, Hitler was not aware of this. During the evening of 29 April, he left the Führerbunker with Gerhardt Boldt and Lieutenant-Colonel Rudolf Weiss. Earlier in the morning, Loringhoven had approached Krebs and asked if he and Boldt could leave Berlin and "return to the fighting troops." Krebs talked to Burgdorf to get his advice. Burgdorf approved but indicated that they should take his assistant, Weiss. Captured by the British, Loringhoven spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war. He was not charged with war crimes. After being repatriated in January 1948, he lived in Munich, where he became a publisher. He joined the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956 and attained the rank of General. He was later appointed Deputy Inspector General of the Armed Forces and retired from the army in 1973, with full honours. At the time of his death he was one of the last three known living witnesses, along with bunker telephone operator Rochus Misch and Hitler Youth courier Armin D Lehmann, to the events in the Führerbunker at the end of World War II.
∼Nazi officer and post World War Two General for West Germany.
Joined the Nazi army in 1933.
His cousin Wessel Freytag von Loringhoven, was member of the July 20th, 1944 plot, but Bernd was not arrested. Wessel committed suicide to avoid capture.
Was in the Führerbunker with Hitler during the final days of the Third Reich.
Left the Führerbunker, a day before Hitler committed suicide.
Captured by the British troops on May 2nd, 1945.
Released two and a half years later and he wasn't charged with war crimes.
He joined the West German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956 and attained the rank of general.
Retired in 1973.
Bernd Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven passed away in 2007.
∼Soldier. One of the last people to leave Hitler's bunker in Berlin in 1945. He was born at the ancestral home on the Estonian island of Osel (now Saaremaa). In 1933, he became an officer cadet in the small army left to Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, where party membership was not required. By the time World War II began, Loringhoven was on the staff of the First Panzer Division. After the unsuccessful bomb plot against Hitler in July 1944, Guderian became chief of the general staff, and made Loringhoven his adjutant. When Guderian was succeeded by General Krebs, Loringhoven stayed on. Detained by the Americans at the end of the war, he found work in the publishing industry until West Germany joined NATO in 1955, and the Bundeswehr was formed. He then went back into uniform, serving in various West German army posts and NATO staff appointments, retiring as a lieutenant general. His first wife, Renate, died young, as did their son. His second wife, Ilse-Verna, also predeceased him, but their son is a senior German diplomat.
∼Nazi officer and post World War Two General for West Germany.
Joined the Nazi army in 1933.
His cousin Wessel Freytag von Loringhoven, was member of the July 20th, 1944 plot, but Bernd was not arrested. Wessel committed suicide to avoid capture.
Was in the Führerbunker with Hitler during the final days of the Third Reich.
Left the Führerbunker, a day before Hitler committed suicide.
Captured by the British troops on May 2nd, 1945.
Released two and a half years later and he wasn't charged with war crimes.
He joined the West German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956 and attained the rank of general.
Retired in 1973.
Bernd Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven passed away in 2007.
∼Soldier. One of the last people to leave Hitler's bunker in Berlin in 1945. He was born at the ancestral home on the Estonian island of Osel (now Saaremaa). In 1933, he became an officer cadet in the small army left to Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, where party membership was not required. By the time World War II began, Loringhoven was on the staff of the First Panzer Division. After the unsuccessful bomb plot against Hitler in July 1944, Guderian became chief of the general staff, and made Loringhoven his adjutant. When Guderian was succeeded by General Krebs, Loringhoven stayed on. Detained by the Americans at the end of the war, he found work in the publishing industry until West Germany joined NATO in 1955, and the Bundeswehr was formed. He then went back into uniform, serving in various West German army posts and NATO staff appointments, retiring as a lieutenant general. His first wife, Renate, died young, as did their son. His second wife, Ilse-Verna, also predeceased him, but their son is a senior German diplomat.
Born in Arensburg Estonia, a Baltic-German descended from an ancient and illustrious family first ennobled in the 12th century (Baron: Livonia, Courland 1198; Master of the Teutonic Order 1485, Gotha Register 1896, 1934 1942). After one year of law studies at the University of Königsberg, he joined the Reichswehr in 1933. In 1942 a tank battalion under Loringhoven's command was encircled during the Soviet counter-offensive at the Battle of Stalingrad, however, he was flown out of the pocket in January 1943. From July 1944-April 1945, he served as an adjutant to both Generaloberst der Infanterie, Oberbefehler B 2nd Panzer Armee, Heinz Guderian and General der Infanterie, Chief of the Army General Staff (OKH), Hans Krebs. Loringhoven's cousin, Wessel Freytag von Loringhoven, provided the detonator charge and explosives for the July 20 assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler. They knew each other well but Bernd was not involved directly in the plot. After it failed, Bernd managed to escape arrest, due to the support of Guderian. However, Wessel was suspected of complicity in the plot and committed suicide on 26 July, age 44, rather than risk implicating his family and colleagues. Loringhoven's last assignment was as a staff officer responsible for the preparation of reports for Adolf Hitler. After 4/23/1945, when Hitler's communications staff began to desert, he had to improvise and he based his intelligence reports on information he was able to gather from the Allied news agencies Reuters and the BBC. Fortunately, Hitler was not aware of this. During the evening of 29 April, he left the Führerbunker with Gerhardt Boldt and Lieutenant-Colonel Rudolf Weiss. Earlier in the morning, Loringhoven had approached Krebs and asked if he and Boldt could leave Berlin and "return to the fighting troops." Krebs talked to Burgdorf to get his advice. Burgdorf approved but indicated that they should take his assistant, Weiss. Captured by the British, Loringhoven spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war. He was not charged with war crimes. After being repatriated in January 1948, he lived in Munich, where he became a publisher. He joined the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956 and attained the rank of General. He was later appointed Deputy Inspector General of the Armed Forces and retired from the army in 1973, with full honours. At the time of his death he was one of the last three known living witnesses, along with bunker telephone operator Rochus Misch and Hitler Youth courier Armin D Lehmann, to the events in the Führerbunker at the end of World War II.
∼Nazi officer and post World War Two General for West Germany.
Joined the Nazi army in 1933.
His cousin Wessel Freytag von Loringhoven, was member of the July 20th, 1944 plot, but Bernd was not arrested. Wessel committed suicide to avoid capture.
Was in the Führerbunker with Hitler during the final days of the Third Reich.
Left the Führerbunker, a day before Hitler committed suicide.
Captured by the British troops on May 2nd, 1945.
Released two and a half years later and he wasn't charged with war crimes.
He joined the West German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956 and attained the rank of general.
Retired in 1973.
Bernd Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven passed away in 2007.
∼Soldier. One of the last people to leave Hitler's bunker in Berlin in 1945. He was born at the ancestral home on the Estonian island of Osel (now Saaremaa). In 1933, he became an officer cadet in the small army left to Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, where party membership was not required. By the time World War II began, Loringhoven was on the staff of the First Panzer Division. After the unsuccessful bomb plot against Hitler in July 1944, Guderian became chief of the general staff, and made Loringhoven his adjutant. When Guderian was succeeded by General Krebs, Loringhoven stayed on. Detained by the Americans at the end of the war, he found work in the publishing industry until West Germany joined NATO in 1955, and the Bundeswehr was formed. He then went back into uniform, serving in various West German army posts and NATO staff appointments, retiring as a lieutenant general. His first wife, Renate, died young, as did their son. His second wife, Ilse-Verna, also predeceased him, but their son is a senior German diplomat.
∼Nazi officer and post World War Two General for West Germany.
Joined the Nazi army in 1933.
His cousin Wessel Freytag von Loringhoven, was member of the July 20th, 1944 plot, but Bernd was not arrested. Wessel committed suicide to avoid capture.
Was in the Führerbunker with Hitler during the final days of the Third Reich.
Left the Führerbunker, a day before Hitler committed suicide.
Captured by the British troops on May 2nd, 1945.
Released two and a half years later and he wasn't charged with war crimes.
He joined the West German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956 and attained the rank of general.
Retired in 1973.
Bernd Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven passed away in 2007.
∼Soldier. One of the last people to leave Hitler's bunker in Berlin in 1945. He was born at the ancestral home on the Estonian island of Osel (now Saaremaa). In 1933, he became an officer cadet in the small army left to Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, where party membership was not required. By the time World War II began, Loringhoven was on the staff of the First Panzer Division. After the unsuccessful bomb plot against Hitler in July 1944, Guderian became chief of the general staff, and made Loringhoven his adjutant. When Guderian was succeeded by General Krebs, Loringhoven stayed on. Detained by the Americans at the end of the war, he found work in the publishing industry until West Germany joined NATO in 1955, and the Bundeswehr was formed. He then went back into uniform, serving in various West German army posts and NATO staff appointments, retiring as a lieutenant general. His first wife, Renate, died young, as did their son. His second wife, Ilse-Verna, also predeceased him, but their son is a senior German diplomat.
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