Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg
Encyclopedia
Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg (October 22, 1891-October 24, 1958) was a German politician
and landowner.
Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg was born in Glogau Silesia
, Germany
(now Głogów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
). He was part of the nobility of Lower Saxony
and entered the German army. In 1914 he married Renate von der Schulenburg. He was wounded several times during World War I
. In 1921, having reached the rank of major
, he gave up his military commission and settled at his mansion in Neuhardenberg
. Besides his farming, he was active in communal politics, engaged in administration of the district of Lebus
in the province of Brandenburg
, and was active in the Protestant noblemen's Order of Saint John. When the National Socialist Party came to power in 1933, Hardenberg refused to join any of the party-sponsored organizations and was removed from all his positions.
In 1939 he was called for military duty as major in the military reserve force
. In 1940 he was assigned to Army Group B
where he met Major General
Henning von Tresckow
and became involved in the resistance against Hitler. In 1942 he was transferred to Berlin
where he came into contact with colonel
Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
and began organizing for the plot for the assassination of Hitler. Many of the meetings of the conspirator
s took place at the Neuhardenberg mansion, which was located at 70 km from Berlin and was not under police supervision. Had the coup d'état
succeeded according to the initial plan, Hardenberg would have taken the position of prime minister
of Berlin-Brandenburg.
After the failure of the coup, Hardenberg was arrested and his estate was confiscated. He tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide
and was imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
and tried for treason. The concentration camp was liberated on April 22, 1945, a day before Hardenberg was expected to be sentenced to death and executed.
After the end of World War II
, Hardenberg returned with his family to Neuhardenberg. But his estate was nationalized by the Communist authorities, and he fled with his family to West-Germany and lived in Kronberg im Taunus
, Hesse
. He died on October 24, 1958, age 67, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
A foundation named Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg was created in 1997 by his daughter Astrid Gräfin von Hardenberg
. The foundation has its headquarters in the commandry
of Lietzen
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and landowner.
Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg was born in Glogau Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(now Głogów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided. It lies in southwestern Poland...
). He was part of the nobility of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
and entered the German army. In 1914 he married Renate von der Schulenburg. He was wounded several times during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1921, having reached the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, he gave up his military commission and settled at his mansion in Neuhardenberg
Neuhardenberg
Neuhardenberg is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the site of Neuhardenberg Palace, residence of the Prussian statesman Prince Karl August von Hardenberg. The municipal area comprises the villages of Altfriedland, Quappendorf and Wulkow...
. Besides his farming, he was active in communal politics, engaged in administration of the district of Lebus
Lebus
Lebus is a town in the southeast of the Märkisch-Oderland District in Brandenburg, Germany. It had a population of 3,375 as of 2005. It was the center of the historical region known as Lubusz Land.-Location:...
in the province of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, and was active in the Protestant noblemen's Order of Saint John. When the National Socialist Party came to power in 1933, Hardenberg refused to join any of the party-sponsored organizations and was removed from all his positions.
In 1939 he was called for military duty as major in the military reserve force
Military reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
. In 1940 he was assigned to Army Group B
Army Group B
Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.-Battle for France:The first was involved in the Western Campaign in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam...
where he met Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Henning von Tresckow
Henning von Tresckow
Generalmajor Herrmann Karl Robert "Henning" von Tresckow was a Major General in the German Wehrmacht who organized German resistance against Adolf Hitler. He attempted to assassinate Hitler in March 1943 and drafted the Valkyrie plan for a coup against the German government...
and became involved in the resistance against Hitler. In 1942 he was transferred to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
where he came into contact with colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg commonly referred to as Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer and Catholic aristocrat who was one of the leading members of the failed 20 July plot of 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler and remove the Nazi Party from...
and began organizing for the plot for the assassination of Hitler. Many of the meetings of the conspirator
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
s took place at the Neuhardenberg mansion, which was located at 70 km from Berlin and was not under police supervision. Had the coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
succeeded according to the initial plan, Hardenberg would have taken the position of prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Berlin-Brandenburg.
After the failure of the coup, Hardenberg was arrested and his estate was confiscated. He tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and was imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
and tried for treason. The concentration camp was liberated on April 22, 1945, a day before Hardenberg was expected to be sentenced to death and executed.
After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hardenberg returned with his family to Neuhardenberg. But his estate was nationalized by the Communist authorities, and he fled with his family to West-Germany and lived in Kronberg im Taunus
Kronberg im Taunus
Kronberg im Taunus is a town in the Hochtaunuskreis district, Hesse, Germany. Before 1866, it was in the Duchy of Nassau; in that year the whole Duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Kronberg lies at the foot of the Taunus, flanked in the north and southwest by forests...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. He died on October 24, 1958, age 67, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
A foundation named Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg was created in 1997 by his daughter Astrid Gräfin von Hardenberg
Astrid Gräfin von Hardenberg
Astrid Gräfin von Hardenberg is the daughter of the opponent to the national socialist regime Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg and of Renate von der Schulenburg....
. The foundation has its headquarters in the commandry
Commandry (feudalism)
Commandry , or commandery , was the smallest division of the European landed estate or manor under the control of a commendator, or commander, of an order of knights...
of Lietzen
Lietzen
Lietzen is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany....
.