Desiderius Hampel
Encyclopedia
Desiderius Hampel was a Brigadeführer
and Generalmajor in the Waffen SS during World War II
. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany
during World War II
.
, Croatia
. His father was an inspector on the Austrian Railway, which forced the family to often move around Europe
living in Austria
, Hungary
and Croatia. This had the added benefit of teaching the young Hampel a number of languages. After he completed his primary school education, he was sent to a military school in Karlovac
.
After graduation he went in to the Army in October 1914, as a warrant officer in the 16th Hungarian Infantry Regiment Freiherr von Giesl and in December was sent to the front line.
.
When he returned to the front in November he was given command of the 4th Company of his regiment and was promoted to Oberleutnant
in May 1917.
In September 1918, he was appointed as the second in command of the 36th Battalion fighting in Serbia
until the end of the war when he became a prisoner of war
in Serbia. He escaped from captivity just over a year later and made his way to Vienna
and then Budapest
.
. He then worked in the forestry industry until December 1937 when he rejoined the Hungarian Army and served in Budapest.
, in command of the area defences until December 1941 when he was dismissed from the army. He then joined the Croatian Army
as a Major
as the intelligence officer for the IV Army Corps until May 1942, when after a request for Obergruppenführer
Artur Phleps
he joins the Waffen SS as a Sturmbannführer
.
He was given command of the III.Battalion, 1st SS Gebirgsjager
Regiment until June 1943 when he was moved to command the Training and Reserve Battalion, 7th SS Gebirgs Division Prinz Eugen. He was then given a position on the staff of the newly formed 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian). In November he is promoted to Obersturmbannführer
and given command of the 27th SS Gebirgsjager Regiment.
In April 1944, he was promoted to Standartenführer
and soon after given command of the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) and in January 1945 promoted to Brigadeführer
and Generalmajor of Waffen-SS. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his command of the Division near the end of the war in May 1945. The same month he surrendered the division in Austria to the advancing British troops.
, Austria
.
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
and Generalmajor in the Waffen SS during 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...
. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during 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...
.
Early life
Desiderius Hampel was born 20 January 1895 in the town of SisakSisak
Sisak is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. His father was an inspector on the Austrian Railway, which forced the family to often move around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
living in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Croatia. This had the added benefit of teaching the young Hampel a number of languages. After he completed his primary school education, he was sent to a military school in Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
.
After graduation he went in to the Army in October 1914, as a warrant officer in the 16th Hungarian Infantry Regiment Freiherr von Giesl and in December was sent to the front line.
World War I
In April 1915, he was given command of a platoon and shortly after promoted to Leutnant and given command of the 14th Company. At the end of the year he was sent on a training course in the Heavy Machine Gun at Bruck an der LeithaBruck an der Leitha
Bruck an der Leitha is a city located in Lower Austria, Austria at the border to the Burgenland, which is marked by the Leitha river....
.
When he returned to the front in November he was given command of the 4th Company of his regiment and was promoted to Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
in May 1917.
In September 1918, he was appointed as the second in command of the 36th Battalion fighting in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
until the end of the war when he became a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Serbia. He escaped from captivity just over a year later and made his way to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and then Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
Between the wars
After he returned from captivity he started work on a farm and studied forestry between 1925 and 1928 at the Ludwig Maximilian University in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. He then worked in the forestry industry until December 1937 when he rejoined the Hungarian Army and served in Budapest.
World War II
Hampel served in Budapest until March 1941, and was then sent to the town of CsepelCsepel
Csepel is the 21st district and a neighbourhood in Budapest, Hungary. Csepel officially became part of Budapest on 1 January 1950.- Location :...
, in command of the area defences until December 1941 when he was dismissed from the army. He then joined the Croatian Army
Croatian Home Guard
Croatian Home Guard or also, known as the "Homeland Defenders," was the name used for the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia which existed during World War II.- Formation :...
as a 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. ...
as the intelligence officer for the IV Army Corps until May 1942, when after a request for Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
Artur Phleps
Artur Phleps
Artur Martin Phleps was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian and German officer who held the rank of Obergruppenführer in the Waffen-SS during World War II. An Austro-Hungarian Army officer in World War I, he served in the Romanian Army during the interwar period, before joining the military forces...
he joins the Waffen SS as a Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
.
He was given command of the III.Battalion, 1st SS Gebirgsjager
Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman...
Regiment until June 1943 when he was moved to command the Training and Reserve Battalion, 7th SS Gebirgs Division Prinz Eugen. He was then given a position on the staff of the newly formed 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian). In November he is promoted to Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
and given command of the 27th SS Gebirgsjager Regiment.
In April 1944, he was promoted to Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
and soon after given command of the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) and in January 1945 promoted to Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
and Generalmajor of Waffen-SS. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his command of the Division near the end of the war in May 1945. The same month he surrendered the division in Austria to the advancing British troops.
Post war
Desiderius Hampel survived the war and died on the 11 January 1981 in GrazGraz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.