Herbert Kuhlmann
Encyclopedia
Herbert Kuhlmann was a Obersturmbannfuhrer
(Lieutenant Colonel) in the Waffen-SS
. He was born in Harburg Germany on 7 April 1915. He graduated SS Junkerschule at Braunschweig
in 1936 with the SS Number 118 826. He was first posted to the Wiking (Germania & Westland) before joining the Das Reich
in 1942. He was appointed the commander of the 8th Light Company, 2nd SS Panzer Regiment, 2nd SS Division Das Reich upon the formation of their Panzer Battalion, on the 10 February. He eventually took command of the I./Battalion, SS Panzer Regiment 1, LSSAH.
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
on the 13 February 1944, for his role in the breakout from the Cherkassy encirclement. while in command of this Panzer Battalion. He was eventually given command of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
During the Ardenness offensive he was in command of his own Kampfgruppe
, which consisted of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, 560 SS Panzerjager
Battalion, Panzer Grenadier Battalion, Self propelled Artillery Battalion and an engineer company.
After the fall of the Reich, Kuhlmann made his way to South America
to start a new life in Argentina
. Like many within Buenos Aires' underground Nazi
community, he built a fortune in business, joining the upper echelons of Buenos Aires
society. The wealth and successful business-ventures of Nazis who escaped to Buenos Aires after the war was thanks in most part to the support and protection made available by the highest ranking officials within the Argentine government
. Perhaps the greatest support to Kuhlmann and his fellow Nazis came directly from the Argentine President
and Nazi-sympathizer, Juan Perón
, husband of the much loved, late Eva Perón
. Kuhlmann helped many other Nazis into hiding in establishing their new lives in Argentina. One of the most infamous among those he helped was Adolf Eichmann
, the Third Reich's leader of the Final Solution
. Kuhlmann provided Eichmann with a lease to a modest home in Buenos Aires' largely German
suburb of Olivos, after Eichmann had spent years living in extreme isolation in the Argentine province
of Tucumán
, 700 miles north of the capital
. Kuhlmann, on the other hand, managed a much more plush residence for himself, behind the walls of a palatial mansion
in Palermo Chico, the embassy row
of Buenos Aires.
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...
(Lieutenant Colonel) in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. He was born in Harburg Germany on 7 April 1915. He graduated SS Junkerschule at Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
in 1936 with the SS Number 118 826. He was first posted to the Wiking (Germania & Westland) before joining the Das Reich
2nd SS Division Das Reich
The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich was a Waffen-SS division during World War II. It is considered to be an elite formation amongst the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS....
in 1942. He was appointed the commander of the 8th Light Company, 2nd SS Panzer Regiment, 2nd SS Division Das Reich upon the formation of their Panzer Battalion, on the 10 February. He eventually took command of the I./Battalion, SS Panzer Regiment 1, LSSAH.
He 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...
on the 13 February 1944, for his role in the breakout from the Cherkassy encirclement. while in command of this Panzer Battalion. He was eventually given command of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was a German Waffen SS armoured division during World War II. The Hitlerjugend was unique because the majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the Hitler Youth, while the senior NCOs and officers were generally veterans of the Eastern...
During the Ardenness offensive he was in command of his own Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
, which consisted of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, 560 SS Panzerjager
Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Battalion, Panzer Grenadier Battalion, Self propelled Artillery Battalion and an engineer company.
After the fall of the Reich, Kuhlmann made his way to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
to start a new life in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Like many within Buenos Aires' underground Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
community, he built a fortune in business, joining the upper echelons of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
society. The wealth and successful business-ventures of Nazis who escaped to Buenos Aires after the war was thanks in most part to the support and protection made available by the highest ranking officials within the Argentine government
Government of Argentina
The government of Argentina, functioning within the framework of a federal system, is a presidential representative democratic republic. The President of Argentina is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President. Legislative power is vested in both the...
. Perhaps the greatest support to Kuhlmann and his fellow Nazis came directly from the Argentine President
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
and Nazi-sympathizer, Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
, husband of the much loved, late Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
. Kuhlmann helped many other Nazis into hiding in establishing their new lives in Argentina. One of the most infamous among those he helped was Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
, the Third Reich's leader of the Final Solution
Final Solution
The Final Solution was Nazi Germany's plan and execution of the systematic genocide of European Jews during World War II, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust...
. Kuhlmann provided Eichmann with a lease to a modest home in Buenos Aires' largely German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
suburb of Olivos, after Eichmann had spent years living in extreme isolation in the Argentine province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Tucumán
Tucumán Province
Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
, 700 miles north of the capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
. Kuhlmann, on the other hand, managed a much more plush residence for himself, behind the walls of a palatial mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in Palermo Chico, the embassy row
Embassy Row
Embassy Row is the informal name for a street or area of a city in which embassies or other diplomatic installations are concentrated. Washington, D.C.'s Embassy Row lies along Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., and its cross streets between Thomas Circle and Ward Circle, although the vast majority of...
of Buenos Aires.
Awards
- Iron Cross II: 20 September 1939
- Iron Cross I: 14 March 1941
- Infantry Assault Badge: 20 February 1942
- Eastern Front Medal: 20 October 1942
- Knight's Cross: 13 February 1944
- German Cross in Gold: 8 November 1944
- Wound Badge in Gold: 30 January 1944
Promotions
- Commissioned: 20 April 1936
- SS-Obersturmführer: 30 January 1939
- SS-Hauptsturmführer: 20 April 1941
- SS-Sturmbannführer: 21 June 1943
- SS-Obersturmbannführer: 30 January 1945
Commands
- 2nd Company Nordland
- 8th Company, 2nd SS Panzer Regiment. Das Reich
- I./1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment. LSSAH
- I./2nd SS Panzer Regiment Das Reich
- I./1st SS Panzer Battalion LSSAH
- 12th SS Panzer Regiment Hitlerjugend
- 1st SS Panzer Regiment LSSAH