Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod
Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod | |
|---|---|
 Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod | |
| Born | 17 September 1906 Munich, Bavaria, German Empire |
| Died | 26 August 1944 (aged 37) Plötzensee Prison, Berlin, Nazi Germany |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Allegiance |  Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service | Army |
| Years of service | 1926–44 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Iron Cross |
Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod (17 September 1906 – 26 August 1944) was a German Army officer who took part in the 20 July plot to kill Adolf Hitler. He was a descendant of the von Leonrod noble family.
Leonrod was born in Munich and joined the Reichswehr on 1 April 1926 in the Reiter (Cavalry) Regiment 17 in Bamberg next to Claus von Stauffenberg.[1] In World War II Leonrod was severely wounded in late 1941 on the Eastern Front and remained unfit for front service.
In December 1943 Stauffenberg informed Leonrod about the plans for a coup d'état. Leonrod asked chaplain Hermann Josef Wehrle, who was later sentenced to death for his knowledge, about the theological justification of a tyrannicide.
Leonrod was supposed to become a liaison officer in military district VII (Munich). After the plot failed, Leonrod was arrested by the Gestapo on 21 July 1944, sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof on 21 August and hanged on 26 August at Plötzensee Prison.[2]
Leonrod was married to Monika née von Twickel since 1943.
References
[edit]- ^ Biography Archived 2009-12-13 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
- ^ Biography at German Resistance Memorial Center
Notes
[edit]Regarding personal names: Freiherr was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Baron. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
External links
[edit]- Leonrod and Wehrle at the "Volksgerichtshof" on YouTube (in German)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
- 1906 births
- 1944 deaths
- Military personnel from Munich
- German Army officers of World War II
- Executed members of the 20 July plot
- German barons
- People from Bavaria executed at Plötzensee Prison
- People executed by hanging at Plötzensee Prison
- Military personnel from the Kingdom of Bavaria
- Reichswehr personnel
- Executed military personnel