Georg Lindemann

Georg Lindemann
Born	8 March 1884 Osterburg, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Army
Years of service	1903–45
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands held	36. Infanterie-Division L. Armeekorps 18. Armee
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Georg Heinrich Lindemann (8 March 1884 – 25 September 1963) was a German cavalry officer and field commander who served in the German army during World War I (Reichswehr) and World War II (Wehrmacht Heer). He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Lindemann survived the Second World War and was released after several years as a prisoner-of-war (POW).

Early life

Georg Lindemann was born in Osterburg (Altmark) in the Province of Saxony. Lindemann was the son of Hermann Lindemann and his wife Elisbeth, née Placke. He was the 1st cousin of Dr. jur. Ernst Lindemann, father of Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann, the only commander of the German battleship Bismarck.

Lindemann joined the Prussian Officer corps and served in World War I on both the Eastern Front and the Western Front. After the war, he joined Von Lettow's Freikorps and, during the civil unrest of 1919, helped to crush the Communist Workers Council in Hamburg. In 1930, Lindemann was serving as Commanding officer of the 13th Reiter Regiment.

World War II

With the rise of the NSDAP, Lindemann was promoted to Commander of the Kriegsschule in Hanover. He occupied this position until 1936. In 1936, Lindemann was promoted to Generalleutnant and given command of the 36. Infanterie Division. The division was involved in guarding the Saar region during the Invasion of Poland, and it then took part in the Invasion of France. At the end of the Western campaign, Lindemann was promoted to Cavalry General (General der Kavallerie) and given command of the German L Army Corps (L.Armeekorps). In June 1941, at the launch of Operation Barbarossa, Lindemann's Corps was a part of Army Group North. Lindemann commanded the corps during the Army Group North's advance towards Leningrad. His unit was briefly shifted to the command of Army Group Centre during the operations to capture Smolensk. Lindemann's corps was then shifted back to Army Group North. During the period of his military authority in the area, the Russian city of Gatchina received the name Lindemannstadt in his honour under the German occupation.

On 16 January 1942, Lindemann took the command of the German Eighteenth Army (18. Armee), a part of Army Group North. Later, in the summer of 1942, he was promoted to Colonel-General (Generaloberst).

Lindemann commanded the German Eighteenth Army throughout the campaigns around Leningrad and during the January 1944 retreat from Oranienbaum to Narva. Until 4 February 1944, the Sponheimer Group which defended the Narva Line was subordinated to the 18th Army commanded by Lindemann. He was promoted to command of Army Group North on 31 March 1944. His command of the Army Group was short-lived, and on 4 July 1944 he was relieved and transferred to the Reserve Army. Allegedly German dictator Adolf Hitler gave as reason for this change that Lindemann had become too old and too weak.

After serving a few months in the Reserve Army, Lindemann was put in command of a new staff called "Führungsstab Ostseeküste". From 1 February 1945, he held the post as the "Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces in Denmark" (Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber Dänemark), thereby coming in command of all German troops in Denmark. In April 1945, when the end of the war was apparent to almost all German commanders, Lindemann issued an order to his troops to preserve strict discipline. He further ordered that Denmark had to be defended to the last bullet.

On 3 May, Lindemann went to the Naval Academy at Mürwik to participate in a meeting with the OKW, the new government and the new German Head of State, Grand Admiral (Großadmiral) Karl Dönitz. Lindemann informed Dönitz that he would be able to hold Denmark for at least some time, and he and his colleague in Norway, General Franz Böhme, argued for keeping Denmark and Norway in German custody as bargaining chips in the armistice negotiations soon to come. Dönitz however, sued for immediate peace, and Germany surrendered unconditionally in northwest Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark on 5 May 1945. As commander of "Army Lindemann" (Armee Lindemann), Lindemann was then given the task of dismantling the German occupation of Denmark until 6 June 1945, when he was arrested at his headquarters in Silkeborg.

Post-war

Lindemann was a POW in American custody until 1948. He was not charged for war crimes by either the Allies or by Denmark. After his release, Lindemann went into retirement in West Germany. He died on 25 September 1963.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (9 September 1914)
  • 1st Class (28 July 1915)
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 in 1934
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (26 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (30 October 1939)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 5 August 1940 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 36. Infantry-Division
  • 275th Oak Leaves on 21 August 1943 as Generaloberst and commander of the 18.Armee
• Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Star (29 March 1943)
• Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht (29 June 1942 and 12 August 1943)

Wehrmachtbericht references

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
29 June 1942	Unter Führung des Generals der Kavallerie Lindemann haben Truppen des Heeres und der Waffen-SS, dabei auch spanische, niederländische und flämische Freiwilligenverbände, hervorragend unterstützt durch die Luftflotte des Generaloberst Keller, nach monatelangem erbitterten Kämpfen unter schwierigsten Wetter- und Geländeverhältnissen diese feindlichen Armeen zunächst von ihren rückwärtigen Verbindungen abgeriegelt, dann immer mehr zusammengedrängt und heute endgültig vernichtet.	Under the leadership of General of the Cavalry Lindemann, troops of the Army and Waffen-SS, including Spanish, Dutch and Flemish volunteer units, excellently supported by the Air Fleet of Colonel-General Keller, after months of bitter fighting under difficult weather and terrain conditions, these hostile armies, were first sealed off from their communication and supply lines, then crowded together more and more, and today finally destroyed.
12 August 1943	In der dritten Schlacht südlich des Ladogasees haben die unter Führung des Generalfeldmarschalls Küchler, des Generalobersten Lindemann und des Generals der Infanterie Wöhler stehenden deutschen Truppen, unterstützt von den durch General der Flieger Korten geführten Luftwaffenverbänden, in der Zeit vom 22. Juli bis 6. August den Ansturm der 8. und 67. sowjetischen Armee in heldenmütigen Kämpfen abgeschlagen und damit die Durchbruchsabsichten des Feindes vereitelt.	In the third battle south of Lake Ladoga, German troops standing under the command of Field Marshal Küchler, Colonel General Lindemann and General of Infantry Wöhler, supported by Air Force organizations led by the Luftwaffe General Korten, in the period of 22 July to 6 August have heroically thwarted the assault of the 8th and 67th Soviet army and prevented the breakthrough intentions of the enemy.

External links

• Generaloberst Goerg Lindemann at the Wayback Machine (archived October 29, 2009) at Axis Biographical Research (biography and photos)

Military offices
Preceded by none	Commander of 36. Infanterie-Division 1 September 1939 – 25 October 1940	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Otto-Ernst Ottenbacher
Preceded by Generalfeldmarschall Georg von Küchler	Commander of 18. Armee 16 January 1942 – 29 March 1944	Succeeded by General der Artillerie Herbert Loch
Preceded by Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model	Commander of Heeresgruppe Nord 31 March 1944 – 4 July 1944	Succeeded by Generaloberst Johannes Frießner