The 286th Security Division (''286. Sicherungs-Division'') was a rear-security division in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The unit was deployed in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, in the

Army Group Centre Rear Area Army Group Centre Rear Area () was one of the three Army Group Rear Area Commands, established during the 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union. Initially commanded by General Max von Schenckendorff, it was an area of military jurisdiction behi ...

. It was responsible for large-scale

war crimes A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hos ...

and atrocities including the deaths of thousands of Soviet civilians.

Operational history

The 286th Security Division was formed on 15 March 1941 around elements of the 213th Infantry Division, initially with one infantry

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

(354th). By 1942 another two Security Regiments, 61 (upgraded from the ''Landesschützen-Regiment'' staff 61) and 122, were attached. A variety of units were subordinated to the division during its existence, including battalions of Russian troops and from February 1944 Grenadier Regiment 638, consisting of

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

volunteers, the LVF. During this period the division was assigned to Fourth Army, where it carried out occupation, economic exploitation and security duties in rear areas. It was involved in punitive operations against the local populace: these actions were carried out with extreme brutality (in total,

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

lost up to a quarter of its population during the

German occupation German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...

). A defendant at the post-war

Minsk Trial The Minsk Trial was a war crimes trial held in front of a Soviet military tribunal in 1946 in Minsk, the capital of Soviet Belarus. Defendants included German military, police, and SS officials who were responsible for implementing the occupation ...

, Paul Eick, stated that he had set out to create and then liquidate a

ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...

in the town of

Orsha Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662. History ...

under the division's command.Prusin, p14 In June 1944, the Fourth Army was encircled by Soviet forces during the liberation of the Belorussian SSR,

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...

. The 286th Security Division was overrun and destroyed in the vicinity of

. Its remnants were reorganised late that year at Memel as the 286th Infantry Division, assigned to the Third Panzer Army; it was again destroyed at Neukuhren during the battles in Samland towards the end of the war.

Commanders

*''

Generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...

Kurt Müller Kurt Müller may refer to: * Kurt Müller (field hockey) (born 1928), Swiss Olympic hockey player * Kurt Müller (footballer) (born 1948), Swiss former footballer * Kurt Müller (sport shooter) (born 1934), Swiss sports shooter * Kurt Müller ( ...

(15 March 1941) *''Generalleutnant''

Johann-Georg Richert __NOTOC__ Johann-Georg Richert (14 April 1890 – 30 January 1946) was a German general during World War II. He commanded the 286th Security Division whose personnel committed numerous war crimes in occupied Belarus, in the Army Group Center Rea ...

(15 June 1942) *''Generalleutnant''

Hans Oschmann Hans Oschmann (24 December 1894, Schöneberg – 14 November 1944, at Faimbe) was a German Army general ()Mitcham, page 215 and signals officer, who was involved in the early command of the German signal intelligence organization () (German Defe ...

(1 November 1943) *''Generalleutnant''

Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt (15 January 1892 – 9 September 1964) was a German ''Generalleutnant'' who commanded several divisions during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. History He commanded the 60th Infantr ...

(5 August 1944)

286th Infantry Division

*''Generalleutnant''

(December 1944) *''Generalleutnant''

Wilhelm Thomas __NOTOC__ Wilhelm Thomas (8 October 1892 – 24 August 1976) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards and decorations ...

(26 December 1944 – 26 January 1945) *''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...

'' Willi Schmidt (January 1945) *''

Generalmajor is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...

'' Emmo von Roden (January–May 1945)

Footnotes

References

* Prusin, A V. ''Fascist Criminals to the Gallows! The Holocaust and Soviet War Crimes Trials'', ''Holocaust and Genocide Studies'' 17.1 (2003) 1-30

Operational history

Commanders

286th Infantry Division

See also

Footnotes

References

Further reading