The ''

Freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...

Oberland'' ("Highlands Free Corps"; also ''Bund Oberland'' or ''Kameradschaft Freikorps und Bund Oberland'') was a voluntary

paramilitary organization A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

that, in the early years of the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

, fought against

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

and Polish insurgents. It was successful in the 1921

Battle of Annaberg The Battle of (the) Annaberg () was the biggest battle of the Silesian Uprisings. The battle, which took place between May 21–26, 1921, was fought at the Annaberg (Polish: ''Góra Św. Anny''), a strategic hill near the village of Annabe ...

and became the core of the ''

Sturmabteilung The (; SA; or 'Storm Troopers') was the original paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power, Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and early 1930s. I ...

'' (SA) in

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, although several members later turned against the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

s. The group was founded in

April 1919 The following events occurred in April 1919: April 1, 1919 (Tuesday) * Battle for the Donbas (1919), Battle for the Donbass – The 9th Army (RSFSR), Ninth Red Army counterattacked the White movement, White armies in the Donbas region. * ...

Rudolf von Sebottendorf Adam Alfred Rudolf Glauer also known as Rudolf Freiherr von Sebottendorff (or Sebottendorf; 9 November 1875 - 8 May 1945) was a German occultist, writer, intelligence agent and political activist. He was the founder of the Thule Society, a post-W ...

, president of the

Thule Society The Thule Society (; ), originally the ('Study Group for Germanic Antiquity'), was a German occultist and group founded in Munich shortly after World War I, named after a mythical northern country in Greek legend. The society is notable chie ...

. The cabinet of Johannes Hoffmann (SPD) had fled from the

Bavarian Soviet Republic The Bavarian Soviet Republic (or Bavarian Council Republic), also known as the Munich Soviet Republic (), was a short-lived unrecognised socialist state in Bavaria during the German revolution of 1918–1919. A group of communists and anarchist ...

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...

. Major Albert Ritter von Beckh (1870–1958) then assumed military control. Most of the volunteers came from Bavaria, and therefore the symbol of the

Edelweiß ''Leontopodium nivale'', commonly called edelweiss () ( ; or ), is a mountain flower belonging to the daisy or sunflower family Asteraceae. The plant prefers rocky limestone places at about altitude. It is a non-toxic plant. Its leaves and f ...

was chosen. Its direct precursor was the "Kampfbund" within the Thule Society, which also was against the Bavarian Soviet Republic. In May 1919 the Freikorps Oberland fought against the Bavarian Soviet Republic. Elements of the Freikorps, combined with Freikorps Epp became the Reichswehr Brigade 21, which in 1920 fought in the

Ruhr uprising The Ruhr uprising () or March uprising () was an uprising that occurred in the Ruhr region of Germany from 13 March to 6 April 1920. It was a Left-wing politics, left-wing workers' revolt triggered by the call for a Kapp Putsch#General Strike ...

. The Freikorps itself was dissolved on 21 October 1919. and all the members went to Organization Escherich. In the

Silesian Uprisings The Silesian Uprisings (; ; ) were a series of three uprisings from August 1919 to July 1921 in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Weimar Republic at the time. Ethnic Polish and Polish-Silesian insurrectionists, seeking to have the area tran ...

of 1921 the Freikorps was ready and participated in the conquest of the eponymous hill in Annaberg in

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( ; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic. The area is predominantly known for its heav ...

. The Bavarians of the Freikorps Oberland were characterized by atrocities towards prisoners of war and the Polish civilians. The Freikorps also had a propaganda unit in Upper Silesia. It is believed to have ordered

Feme murders The Feme murders ( ) were extrajudicial killings that took place during the early years of the Weimar Republic. They were carried out primarily by far-right groups against individuals, often their own members, who were thought to have betrayed t ...

and kidnappings. It had close connections with radical right-wing organizations in Bavaria. The murderers of

Matthias Erzberger Matthias Erzberger (20 September 1875 – 26 August 1921) was a politician of the Catholic Centre Party, member of the Reichstag and minister of finance of Germany from 1919 to 1920. Erzberger was first elected to the Reichstag of the German ...

Heinrich Tillessen Heinrich Tillessen (27 November 1894 – 12 November 1984) was a German former naval officer who, along with his accomplice Heinrich Schulz, assassinated former Minister of Finance Matthias Erzberger, who endorsed the Treaty of Versailles. The ...

and

Heinrich Schulz Heinrich Schulz may refer to: * Heinrich Schulz (assassin) (1893–1979), German officer and political assassin * Heinrich Schulz (politician) (1872–1932), German politician and educational reformer * Heinrich E. M. Schulz (1859–1918), German e ...

did not only belong to Organization Consul, but also to "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Oberland".(Committee Oberland). Some members of Oberland were possibly involved with the murder of

USPD The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (, USPD) was a short-lived political party in Germany during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. The organization was established in 1917 as the result of a split of anti-war members of t ...

politician Karl Gareis (1889–1921).

Separation

In summer 1922 the Bund became separated because of the question of whether Bund Oberland should be integrated into

Bund Bayern und Reich The ''Bund Bayern und Reich'' ("League for Bavaria and Empire", or "Bavaria and Empire League") was a Right-wing politics, right-wing paramilitary organization based in Free State of Bavaria (Weimar Republic), Bavaria during the Weimar Republic. I ...

. The civil wing formed ''Bund Treu Oberland'', later Blücherbund. The military wing was led by veterinarian Friedrich Weber. In 1922 the Bund Oberland had a few hundred members.By November 1923 there were around 2000 members in Bavaria. Amongst them were many students, employees, members of free professions, and also some workers. Most of the military leaders were young former officers, who were studying. Most of the members were between 20 and 30 years old and had the experience of fighting either in the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

or in the fights in Bavaria, the Ruhr area, or in Upper Silesia. They had enough weapons, although many were stored and maintained by the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

. The Bund may have been supported by the father-in-law of Friedrich Weber, national publisher

Julius Friedrich Lehmann Julius Friedrich Lehmann (28 November 1864 – 24 March 1935) was a German publisher of medical literature and nationalist tracts in Munich. He was the brother of the bacteriologist Karl Bernhard Lehmann. Biography Lehmann was born on 28 November ...

. Under the guidance of Weber, Bund Oberland approached continuously to the radical people under

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

and

Ernst Röhm Ernst Julius Günther Röhm (; 28 November 1887 – 1 July 1934) was a German military officer, politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party. A close friend and early ally of Adolf Hitler, Röhm was the co-founder and leader of the (SA), t ...

. Together with the "Wehrverband Reichsflagge" and the SA the Bund formed the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft vaterländischer Kampfverbände" in January 1923 . In September 1923 they joined with the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

and other national organizations to form the "Deutscher Kampfbund". From 25 September 1923, the Kampfbund was guided by

Beer Hall Putsch

On 8 November 1923 the Bund activated many members and participated actively in the

Hitlerputsch The Beer Hall Putsch, also known as the Munich Putsch,Dan Moorhouse, ed schoolshistory.org.uk, accessed 2008-05-31.Known in German as the or was a failed coup d'état by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Erich Ludendorff and other leaders in ...

. Members of the Bund, led by Ludwig Oestreicher took Jewish people as hostages. Because of his participation in the coup attempt the ''Bund Oberland e. V.'' was banned in Bavaria and, by the end of 1923, across Germany.

Gustav Ritter von Kahr Gustav Ritter von Kahr (; born Gustav Kahr; 29 November 1862 – 30 June 1934) was a German jurist and right-wing politician. During his career he was district president of Upper Bavaria, Bavarian minister president and, from September 1923 to ...

dissolved the Bund Oberland on 9 November 1923. Weber was sent to prison the same day and later accused in the Hitler-Process and sentenced to five years in prison. Former members of the Bund worked with extreme-right terror organization

Organisation Consul Organisation Consul (O.C.) was an ultra-nationalist and anti-Semitic terrorist organization that operated in the Weimar Republic from 1920 to 1922. It was formed by members of the disbanded Freikorps group Marine Brigade Ehrhardt and was respons ...

. On 9. January 1924 they killed separatist leader

Franz Josef Heinz Franz Josef Heinz, known as Heinz-Orbis, (25 February 1884 - 9 January 1924) was a Palatine separatist who briefly led the government of the "Autonomous Palatinate" during the French occupation of the Rhineland. He was assassinated by German nati ...

in the French-occupied Palatinate.

Reestablishment

After the end of the ban, the Bund was re-established in February 1925. By 1930 there were differences within the organization because the strong Austrian branch accepted the leadership of

Austrofascist The Fatherland Front (, VF) was the right-wing conservative, authoritarian, nationalist, corporatist, fascist and Catholic ruling political organisation of the Federal State of Austria. It claimed to be a nonpartisan movement, and aimed to unit ...

Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg Prince Ernst Rüdiger Camillo von Starhemberg, often known simply as Prince Starhemberg, (10 May 1899 – 15 March 1956) was an Austrian nationalist and politician who helped introduce the dictatorial conservative Ständestaat in Austria durin ...

, whose specifically Austrian brand of fascism was in marked contradiction to the Pan-Germanism of Hitler and the Nazis.

Postwar

After the War, in 1951, the old fighters gathered around Ernst Horadam and founded the still-existing traditional community ''Kameradschaft Freikorps und Bund Oberland''. Some authors regard this as an extreme right organization.Oliver Schröm, Andrea Röpke: ''Stille Hilfe für braune Kameraden'', S. 180f; Andreas Angerstorf: ''Rechte Strukturen in Bayern 2005'' As late as 2006, a church service took place in

Schliersee Schliersee is a small town (Markt) and a municipality in the district of Miesbach in Bavaria in Germany. It is named after the nearby Lake Schliersee. It comprises the districts Schliersee (town), , , , Josefsthal and Spitzingsee. Among the p ...

to commemorate the members of the Freikorps killed in 1921. According to a statement of the president of

Landsmannschaft Schlesien The Landsmannschaft Schlesien - Nieder- und Oberschlesien e.V. ("Territorial Association of Silesia - Lower and Upper Silesia", "Homeland Association of Silesia - Lower and Upper Silesia") is an organization of Germans born in the former Prussian pr ...

the event was regularly monitored by the

State Office for the Protection of the Constitution The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution (; ) is a state-level security agency in Germany. In seven federal states of Germany, it is a semi-independent agency called and reports to the state's interior ministry. In the nine rema ...

.SPD-Kreisvorsitzender fordert Distanzierung vom Dritten Reich
In: ''

Münchner Merkur The ''Münchner Merkur'' (, literally "Munich Mercurius", i.e. the Roman god of messengers) is a German Bavarian daily subscription newspaper, which is published from Monday to Saturday. It is located in Munich and belongs to the Müncher Merku ...

'', 21. Mai 2005 The commemorate became much smaller after 2007.

Members

* Friedrich Weber, (1892-1954), head of veterinary surgery in Germany, also the group's leader *

Richard Arauner Richard Arauner (19 April 1902 – 1 November 1936) was an ''Oberführer'' in the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) and agricultural functionary. Richard Arauner was born into an Evangelical quarry owner family and completed his farmer-diploma. In 1923 he j ...

, (1902-1936), ''SS-Oberführer'' *

Karl Astel Karl Astel (26 February 1898 – 4 April 1945) was an Alter Kämpfer, rector of the University of Jena, a racial scientist, and also involved in the German Nazi Eugenics program. He was born on 26 February 1898 in Schweinfurt.Uwe Hossfel ...

(1898-1945), Nazi eugenicist *

Eleonore Baur Eleonore Baur (7 September 1885 – 18 May 1981), also known as "Sister Pia", was an early member of the Nazi Party and the only woman known to have participated in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch.''The Adelaide Advertiser'', "Pioneer Nazi", 2 Se ...

, (1885-1981), nurse in the

Dachau concentration camp Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...

Albert Ritter von Beckh Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street mar ...

, ''SS-Gruppenführer'' *

Ernest Peter Burger Ernest Peter Burger (September 1, 1906 – October 9, 1975) was a German-American who was a saboteur for Germany during World War II who defected to the United States. A naturalized citizen of the United States who returned to Germany during the ...

, agent of

Operation Pastorius Operation Pastorius was a failed German intelligence plan for sabotage inside the United States during World War II. The operation was staged in June 1942 and was to be directed against strategic American economic targets. The operation was n ...

*Kurt Benson, ''SS-Oberführer'' *

Josef Dietrich Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (28 May 1892 – 21 April 1966) was a German politician, general and war criminal in the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) during the Nazi era. Despite having no formal staff officer training, Dietrich was, along with Paul Hausser, t ...

, (1892-1966), ''SS-Oberstgruppenführer'' and ''Generaloberst der Waffen-SS'' *Hans Dorn, ''SS-Sturmbannführer'', Commanding Supply Officer Dachau Concentration Camp 1934-1936 *

Fritz Fischer Fritz Fischer may refer to: * Fritz Fischer (historian) (1908–1999), German historian * Fritz Fischer (medical doctor) (1912–2003), Waffen-SS doctor * Fritz Fischer (biathlete) Friedrich "Fritz" Fischer (born 22 September 1956) is a former ...

, (1908-1999), historian, SA- and NSDAP-member *

Karl Gebhardt Karl Franz Gebhardt (23 November 1897 – 2 June 1948) was a Nazi physician and a war criminal. Gebhardt was the main coordinator of a series of medical atrocities performed on inmates of the concentration camps at Ravensbrück and Auschwitz. ...

, (1897-1948),''SS-Gruppenführer'', physician in

Ravensbrück concentration camp Ravensbrück () was a Nazi concentration camp exclusively for women from 1939 to 1945, located in northern Germany, north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück (part of Fürstenberg/Havel). The camp memorial's estimated figure of 1 ...

* Franz Gutsmiedl, ''Reichstag'' delegate *

Wilhelm Harster Wilhelm Harster (21 July 1904 – 25 December 1991) was a German lawyer, police official and convicted war criminal. An SS-''Gruppenführer'' in the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS), he commanded German security police and intelligence services in Kraków ...

, (1904-1991), ''SS-Brigadeführer'' * Franz Hayler, (1900-1972), ''SS-Gruppenführer'' *

Richard Hildebrandt Richard Hermann Hildebrandt (13 March 1897 – 10 March 1951) was a German Nazi politician and SS-''Obergruppenführer''. During the Second World War, he served as a Higher SS and Police Leader (HSSPF) in Nazi-occupied Poland, the Soviet Union ...

, ''SS-Obergruppenführer'' *

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

, (1900-1945), ''Reichsführer'' SS and Chef of German Police *

Hans Hinkel Johann Heinrich "Hans" Hinkel (22 June 1901 – 8 February 1960) was a journalist, Nazi Party official and politician in Nazi Germany. He mainly worked in the Reich Chamber of Culture and the Reich Ministry of Propaganda. He was involved in ex ...

, (1901-1960),''SS-Gruppenführe'', ''Reichstag'' delegate * Ernst Horadam, ''SA-Obersturmbannführer'' * Max Humps, ''SS-Oberführer'' * Friedrich Gustav Jaeger, (1895-1944), Officer and resistance leader in

20 July plot The 20 July plot, sometimes referred to as Operation Valkyrie, was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the chancellor and leader of Nazi Germany, and overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German r ...

* Rudolf Jordan, (1902-1988), ''SA-Obergruppenführer'', ''Gauleiter'' of

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

* Gerhard Krüger, (1908-1994), student leader * Max Lebsche, physician, opponent of the Nazi regime *

Emil Maurice Emil Maurice (; 19 January 1897 – 6 February 1972) was a German Nazi official and a founding member of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). He was Hitler's first personal chauffeur, and was one of several persons of mixed Jewish and ethnic German ances ...

, (1897-1972), ''SS-Standartenführer'' * Carl von Oberkamp, ''SS-Brigadeführer'' and ''Generalmajor der Waffen-SS'' * Ludwig Oestreicher * Maximilian du Prel, Baron, Nazi author and press chief of the

General Government The General Government (, ; ; ), formally the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (), was a German zone of occupation established after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Slovak Republic (1939–1945), Slovakia and the Soviet ...

in occupied

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Heinz Reinefarth Heinz Reinefarth (26 December 1903 – 7 May 1979) was a German SS commander during World War II and government official in West Germany after the war. During the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944 his troops committed numerous atrocities. After ...

, (1903-1979), ''SS-Gruppenführer'' and ''Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS'', war criminal * Arthur Rödl, (1898-1945), ''SS-Obersturmbannführer'' and commandant of

Gross-Rosen concentration camp Gross-Rosen was a network of Nazi concentration camps built and operated by Nazi Germany during World War II. The main camp was located in the German village of Gross-Rosen, now the modern-day Rogoźnica in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, di ...

* Josef Römer, (1892-1944), Jurist, staff officer, later a communist and resistance member *

Arnold Ruge Arnold Ruge (; 13 September 1802 – 31 December 1880) was a German philosopher and political writer. He was the older brother of Ludwig Ruge. Studies in university and prison Born in Bergen auf Rügen, he studied at Halle, Jena and Heidelberg. ...

, university teacher * Ludwig Schmuck, ''SA-Gruppenführer'' * Fritz von Scholz, (1896-1944), ''SS-Gruppenführer'' and ''Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS'' *

Erwin Schulz Erwin Wilhelm Schulz (27 November 1900 – 11 November 1981) was a German member of the Gestapo and the SS in Nazi Germany. He was the leader of ''Einsatzkommando'' 5, part of '' Einsatzgruppe'' C, which was attached to the Army Group South dur ...

, (1900-1981), ''SS-Brigadeführer'' and commander of Einsatzkommando 5 *

, (1899-1956),

politician, opponent of the Nazi regime *

Bodo Uhse Bodo Uhse (12 March 1904 – 2 July 1963) was a German writer, journalist and political activist. He was recognised as one of the most prominent authors in East Germany. Early years Uhse came from a Prussian Junker family with a long tradition ...

, (1904-1963), writer, Nazi supporter but later a communist *

Hilmar Wäckerle Hilmar Wäckerle (24 November 1899 – 2 July 1941) was a commander in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was the first commandant of Dachau concentration camp. War service The son of a Munich notary public, Wäckerle was sent ...

,(1899-1941), ''SS-Standartenführer'' and commandant of

References

Literature

*Hans Fenske: ''Konservativismus und Rechtsradikalismus in Bayern nach 1918.'' Verlag Gehlen, 1969 *Kameradschaft Freikorps und Bund Oberland: ''Bildchronik zur Geschichte des Freikorps und Bundes Oberland''. München 1974 *Peter Schuster: ''Für das stolze Edelweiß'', Brienna, Achau, 1995. *Oliver Schröm, Andrea Röpke: ''Stille Hilfe für braune Kameraden''. Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin 2001, *Andreas Angerstorf: ''Rechte Strukturen in Bayern 2005'', Bayernforum,

External links

*Christoph Hübner, Bund Oberland, i
Historisches Lexikon Bayerns
mit Bildern
Infoseite zum Freikorps und den Gegenveranstaltungen„Kennzeichen Edelweiß“
Artikel aus der Wochenzeitschrift " Freitag (Zeitung)"
Als "Patrioten" pflegen sie stolz den unseligen Geist
, "Artikel aus

Süddeutsche Zeitung The ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' (; ), published in Munich, Bavaria, is one of the largest and most influential daily newspapers in Germany. The tone of ''SZ'' is mainly described as centre-left, liberal, social-liberal, progressive-liberal, and ...

"
Magnus Bosch: Heldengedenken im Zeichen des Edelweiß - Artikel aus dem Magazin "Hinterland"
{{Authority control Oberland Paramilitary organisations of the Weimar Republic Military units and formations established in 1919 1919 establishments in Germany Military units and formations disestablished in 1923 1923 disestablishments in Germany Military units and formations established in 1925 1925 establishments in Germany