Hermann Max-Gustav Brauneck (19 December 1894 – 27 July 1942) was a German naval officer, physician and member of the

paramilitary 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 ...

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 ...

'' who rose to the rank of SA-''

Obergruppenführer (, ) was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissioned SS rank after ...

''. He held several high-level medical staff positions in the Supreme SA Leadership (OSAF) and in 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 ...

. He was involved in administering the

Nazi racial policies The racial policy of Nazi Germany was a set of policies and laws implemented in Nazi Germany under the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, based on pseudoscientific and racist doctrines asserting the superiority of the putative "Aryan race", which cl ...

and served as a judge on the

Hereditary Health Court The Hereditary Health Court (, EGG), also known as the Genetic Health Court, was a court that decided whether people should be forcibly sterilized in Nazi Germany. That method of using courts to make decisions on hereditary health in Nazi Germany ...

, deciding whether people considered to have genetic disorders should be forcibly sterilized. Serving as a military doctor in the ''

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...

'' during the

Second World War 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 ...

, he was killed in a Russian

airstrike An airstrike, air strike, or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...

on the eastern front.

Early life and education

Brauneck was born the son of a physician in Sulzbach, then located in

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

Rhine Province The Rhine Province (), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. ...

. He attended ''

Volksschule The German term ''Volksschule'' () generally refers to compulsory education, denoting an educational institution every person (i.e. the people, ''Volk'') is required to attend. In Germany and Switzerland it is equivalent to a combined primar ...

'' and a ''

Realgymnasium ''Gymnasium'' (; German plural: ''Gymnasien''), in the German education system, is the most advanced and highest of the three types of German secondary schools, the others being ''Hauptschule'' (lowest) and ''Realschule'' (middle). ''Gymnas ...

'', obtaining his ''

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

'' in 1913. He entered the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial Navy) was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for ...

in April 1913 as a sea cadet and underwent training at the

Mürwik Naval School The Naval Academy Mürwik () is the main training establishment for all German Navy officers and in 1910 replaced the German Imperial Naval Academy in Kiel (which is now the seat of government or ''Landeshaus'' of Schleswig-Holstein). It is lo ...

. He was posted aboard the

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of cruiser of the late 19th century, took their name from the armored deck, which protected vital machine-spaces from fragments released by explosive shells. Protected cruisers notably lacked a belt of armour alon ...

and took part in a training cruise to Canada, Mexico and the Antilles before returning to

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

in March 1914. After the outbreak of the

First World War 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 ...

, Brauneck was assigned to the battleship SMS Deutschland where he served as a watch officer and participated in the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland () was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, durin ...

. In August 1917, he was transferred to become an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

and a

wireless telegraphy Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is the transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using electrical cable, cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimenta ...

officer aboard the SMS Friedrich der Grosse. He then served as a staff officer in Battleship Squadron IV until the end of the war in November 1918, having earned the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

1st and 2nd class. Brauneck remained in the peacetime ''

Reichsmarine The () was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the , existing from 1919 to 1935. In 1935, it became known as the ''Kriegsmarine'' (War Navy), a branch of the '' ...

'' 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 ...

until he was discharged on 21 February 1920 with the rank of ''

Oberleutnant zur See (''OLt zS'' or ''OLZS'' in the German Navy, ''Oblt.z.S.'' in the ''Kriegsmarine'') is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as Ranks and insignia of officers of NATO Navies, OF-1 in NATO. The rank was ...

''. He then studied medicine at the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially ), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1 ...

and received a

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

degree in 1922. From 1922 to 1930, he continued training as a doctor, and then worked in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

as a practicing surgeon from 1930 to 1933, also obtaining a sports medicine certificate during that time.

Career in the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA)

Brauneck joined the

(membership number 496,265) at the Bremen ''Ortsgruppe'' (local group) on 1 April 1931 and, on 1 August of the same year, joined its

unit, the ''

'' (SA). He served as the battalion doctor to ''Sturmbann'' II of ''

Standarte In Nazi Germany, the ''Standarte'' (pl. ''Standarten'') was a paramilitary unit of Nazi Party (NSDAP), ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA), NSKK, NSFK, and ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). Translated literally as "Regimental standard", the name refers to the flag pa ...

'' 75 in Bremen until December. During this time, he participated in the mass SA rally in

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

on 17–18 October, earning the

Brunswick Rally Badge Brunswick Rally Badge, also known as the Badge of the SA Rally at Brunswick 1931 (), was the third badge recognised as a national award of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). A special Party honour badge, it was awarded to those Party members who had att ...

. On 1 January 1932, he advanced to become the regimental doctor of ''Standarte'' 75 and, exactly one year later, moved up to group doctor of SA-''Gruppe Nordsee'', also headquartered in Bremen. Following the

Nazi seizure of power The rise to power of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919, when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He quickly rose t ...

in January 1933, Brauneck obtained two government posts: leader of the health office in Bremen and president of the Bremen Health Authority. The following year, he was named to several regional Party posts that he would hold until February 1936, as the leader of both the Public Health Office and the Office for Racial Politics in

Gau Weser-Ems The Gau Weser-Ems, formed on 1 October 1928, was an administrative division of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 in the core part of the Free State of Oldenburg, the state of Bremen and the western parts of the Prussian Province of Hanover. Before th ...

, as a ''Gauredner'' (Gau speaker) and as the ''Gau'' chairman of the

National Socialist German Doctors' League The National Socialist German Doctors' League (''Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Ärztebund'', abbreviated as NSDÄB or NSD-Ärztebund) was a division of the Nazi Party with the mission of integrating the German medical profession within the f ...

. Brauneck also served as a judge on a

, a body established by the

Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring () or "Sterilisation Law" was a statute in Nazi Germany enacted on July 14, 1933, (and made active in January 1934) which allowed the compulsory sterilisation of any citizen who in the op ...

, which decided whether people considered to have genetic disorders should be forcibly sterilized. In February 1936, Brauneck was transferred from Bremen to

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

to become a medical officer for special assignments in SA-''Gruppe Berlin-Brandenburg''. The same month, he was appointed by

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 ...

as deputy chairman of the Reich Committee for the Protection of German Blood, under chairman

Wilhelm Stuckart Wilhelm Georg Joseph Stuckart (16 November 1902 – 15 November 1953) was a German Nazi Party lawyer, official, and a State Secretary in the Reich Interior Ministry during the Nazi era. He was a co-author of the Nuremberg Laws and a participan ...

. This committee, established by the implementing regulations to the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour, approved or denied marriage requests between Aryan Germans and non-Aryan ''

Mischling (; ; ) was a pejorative legal term which was used in Nazi Germany to denote persons of mixed " Aryan" and "non-Aryan", such as Jewish, ancestry as they were classified by the Nuremberg racial laws of 1935. In German, the word has the general ...

''. The committee denied these requests with such regularity that it stopped meeting within a year and the determinations were issued by a single official. In May 1936, Brauneck presented two lectures on the

Nuremberg Laws The Nuremberg Laws (, ) were antisemitic and racist laws that were enacted in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935, at a special meeting of the Reichstag convened during the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. The two laws were the Law ...

as an instructor at the ''Führerschule der Deutschen Ärzteschaft'' (Leadership School of German Medicine) in

Alt Rehse Alt Rehse is a village and a former municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. On 1 July 2008, it was incorporated into the town Penzlin. During the Nazi era it was the site of an ''Institute of G ...

. On 26 June 1936, he was appointed as a ''Ministerialrat'' (ministerial councilor) in the

Reich Ministry of the Interior The Federal Ministry of the Interior (, ; abbreviated BMI) is a cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its main office is in Berlin, with a secondary seat in Bonn. The current minister is Nancy Faeser. It is comparable ...

. Also that month, Brauneck was named a '' Hauptstellenleiter'' (main department leader) in the Nazi Party's Main Office for Public Health and a ''

Mitarbeiter () was a Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, Nazi Party political rank and title which existed between 1933 and 1945. As a political rank, was created in 1933 after the Nazi Germany, Nazis came to power in Germany. Considered the lowest poli ...

'' in the Racial Policy Office of the Party ''Reichsleitung'' (national leadership). In September 1936, he delivered another lecture at Alt Rehse, entitled ''Practical Application of the Nuremberg Racial Laws''. Between 1936 and 1937, he was named as the healthcare advisor for the

Nuremberg rallies The Nuremberg rallies ( , meaning ) were a series of celebratory events coordinated by the Nazi Party and held in the German city of Nuremberg from 1923 to 1938. The first nationwide party convention took place in Munich in January 1923, but th ...

. On 1 February 1937, Brauneck became acting chief of the Medical Office at the Supreme SA Leadership (OSAF) succeeding

Emil Ketterer Emil Ketterer (6 August 1883 – 23 December 1959) was a German physician and track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. Later in his life, he joined the Nazi Party and its paramilitary organization, the ''Sturmabteilung'' ...

, an appointment that was made permanent on 1 May. On 1 November 1937, he was named chief of the OSAF Main Office for Health and chief of SA Health Services, a post he retained until his death. He was promoted to SA-''Sanitats-Obergruppenführer'' on 9 November 1937 and was awarded the Honor Badge of the German Red Cross in January 1938. On 1 February 1942, he was appointed an inspector in the SA-Medical Inspectorate. Apart from his SA career, Brauneck also attempted to enter elective politics and unsuccessfully sought a seat as a deputy to the '' Reichstag'' in April 1938.

War service and death

Just prior to the start of the

, Brauneck reentered military service with the ''

'' in August 1939 as a '' Marinestabarzt'' of reserves. Starting during the

Polish campaign The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet ...

, he served as a surgeon at the naval hospital in

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish language, Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German language, German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklen ...

until February 1940. From May to July of that year, he was posted aboard the '' battleship Gneisenau''. For the remainder of 1940 and through 1941, he worked as a surgeon at naval hospitals in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

and

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

, being promoted to '' Marineoberstabsarzt'' on 1 February 1941. For his war service, he was awarded the

War Merit Cross The War Merit Cross () was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit Cross was reissued in 1957 ...

, 2nd class. In spring 1942, he was transferred to the eastern front where he was the chief doctor at the Naval Tent Hospital No. 1. On 27 July 1942, Brauneck was killed in

Kerch Kerch, also known as Keriç or Kerich, is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of Crimea. It has a population of Founded 2,600 years ago as the Colonies in antiquity#Greek colonies, ancient Greek colony Pantik ...

during a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

airstrike. He was granted a posthumous promotion to ''Geschwaderarzt'' (squadron doctor), a rank comparable to a ''

Fregattenkapitän () is the middle ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies. Austro-Hungary Belgium Germany , short: FKpt / in lists: FK, is the middle Senior officer military rank, rank () in the German Navy. It is the equivalent o ...

''.

Navy and SA ranks

References

Sources

*Campbell, Bruce (1998). The SA Generals and the Rise of Nazism. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, * * * *

External links

Brauneck Death Notice: ''SA-Obergruppenführer Brauneck gefallen'' in ''Kösliner Zeitung'', No. 209, 31 July 1942, p. 2.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brauneck, Hermann 1894 births 1942 deaths 20th-century German physicians Antisemitism in Germany Deaths by Soviet airstrikes during World War II German surgeons Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I Judges in the Nazi Party Kriegsmarine personnel killed in World War II Military personnel from the Rhine Province People from Saarbrücken (district) Physicians in the Nazi Party Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 2nd class Recipients of the War Merit Cross Reichsmarine personnel SA-Obergruppenführer University of Freiburg alumni