Max Seela (15 July 1911 – 31 July 1999) was a lieutenant colonel (''

Obersturmbannführer __NOTOC__ ''Obersturmbannführer'' (Senior Assault-unit Leader; ; short: ''Ostubaf'') was a paramilitary rank in the German Nazi Party ( NSDAP) which was used by the SA (''Sturmabteilung'') and the SS (''Schutzstaffel''). The rank of ' was juni ...

'') in the

Waffen-SS The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...

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 ...

. He was a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...

Career

Max Seela was born in 1911 at

Schöneiche Schöneiche is a municipality in the Oder-Spree District of Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated directly at the edge to Berlin/ Friedrichshagen and next to Rüdersdorf and Woltersdorf, Brandenburg on the eastern edge of the German capital Berlin ...

near

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 ...

. He enlisted in ''

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 ...

'' (German Army) in 1929 and was then transferred into the SS-VT in 1935. His SS service number was 257,323 and his

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

number was 147,126. In September 1935 he joined the SS Pioneer Battalion. By October 1939 Seela had been given command of a company in the pioneer battalion of the SS Division Totenkopf. He was awarded 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 ...

, 2nd class, in May 1940 and the Iron Cross, 1st class, in June 1940. He took part in the invasion of the

Soviet Union 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 ...

(

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

) and was awarded the

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leade ...

in Gold in December 1941. Seela was awarded the Knight's Cross in May 1942, while he was a ''

Hauptsturmführer __NOTOC__ (, ; short: ''Hstuf'') was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organizations such as the SS, NSKK and the NSFK. The rank of ''Hauptsturmführer'' was a mid-level commander and had equivalent seniority to a ...

'' (captain) and in command of 3rd Company, SS Pioneer Battalion ''Totenkopf''. Despite severe losses and meager supplies, his unit occupied the Russian village of Korowitsch (east of

Staraya Russa Staraya Russa (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist, Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased over ...

) in the

Demyansk Pocket The Demyansk Pocket (; ) was the name given to the pocket of German troops encircled by the Red Army around Demyansk, south of Leningrad, during World War II's Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February to 21 April 1942. A much ...

for one month. Seela and his men prevented the village from being recaptured, denying the Soviet Army access to the crucial bridge over the

Lovat River The Lovat (, ; ) is a river in Vitebsk Oblast of Belarus, Usvyatsky, Velikoluksky, and Loknyansky Districts, as well as of the city of Velikiye Luki, of Pskov Oblast and Kholmsky, Poddorsky, Starorussky, and Parfinsky Districts of Novg ...

. In July 1942, Seela was given command of the 3rd SS Pioneer Battalion ''Totenkopf'' until April 1944 when he was appointed commander of the

II SS Panzer Corps The II SS Panzer Corps was a German ''Waffen-SS'' armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. It was commanded by Paul Hausser during the Third Battle of Kharkov and the Battle of Kursk in 1943 and ...

Pioneers. He was then given command of the 19th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 9th SS Panzer Division ''Hohenstaufen''. On 8 May 1945, Seela surrendered to the American forces. He died in

Ratingen Ratingen (; ) is a town in the district of Mettmann in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies in the northwestern part of Berg about 12 km northeast of Düsseldorf. Administration With a communal reform of 1975 the independent municipalit ...

, at the age of 88 on 31 July 1999.

Awards and decorations

(3 May 1942) *

in Gold (26/12/1941) *

of 1939 **1st Class (22 June 1940) **2nd Class (31 May 1940) *

General Assault Badge The General Assault Badge () was a military decoration awarded during World War II to personnel of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army, Waffen-SS and ''Ordnungspolizei'' (order police) who supported an infantry attack but were not part of sp ...

(1941) *

Wound Badge The Wound Badge () was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the Imperial German Army, German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the worl ...

of 1939 in Black (1941) *

Anschluss Medal The ''Anschluss'' Commemorative Medal () was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded during the interwar period, and the first in a series of German Occupation Medals, Occupation Medals. Description Instituted on 1 May 1938, the medal commemorated ...

(1938) *

Sudetenland Medal The 1 October 1938 Commemorative Medal () was commonly known as the Sudetenland Medal. It was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded during the interwar period, and the second in a series of Occupation Medals. Description Instituted on 18 October ...

(1938) with "Prague Castle" clasp (1939) * Service Award of the NSDAP in Bronze and in Silver * German Reich Sports Badge in Bronze (1 December 1938) *

SA Sports Badge The SA Sports Badge () was a decoration of Nazi Germany that was issued between the years 1933 and 1945. It was a political version of the much more generic German Sports Badge, which was also issued in great numbers by the Nazis. At its center ...

in Silver (1 December 1936) *

Sword of honour of the Reichsführer-SS The or SS Honour Sword, also (officially Dienstaltersliste der Schutzstaffel der NSDAP, Berlin, 1943, p. 106), is a straight dress sword that was worn with an SS uniform from 1935 to 1945. First introduced in 1935, the SS sword was designed by ...

(1 December 1936) * SS Honour Ring (1 December 1937) *

Julleuchter Julleuchter (; "Yule lantern") or ''Turmleuchter'' ("tower lantern") are modern terms used to describe a type of earthenware candle-holder originating in 16th-century Sweden, later redesigned and manufactured in Nazi Germany. Swedish artefact ...

of the SS (16 December 1935) *

Honour Chevron for the Old Guard The Honour Chevron for the Old Guard () was a Nazi Party decoration worn by members of the SS. The silver chevron, which was worn on the upper sleeve on the right arm, was authorised by Adolf Hitler in February 1934. All members of the SS who h ...

(February 1934)

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Seela, Max 1911 births 1999 deaths People from Oder-Spree Military personnel from the Province of Brandenburg SS-Obersturmbannführer Waffen-SS personnel German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Recipients of the Gold German Cross Military personnel from Brandenburg