SS officer (1885–1934)
Anton Freiherr von Hohberg und Buchwald (21 September 1885 – 2 July 1934) was a German officer in the Prussian Army and also in the Schutzstaffel (SS). He was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives.
Life
Hohberg was born in Wismar, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and started a career as a Cavalry officer in the German Imperial Army. He served throughout World War I as a Rittmeister (captain) and was retired after 1918. After his dismissal, he went to his family's manor in Dulzen near Preussisch Eylau, East Prussia, where he started to work as a farmer. In 1909 he married Gertrud von Rheinbaben (1888–1949), daughter of Prussian Minister of Interior and Finances Georg von Rheinbaben [de], but divorced in 1912 after a duel with Horst von Blumenthal, whom she then married. Around 1930 he joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party and was temporarily a member of the staff of East Prussian SS leader Erich von dem Bach–Zelewski, but came into personal conflicts with him.[1]
On 14 May 1934, Hohberg was dismissed as SS–Oberabschnittsreiterführer (regional SS Cavalry leader) with a rank of SS-Obersturmführer (first lieutenant).[2] During the Night of the Long Knives, von dem Bach gave the order to kill Hohberg. Most probably on 2 July 1934, Hohberg was shot in his manor house in Dulzen by SS-Scharführer Zummach (von dem Bach's chauffeur) and SS-Obersturmführer Carl Reinhard. Hohberg was one of the few SS-members, and probably the highest-ranking one, killed in the Röhm-Putsch.
Aftermath
Von dem Bach-Zelewski was a high-ranking SS-officer throughout World War II. On 16 January 1961, he was prosecuted for the killing and sentenced to four and 6 months imprisonment by a West German court for manslaughter.[3] He died in custody in 1972.[4]
German Empire