Paul (“Papa”) Hausser
SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer
und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS /
Born: 7. October 1880 in Brandenburg an der Havel.
Died: 21. December 1972 in Ludwigsburg / Württemberg (buried in the Münchener Waldfriedhof).
NSDAP-Nr.: 4 138 779 (Joined 1. May 1937)
SS-Nr.: 239 795 (Joined, 15. November 1934)
Promotions:
SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS: 1. August 1944
SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS: 1. October 1941
Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS: 19. November 1939
SS-Gruppenführer: 1. June 1939
SS-Brigadeführer: 22. May 1936
SS-Oberführer: 1. July 1935
SS-Standartenführer: 15. November 1934 (RDA from 1. November 1934)
SA-Standartenführer (SA-Reserve): March 1934
Charakter als Generalleutnant: 31. January 1932
Generalmajor: 1. February 1931
Oberst: 1. November 1927 (with RDA from 1. July 1927)
Oberstleutnant: 1. April 1923 (Patent from 15.November 1922)
Major: 22. March 1918
Hauptmann i.G.: March 1914 (Patent from 1. October 1913)
Oberleutnant: 19. August 1909
Leutnant: 20. March 1899
Kadett: 1892
Career:
Attended Kadettenvoranstalt Köslin / Pommern: 1892 - 1896. Attended Kadettenhauptanstalt Berlin-Lichterfelde: 1896 - 1899. Commissioned, and assigned to 7.(Westpreußischen) Infanterie-Regiment 155 (in Ostrowo / Provinz Posen): 20. March 1899. Adjutant of II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 155: 1. October 1903 - 1. October 1908. Attended Kriegsakademie in Berlin: 1. October 1908 - 21. July 1911. Assigned to Kaiserlichen Marine (Imperial German Navy) as Luftbeobachter (aerial observer): 1909 - 1912. Assigned to Großen Generalstab: 22. March 1912 (with effect from 1. April 1912). Assigned to topographische Abteilung (topographical department), Großen Generalstab: 22. March 1914 -. Briefly assigned to Staff of Kronprinz Rupprecht von Bayern: 1. August 1914- . Ib to General Staff of VI.Armee-Korps: . Assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 28 (per Bradley, Hildebrand, and Rövekamp, Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945, or Füsilier-Regiment “Generalfeldmarschall Graf Moltke” Nr. 88 per Mark C. Yerger, Waffen-SS Commanders): . Ia in General Staff of 109.Infanterie-Division: October 1916 - January 1918. Ia in Generalstab of Generalkommando z.b.V. 59: March 1918 - .1918. Assigned to General Staff of the Romanian Corps FOSCANI (under General Avarescu): 1918. Assigned to General Staff of V.Armee-Korps as Verbindungsoffizier (liaison officer) attached to Grenzschutz Ost in Glogau / Schlesien: January 1919 - May 1919. Ia in General Staff of Reichswehr-Brigade 5: May 1919 - 1. October 1919. Ia in General Staff of Wehrkreis-Kommando II (Stettin): 1. October 1919 - 1. October 1920. Ia in Staff of 2.Division: 1. October 1920 - 1922. Kompanieführer in Infanterie-Regiment 5: 1922. Kommandeur of III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 4 (Deutsch-Krone Schneidemühl): 1. April 1923 - 1. March 1925. Chef des Stabes, Wehrkreis-Kommando II (2.Division), Stettin: 1. March 1925 - 1. November 1927. Assigned to Staff of Infanterie-Regiment 10 (Dresden): 1. November 1927 - 1. July 1927. Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 10: 1. July 1927 (per Mark C. Yerger; Bradley et al give 1. November 1928 as start date for command) - 1. November 1930. Kommandant of Truppenübungsplatz Münsingen: 1. November 1930 - December 1930. Infanterieführer IV (Magdeburg): 1. November 1930 - 31. January 1932. Retired from Reichsheer as char. Generalleutnant: 31. January 1932. Landesführer of the Stahlhelm organization in Berlin-Brandenburg: 5. February 1933 - April 1934. Führer of SA Reserve Brigade 25 (Berlin-Brandenburg): March 1934 - 31. October 1934. Joined SS-Verfügungstruppe, assigned as Kommandant of SS-Junkerschule "Braunschweig": 15. November 1934 - 30. May 1936. Inspekteur of the SS-Junkerschulen: 1. August 1935 - 5. May 1937. Chef of the Führungsamt in SS-Hauptamt: 1. June 1936 - 30. September 1937. Inspekteur of the SS Verfügungstruppen (SS-VT): 1. October 1936 - 10. August 1939. Joined NSDAP: 1. May 1937. Verbindungsoffizier (liaison officer) of the SS-VT attached to divisional staff of Panzer-Division "Kempf" (before and during Polish Campaign): July 1939 - 9. October 1939. Kommandeur of SS-Verfügungstruppen Division (mot) (later redesignated SS-Division "Reich", then "Das Reich"): 9. October 1939 - 14. October 1941 (relinquished command to Willi Bittrich due to severe wounds received that date- right upper jaw and eye socket / blinded in right eye); hospitalization and convalescence: 14. October 1941 - 28. May 1942. Chef of the Kommandoamt der Waffen-SS in SS-Führungshauptamt: June 1940 - 15. August 1940. (Aufstellungs)Kommandeur of SS-Generalkommando (Formation commander of SS Corps HQ): 28. May 1942 - 14. September 1942. Kommandierender General of II.SS-Panzer-Korps: 14. September 1942 - 28. June 1944. Oberbefehlshaber of 7.Armee: 28. June 1944 - 20. August 1944 (severely wounded in right side of skull during breakout from the Argentan-Falaise pocket); hospitalization and convalescence: 20. August 1944 - 21. January 1945 (?). Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe "B": 16. August 1944 - 17. August 1944. Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe "Oberrhein" (with effect from 23. January 1945): 28. January 1945 - 3. April 1945 (command disbanded). Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe "G": 28. January 1945 - 3. April 1945. Attached to Staff of Oberbefehlshaber "Südwest" (Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring): 3. April 1945 - 8. May 1945 (as Sonderbeauftragter für Sicherheit und Ordnung [Special Representative for Security and Order] from 6. May 1945).
Postwar Confinement:
Surrendered to U.S. troops at Zell am See / Österreich, 9. May 1945. Interned in 20 different internment camps, including one in Nürnberg (while he served as a witness before the International Military Tribunal in 1946), the War Crimes Camp at Dachau, with the “Historical Division” in Camp Oberursel, and at Lager Neustadt-Allendorf until the start of 1948. Then transferred to a German internment camp until the summer of 1948.
Postwar Activities:
Defense witness at the Nürnberg Trials. Senior member, HIAG organization of Waffen-SS veterans to 1972.
Published Works:
Waffen-SS im Einsatz (Waffen-SS in Action), Pless Verlag, Göttingen (1953)
Soldaten wie andere auch (Soldiers Like Any Other), Munin Verlag, Osnabrück (1966)
Decorations & Awards:
~ Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes: 8. August 1941 as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS & Kommandeur of SS-Division "Reich", Russian Front
~~ Eichenlaub (Nr. 261): 28. July 1943 as SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS, Kommandierender-General SS-Panzer-Korps, Eastern Front
~~~ Schwertern (Nr. 90): 26. August 1944 as SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS, Oberbefehlshaber 7.Armee, Western Front
Königlich-preußischen Ritterkreuz des Hausorden von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern (WW I)
1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse: 17. May 1940
1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse: September 1939
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
Bayerischer Militär-Verdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern (WW I)
Ritterkreuz des Sächsischen Albrechtsordens I. Klasse mit Schwertern (WW I)
Ritterkreuz I. Klasse des Württemburgischen Friedrichs-Ordens mit Schwertern (WW I)
Alhaltische Friedrichs-Kreuz (WW I)
Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Silber: 9. May 1942 (for wounds received 14. October 1941- lost sight in left eye and sustained jaw injuries)
Flieger Beobachterabzeichen (pre-WW I)
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Goldenes Parteiabzeichen: 30. January 1943
Ehrendegen des RF SS
Totenkopfring der SS
Julleuchter
Österreichisch-ungarisch Militär-Verdienst-Kreuz III. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration (Austria-Hungary, WW I)
Notes:
* Son of Premierleutnant (later Major) Kurt Hausser.
* Religion: Protestant until 1940, then declared himself “gottgläubig”.
* Married, 9. November 1912 to Elisabeth Gérard (born 18. July 1891 in Brandenburg an der Havel); one daughter (born 28. December 1913).
* Generally regarded as "Father" of the Waffen-SS.
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