Karl Schümers

Updated on Dec 25, 2023

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Allegiance Nazi Germany Years of service 1939–44 Battles/wars World War II		Service/branch Waffen-SS Rank SS-Brigadeführer Battles and wars World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Died 18 August 1944, Arta, Greece Award Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Unit 4th SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division

Karl Schümers (17 October 1905 – 18 August 1944) was a high-ranking commander in the Waffen-SS and Ordnungspolizei (police) of Nazi Germany during World War II. He commanded the SS Polizei Division in July – August 1944. He was directly or indirectly involved in many of the major atrocities committed in Greece during 1944. Killed by a landmine on 18 August 1944, he was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

War-time atrocities

On 5 April 1944, Karl Schümers commanded the 7th unit of the 4th SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division to the execution of 277 unarmed women, children and elders in the village of Kleisoura in Greece as a retaliation of the killing of 3 German soldiers. In the official investigations by his command hierarchy for the massacre he testified that his soldiers had to kill them all because guerrilla forces were hiding in the village, and was acquitted, while it was proven after the war that his testimony was false.

On 24 April the his 7th unit committed the Pyrgoi massacre where 368 children were slaughtered.

Men from the same 7th unit, under the command of Hans Zampel and Fritz Lautenbach committed the Distomo massacre, on 10 June, where 218 civilians were brutally murdered for retaliation, one of the cruelest atrocities of WW II; no one was ever tried for this war crime.

On the 17th of June 1944 Karl Schümers commanded the execution of 28 civilians and total destruction of Ipati, and the next day, the burning down of Sperchiada and the killing of 35 civilians.

After he was assigned the command of the 4th Panzer Grenadier Division, on 22 July 1944, the 8th unit of his forces took part in the operation Kreuzotter (5-31 August 1944) in a failed attempt to eradicate ELAS bases from the mountains of central Greece, Roumeli, Greece, that resulted, among others, in the killing of approximately 170 civilians and the partial or complete destruction of dozens of villages and cities.

He was killed on 18 August 1944 when his car stepped into a landmine planted by Greek resistance, in Arta, Greece.

References

Karl Schümers Wikipedia

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