# Fritz Schlessmann

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**Fritz Schlessmann**, born Georg Friedrich Schlessmann (11 March 1899 – 31 March 1964) was a [Nazi Party](/source/Nazi_Party) Deputy *[Gauleiter](/source/Gauleiter)* of [Gau Essen](/source/Gau_Essen) and served as the acting *Gauleiter* for most of the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War). He was also a prominent police official and an SS-*[Obergruppenführer](/source/Obergruppenf%C3%BChrer)*. Following the end of the war, he underwent [denazification](/source/Denazification) proceedings and was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

## Early life

Schlessmann, the son of a locksmith, attended *[Volksschule](/source/Volksschule)* and *[Oberrealschule](/source/Real_school)* in Essen. He left school in 1914 without attaining his diploma and worked as an apprentice locksmith in the [Krupp](/source/Krupp) factory until May 1916. He then joined the [Imperial German Navy](/source/Imperial_German_Navy) as a [one-year volunteer](/source/One-year_volunteer) in the [First World War](/source/First_World_War). He was stationed first in [Kiel](/source/Kiel), then in [Wilhelmshaven](/source/Wilhelmshaven) with the [U-boat](/source/U-boat) fleet. He was assigned to U-100 until discharged after the end of the war in November 1918, and was awarded the [Iron Cross](/source/Iron_Cross), 2nd class. In March 1919, he briefly reentered the navy and served as a machinist on a [minesweeper](/source/Minesweeper) until again discharged in May. He returned to work as a locksmith in [Heidelberg](/source/Heidelberg) and [Wertheim am Main](/source/Wertheim_am_Main). He also served with the *[Freikorps](/source/Freikorps)* Roßbach in opposing the [Ruhr uprising](/source/Ruhr_uprising) in March 1920. For the next two years, Schlessmann trained as a technician at state mechanical engineering schools in Essen and [Elberfeld](/source/Elberfeld), passing his engineering examinations in August 1922.[1]

## Nazi career

On 17 December 1922, Schlessmann became a member of the [Nazi Party](/source/Nazi_Party) (NSDAP), co-founding the *Ortsgruppe* (local group) in Essen and becoming the Deputy *[Ortsgruppenleiter](/source/Ortsgruppenleiter)*. As an early Party member, he later would be awarded the [Golden Party Badge](/source/Golden_Party_Badge). At the same time, he joined the Party’s paramilitary unit, the *[Sturmabteilung](/source/Sturmabteilung)* (SA) becoming the SA-*Führer* in Essen. During this period, he was working as a construction designer in the Krupp works in Essen until being fired in December 1923 for excessive absenteeism as the result of his SA activities. He remained unemployed for the next two years.[1]

Following the failed [Beer Hall Putsch](/source/Beer_Hall_Putsch) in November 1923, the Nazi Party was outlawed and Schlessmann joined the [German Völkisch Freedom Party](/source/German_V%C3%B6lkisch_Freedom_Party). After the ban on the Nazi Party was lifted, Schlessmann rejoined it on 15 December 1925 (membership number 25,248). He resumed his duties as Deputy *Ortsgruppenleiter* and SA leader in Essen, reaching the rank of SA-*[Standartenführer](/source/Standartenf%C3%BChrer)* in 1927. Finding work in a screw factory in Essen in December 1926, he worked his way up to become the deputy plant director until again being discharged for chronic absenteeism at the end of January 1931. In August 1929, Schlessmann attended the [Party rally](/source/Nuremberg_rallies) in [Nuremberg](/source/Nuremberg) and was awarded the [Nuremberg Party Day Badge](/source/Nuremberg_Party_Day_Badge). In May 1930, he left the SA and joined the *[Schutzstaffel](/source/Schutzstaffel)* (SS number 2,480). In August 1930, he was appointed Deputy *[Gauleiter](/source/Gauleiter)* in [Gau Essen](/source/Gau_Essen) under [Josef Terboven](/source/Josef_Terboven) but remained in this post only until 31 December. Attaining the rank of SS-*Standartenführer* in March 1931, Schlessmann was named the SS leader in [Bochum](/source/Bochum). He was present at the founding of the [Harzburg Front](/source/Harzburg_Front) in October 1931, and also attended the SA rally in [Braunschweig](/source/Braunschweig) the same month, for which he was awarded the [Brunswick Rally Badge](/source/Brunswick_Rally_Badge).[2]

From April 1932 until its [dissolution](/source/Dissolution_of_parliament) by the Nazis in October 1933, Schlessmann sat as a member of the [Landtag of Prussia](/source/Landtag_of_Prussia). Following the [Nazi seizure of power](/source/Nazi_seizure_of_power), he was elected to the *[Reichstag](/source/Reichstag_(Nazi_Germany))* from electoral constituency 18 ([Westphalia South](/source/Westphalia_South_(electoral_district))) in November 1933 and retained this *Reichstag* seat until the fall of the Nazi regime.[3] From 1935 to 1937, he was also a member of the Prussian Provincial Council (*Provinzialrat*) for the [Province of Westphalia](/source/Province_of_Westphalia). Schlessmann was named acting *Polizeipräsident* (police chief) in Bochum on 27 October 1933; his appointment was made permanent on 1 April 1934. In November 1933, he became *Führer* of SS-*Abschnitt* (district) XXV with headquarters in Bochum, serving until October 1937. On 1 October 1937, he was reassigned as *Polizeipräsident* and *Führer* of SS-*Abschnitt* V in Essen. On 9 November 1939, he was again appointed to the position of Deputy *Gauleiter* in Essen under Terboven. At his own request, Schlessmann was relieved of his police post on 31 December 1939 in order to devote himself full-time to his work as a Party official.[4]

After the defeat of Norway in the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War), Terboven was appointed *[Reichskommissar](/source/Reichskommissar)* for the *[Reichskommissariat Norwegen](/source/Reichskommissariat_Norwegen)* on 24 April 1940, while formally retaining his position as *Gauleiter* of Essen. Schlessmann then was made acting *Gauleiter*, charged with administering the Gau in Terboven's absence. On 30 January 1942, Schlessmann was promoted to SS-*[Gruppenführer](/source/Gruppenf%C3%BChrer)* and also assigned to the staff of *[Reichsführer-SS](/source/Reichsf%C3%BChrer-SS)* [Heinrich Himmler](/source/Heinrich_Himmler). As acting *Gauleiter*, Schlessmann had responsibility for air raid defense measures in Essen throughout the war. As a large industrial center and the site of the Krupp armaments works, Essen was a frequent target of [Allied bombing raids](/source/Bombing_of_Essen_in_World_War_II). In the fall of 1944, Schlessmann was placed in charge of the local *[Volkssturm](/source/Volkssturm)* forces in Essen and was also charged with improving the fortifications along the area of the [Westwall](/source/Westwall) defensive line adjacent to his Gau. During the course of the war, he was awarded the [War Merit Cross](/source/War_Merit_Cross), 1st and 2nd class with swords. He was promoted to the rank of SS-*[Obergruppenführer](/source/Obergruppenf%C3%BChrer)* on 9 November 1944.[5]

## Post-war

After exhorting the populace of Essen to fight to the last man as the Allied forces approached the city, Schlessmann went into hiding with his 24-year-old secretary and mistress, under the alias "Fritz Selig". However, after the fall of Essen he was arrested by the US Army on 8 April 1945 and taken to the Staumühle internment camp near [Paderborn](/source/Paderborn). In a 1947 court proceeding in [Detmold](/source/Detmold), he was sentenced to five years in prison, which he served until 13 June 1950, when he was released from the [Esterwegen internment camp](/source/Esterwegen_concentration_camp). He underwent [denazification](/source/Denazification) in [Düsseldorf](/source/D%C3%BCsseldorf) and was categorized as Category III (minor offender). He then worked as a salesman and gas station proprietor in Dortmund.[6]

## SS ranks

SS ranks[7] Rank Date SS-Sturmbannführer 1 January 1931 SS-Standartenführer 8 March 1931 SS-Oberführer 9 November 1933 SS-Brigadeführer 30 January 1936 SS-Gruppenführer 30 January 1942 SS-Obergruppenführer 9 November 1944

## References

1. Williams 2017, p. 176.

1. Miller & Schulz 2021, pp. 204–205.

1. [Fritz Schlessmann entry](https://www.reichstag-abgeordnetendatenbank.de/selectmaske.html?pnd=13052039X&recherche=ja) in the [*Reichstag* members Database](https://www.reichstag-abgeordnetendatenbank.de/index.html)

1. Miller & Schulz 2021, p. 205.

1. Miller & Schulz 2021, pp. 205–206.

1. Miller & Schulz 2021, p. 206.

1. Miller & Schulz 2021, p. 203.

## Sources

- Miller, Michael D. & Schulz, Andreas (2021). *Gauleiter: The Regional Leaders of the Nazi Party and Their Deputies, 1925–1945*. Vol. 3 (Fritz Sauckel – Hans Zimmermann). Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1-781-55826-3.
- Williams, Max (2017). *SS Elite: The Senior Leaders of Hitler's Praetorian Guard*. Vol. 3. Fonthill Media LLC. ISBN 978-1-78155-638-2.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fritz Schlessmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Schlessmann) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Schlessmann?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.