# Hermann Priess

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**Hermann August Fredrich Priess** (24 May 1901 – 2 February 1985) was a German general in the [Waffen-SS](/source/Waffen-SS) and a [war criminal](/source/War_crime) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). He commanded the [SS Division Totenkopf](/source/SS_Division_Totenkopf) ("Death's Head") following the death of [Theodor Eicke](/source/Theodor_Eicke) in February 1943. On 30 October 1944 he was appointed commander of the [I SS Panzer Corps](/source/I_SS_Panzer_Corps) and led it during the [Battle of the Bulge](/source/Battle_of_the_Bulge).

After the war, Priess was convicted of [war crimes](/source/War_crimes) for his involvement in the [Malmedy massacre](/source/Malmedy_massacre), and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. He was released from the [Landsberg Prison](/source/Landsberg_Prison) in 1954.

## Career

Born in 1901, Priess volunteered for military service in the army of the German Empire in January 1919, which was transformed to the [Reichsheer](/source/Reichswehr) in the [Weimar Republic](/source/Weimar_Republic). Due to the limitations imposed by the [Treaty of Versailles](/source/Treaty_of_Versailles), his regiment was disbanded. He then joined the paramilitary group [*Freikorps*](/source/Freikorps_in_the_Baltic) and fought in the [Estonian War of Independence](/source/Estonian_War_of_Independence). In 1920, he returned to the army and was discharged in June 1931.[2]

On 24 October 1944, Priess succeeded [Georg Keppler](/source/Georg_Keppler) as commander of [I SS Panzer Corps](/source/I_SS_Panzer_Corps). He led this formation, as part of the [6th Panzer Army](/source/6th_Panzer_Army), in the failed *Ardennenoffensive*, which was dubbed the [Battle of the Bulge](/source/Battle_of_the_Bulge). The objective of the offensive was to split the British and American line in half, so the Germans could then proceed to encircle and destroy four Allied armies, forcing the [Western Allies](/source/Allies_of_World_War_II) to negotiate a [peace treaty](/source/Peace_treaty) with the Axis Powers. Subordinated to I SS Panzer Corps was *[Kampfgruppe](/source/Kampfgruppe)* "Peiper", led by [Joachim Peiper](/source/Joachim_Peiper). Peiper's command was responsible for the [Malmedy massacre](/source/Malmedy_massacre), a [war crime](/source/War_crime) in which 84 American [prisoners of war](/source/Prisoners_of_war) were murdered by their German captors near [Malmedy](/source/Malmedy), Belgium.[3]

After the Ardennes offensive, the 6th SS Panzer Army was transferred to Hungary, where it fought against the advancing Soviet Army. The I SS Panzer Corps arrived in Hungary in early February 1945. There, Priess committed his forces in [Operation Southwind](/source/Operation_Southwind) against the [Hron](/source/Hron) Bridgehead, a strong position formed by the Soviets over the [Danube](/source/Danube) near the town of [Esztergom](/source/Esztergom), destroying the bridgehead by the end of February. He then commanded I SS Panzer Corps in [Operation Spring Awakening](/source/Operation_Spring_Awakening), the last major German offensive of World War II. The attack, centered in the [Lake Balaton](/source/Lake_Balaton) area, began on 6 March 1945 and ended with a German defeat on 16 March 1945.[4]

## War crimes trial and conviction

In May 1945, Priess surrendered to the U.S. forces. He started working for the US Army Historical Division at the [Camp King](/source/Camp_King). From May–July 1946, he became one of 73 defendants at the [Malmedy massacre trial](/source/Malmedy_massacre_trial) held in the [Dachau](/source/Dachau_concentration_camp) internment camp. Along with [Sepp Dietrich](/source/Sepp_Dietrich), [Joachim Peiper](/source/Joachim_Peiper) and others, Priess was charged with his complicity in murder of over 300 American POWs and 100 Belgian civilians between 16 December 1944 and 13 January 1945.[5] Priess was found guilty of having ordered his men to fight with "reckless brutality and hardness", and relaying orders that the troops "were to be preceded by a wave of terror and fright, that no humane inhibitions were to be shown, and that every resistance was to be broken by terror."[6]

On 16 July, Priess was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. In October 1954, he was released prior to serving his full sentence from the [Landsberg Prison](/source/Landsberg_Prison). Priess died in 1985.[7]

## Summary of SS career

**Awards**

- [Iron Cross](/source/Iron_Cross) (1939) 2nd Class (22 September 1939) & 1st Class (15 October 1939)[8]
- [German Cross](/source/German_Cross) in Gold on 6 January 1942 as SS-*[Standartenführer](/source/Standartenf%C3%BChrer)* in the SS-Artillerie-Regiment "Totenkopf"[9]
- [Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords](/source/Knight's_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross_with_Oak_Leaves_and_Swords) - Knight's Cross on 28 April 1943 as SS-*[Oberführer](/source/Oberf%C3%BChrer)* and commander of *Artillerie-Regiment of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf*[10] - 297th Oak Leaves on 9 September 1943 as SS-*[Brigadeführer](/source/Brigadef%C3%BChrer)* and *[Generalmajor](/source/Generalmajor)* of the Waffen-SS and commander of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"[10] - 65th Swords on 24 April 1944 as SS-*Brigadeführer* and *Generalmajor* of the Waffen-SS and commander of the 3. SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf"[10]
- [Wound Badge](/source/Wound_Badge) in Black

**Promotions**

26 February 1935: SS-Untersturmführer[2] 15 September 1935: SS-Obersturmführer[2] 13 September 1936: SS-Hauptsturmführer[2] 20 April 1939: SS-Sturmbannführer[2] 1 August 1940: SS-Obersturmbannführer[2] 21 June 1941: SS-Standartenführer[2] 13 July 1942: SS-Oberführer[2] 15 July 1943: SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS[11] 20 April 1944: SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS[4]

## See also

- [List SS-Gruppenführer](/source/Register_of_SS-Leaders_in_general%E2%80%99s_rank#List_SS-Gruppenführer)

## References

### Citations

1. Westemeier 2013, p. 727.

1. Stockert 1997, p. 407.

1. Stockert 1997, pp. 409–410.

1. Stockert 1997, p. 409.

1. War Crimes Office (1948). ["Case Number 6-24 (US vs. Valentin Bersin et al.)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170925103209/http://www1.jur.uva.nl/junsv/JuNSVEng/DTRR/DTCasesfr.htm). *U.S. Army Trial Reviews and Recommendations*. United States Department of War. Archived from [the original](http://www1.jur.uva.nl/junsv/JuNSVEng/DTRR/DTCasesfr.htm) on 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2006-12-18. This is a web transcription of microfilmed archives of the original US Army documents. See the [site's introduction](http://www1.jur.uva.nl/junsv/JuNSVEng/DTRR/Dachau%20Trials%20intro.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20061219131311/http://www1.jur.uva.nl/junsv/JuNSVEng/DTRR/Dachau%20Trials%20intro.htm) 2006-12-19 at the Wayback Machine for more information. The URL is to a HTML frame, you must select "US011" in the left pane to get to case "6-24". The direct URL to the case page is [here](http://www1.jur.uva.nl/junsv/JuNSVEng/DTRR/files/us011.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070723050447/http://www1.jur.uva.nl/junsv/JuNSVEng/DTRR/files/us011.htm) 2007-07-23 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["United States vs Valentin Bersin, et al."](https://www.online.uni-marburg.de/icwc/dachau/000-006-0024). October 20, 1947.

1. Stockert 1997, p. 410.

1. Thomas 1998, p. 172.

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 359.

1. Scherzer 2007, p. 604.

1. Stockert 1997, p. 408.

### Bibliography

- Berger, Florian (1999). *Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges* [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D. & Scherzer, Veit (2001). *Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II* [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). *Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives* [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Stockert, Peter (1997). *Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 3* [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 3] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-932915-01-7.
- Thomas, Franz (1998). *Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z* [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
- Westemeier, Jens (2013). *Himmlers Krieger: Joachim Peiper und die Waffen-SS in Krieg und Nachkriegszeit* [Himmler's Warriors: Joachim Peiper and the Waffen-SS during the War and Post-War Period]. Paderborn, Germany: Ferdinand Schöningh. ISBN 978-3-506-77241-1.

## External links

- Brügge, Peter (1966). ["Da muss man Ellenbogen haben, Konrad—Peter Brügge bei Adenauers 90. Geburtstag"](http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-46265269.html) (in German). *Der Spiegel*. '***(3). Retrieved 29 November 2015.***
- Höhne, Heinz (1966). ["Der Orden unter dem Totenkopf—Die Geschichte der SS"](http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-46414542.html) (in German). *Der Spiegel*. '***(42). Retrieved 29 November 2015.***
- ["War Crimes Trials: Malmedy Story RG-60.2288, Film ID: 877"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130827143503/http://resources.ushmm.org/film/display/detail.php?file_num=1943). *[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum](/source/United_States_Holocaust_Memorial_Museum)*. 16 May 1946. Priess is seen at 5:52 into the video. Archived from [the original](http://resources.ushmm.org/film/display/detail.php?file_num=1943) on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ["War Crimes Trials: Malmedy, sentencing Story RG-60.2317, Film ID: 887"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130827143503/http://resources.ushmm.org/film/display/detail.php?file_num=1943). *[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum](/source/United_States_Holocaust_Memorial_Museum)*. 16 May 1946. Priess is seen at 5:55 into the video. Archived from [the original](http://resources.ushmm.org/film/display/detail.php?file_num=1943) on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2015.

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