# Otto Baum

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**Otto Baum** (15 November 1911 – 18 June 1998) was a high-ranking commander (*[Oberführer](/source/Oberf%C3%BChrer)*) of the [Waffen-SS](/source/Waffen-SS) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). He was a recipient of the [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) of [Nazi Germany](/source/Nazi_Germany).

## Life and career

Baum was born on 15 November 1911 in Hechingen-Stetten, a son of a merchant. From 1930 to 1932, he studied two semesters of agriculture at the [University of Hohenheim](/source/University_of_Hohenheim).[2] He served as a battalion commander in 3rd SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment during the [Operation Barbarossa](/source/Operation_Barbarossa), [invasion of the Soviet Union](/source/Invasion_of_the_Soviet_Union). After recovering from severe wounds in 1943, Baum was promoted to regimental commander, and eventually reached the rank of SS-*[Oberführer](/source/Oberf%C3%BChrer)*. He took command of the [SS Division Das Reich](/source/SS_Division_Das_Reich) in July 1944, and saw action in the [Falaise Pocket](/source/Falaise_Pocket). After the war, Baum was interned by the British until December 1948.[3]

## Awards

- [SA Sports Badge](/source/SA_Sports_Badge) in Bronze, 1 December 1936[4]
- [Degen (SS)](/source/Degen_(SS)), 13 September 1936[4]
- [Julleuchter](/source/Julleuchter), December 1936[4]
- [SS-Ehrenring](/source/SS-Ehrenring), 1 December 1937[4]
- [Anschluss Medal](/source/Anschluss_Medal), 13 March 1938[5]
- 1939 [Iron Cross](/source/Iron_Cross) 2nd Class, 25 September 1939[6]
- 1939 [Iron Cross](/source/Iron_Cross) 1st Class, 15 June 1940[6]
- [Infantry Assault Badge](/source/Infantry_Assault_Badge) in Bronze, 3 October 1940[5]
- [Tank Destruction Badge](/source/Tank_Destruction_Badge)[7]
- [German Cross](/source/German_Cross) in Gold, 26 December 1941 as SS-*[Sturmbannführer](/source/Sturmbannf%C3%BChrer)* in the III./SS-Infanterie-Regiment 3[8]
- [Eastern Front Medal](/source/Eastern_Front_Medal), 1942[4]
- [Wound Badge](/source/Wound_Badge) in Silver, 21 August 1943[4]
- [Demyansk Shield](/source/Demyansk_Shield), 31 December 1943[4]
- [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 8 May 1942 as SS-*Sturmbannführer* and commander of the III./SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3[9] - 277th Oak Leaves on 22 August 1943 as SS-*[Obersturmbannführer](/source/Obersturmbannf%C3%BChrer)* and commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Thule".[9] - 95th Swords on 2 September 1944 as SS-*[Standartenführer](/source/Standartenf%C3%BChrer)* and commander 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich"[9]

## References

### Notes

1. Westemeier 2013, p. 662.

1. Stockert 1997, p. 326.

1. Mattson 2002, p. 177.

1. Miller 2016, p. 60.

1. Thomas & Wegmann 1987, p. 264.

1. Thomas & Wegmann 1987, p. 263.

1. Berger 1999, p. 24.

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 27.

1. Scherzer 2007, p. 206.

### 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.
- Mattson, Gregory L. (2002). *SS-Das Reich: The History of the Second SS Division, 1944–45*. Amber Books. ISBN 0-7603-1255-9.
- Miller, Michael (2016). *Knight's Cross Holders of the SS and German Police 1940-45*. England: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-909982-74-1.
- 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 & Wegmann, Günter (1987). *Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 1: A–Be* [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part III: Infantry Volume 1: A–Be] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1153-2.
- 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.

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