{{Short description|German general}} {{distinguish|Rudolf Maister}} {{Infobox military person |name=Rudolf Meister |birth_date=1 August 1897 |death_date={{death date and age|1958|9|11|1897|8|1|df=y}} |birth_place=Cologne, German Empire |death_place=Hanover, West Germany |image=Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1975-050-28A, Rudolf Meister.jpg |caption=Rudolf Meister |nickname= |allegiance=German Empire<br/>Weimar Republic<br/>Nazi Germany |branch=Prussian Army<br />''Reichswehr''<br />German Army<br />''Luftwaffe'' |service_years=1914–1928<br/>1931–1945 |rank= ''General der Flieger'' |commands=4th Air Corps |unit= |battles={{tree list}} *World War I ---- *World War II **Eastern Front {{tree list/end}} |awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |other_work= }}
'''Rudolf Meister''' (1 August 1897 – 11 September 1958) was a German general (General der Flieger) in the Luftwaffe during World War II who commanded the 4th Air Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Meister surrendered to the American troops in May 1945 and was interned until 1948.
In 1950, Meister was one of the authors of the Himmerod memorandum which addressed the issue of rearmament (''Wiederbewaffnung'') of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II.
==Awards and decorations== <!----* Iron Cross (1914) ** 2nd Class ** 1st Class * Wound Badge (1914) ** in Black * Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (8 November 1918) * Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 * Iron Cross (1939) ** 2nd Class ** 1st Class----> * German Cross in Gold on 30 October 1941 as ''Oberst im Generalstab'' (in the General Staff) of VIII. Fliegerkorps{{sfn|Patzwall|Scherzer|2001|p=302}} * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 September 1944 as ''Generalleutnant'' and commander of IV. Fliegerkorps{{sfn|Scherzer|2007|p=536}}
==References==
===Citations=== {{Reflist|25em}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * {{Cite book |last1=Patzwall |first1=Klaus D. |last2=Scherzer |first2=Veit |year=2001 |title=Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II |trans-title=The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2 |language=German |location=Norderstedt, Germany |publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall |isbn=978-3-931533-45-8 }} * {{Cite book |last=Scherzer |first=Veit |year=2007 |title=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 |trans-title=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 |language=German |location=Jena, Germany |publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag |isbn=978-3-938845-17-2 }} {{refend}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{succession box |before=General der Flieger Kurt Pflugbeil |after=Reformed into Deutschen Luftwaffe in Dänemark |title= Commander of IV. Fliegerkorps |years=4 September 1943 – 16 September 1944 }} {{succession box |before=Previously IV. Fliegerkorps |after=Generalleutnant Alexander Holle |title= Commander of Deutschen Luftwaffe in Dänemark |years=1 October 1944 – 22 December 1944 }} {{succession box |before=Bruno Loerzer |after=None |title=Chief of the Luftwaffe Personnel Office |years=22 December 1944 – 8 May 1945 }} {{s-end}}
{{Himmerod memorandum}} {{Subject bar | portal1=Biography }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meister, Rudolf}} Category:1897 births Category:1958 deaths Category:Military personnel from Cologne Category:Luftwaffe World War II generals Category:German Army personnel of World War I Category:Military personnel from the Rhine Province Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Category:German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States Category:Prussian Army personnel Category:Reichswehr personnel Category:Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Category:Himmerod meeting participants