325th Security Division (Wehrmacht)
325th Security Division (325. Sicherungs-Division) was a German army unit that operated in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. It was created in August 1942 and first led by Generalmajor Walter Brehmer. In May 1943 command passed to Lieutenant General Hans Freiherr von Boineburg-Lengsfeld, who also served as the official commander of Greater Paris.
The division’s job was to defend Paris and the surrounding area. Boineburg-Lengsfeld supported the military governor of France, Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, in the attempted 20 July 1944 coup against Hitler.
On July 20, 1944, after learning Hitler was alive and the coup was underway, Stülpnagel ordered the arrest of about 1,200 SS personnel in Paris. The division’s Security Regiment 1 carried out the arrests, imprisoning the men in Fresnes Prison and Fort de l’Est. Senior SS leaders, including Carl Oberg, were detained at the Hotel Continental awaiting execution.
The coup failed when it was learned Hitler was alive, and the SS men were released. The 325th Security Division surrendered to Allied forces during the Liberation of Paris and was disbanded soon after. It was the only Security Division to serve on the European Western Front.
The division consisted of several security units, including Security Regiment 1.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:08 (CET).