Hans Röttiger

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Hans Röttiger (16 April 1896 – 15 April 1960) was a German career military officer who served in four German states: the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr, the Wehrmacht, and the Bundeswehr. He became the first Inspector of the Army in West Germany.

Life
- He joined the Prussian Army in 1914 and fought in World War I as a lieutenant in the 20th Artillery Regiment.
- After the war, he held roles in the Reichswehr as a battery officer, adjutant, and battery chief, and later served on the General Staff of the Wehrmacht.
- In World War II, he held several senior staff positions: Chief of Operations for VI Corps (1939–1940); Chief of Staff of XXXXI Corps (1940–1942); Chief of Staff of the 4th Panzer Army on the Eastern Front (including at Stalingrad); then Chief of Staff of the 4th Army (1943–1944) and of Army Group A (1944–1945), later serving Army Group C in Italy under Kesselring. He was promoted to General der Panzertruppe on 30 January 1945.
- After the war, he was a prisoner of war held by the British and Americans until 1948. In 1950 he participated in the Himmerod memorandum discussions that helped shape a new German defense force.

Bundeswehr
- He joined the Bundeswehr in 1956 with the rank of Generalleutnant. On 21 September 1957 he became the first Inspector of the Army, playing a key role in building the new West German army.

Death
- Röttiger was diagnosed with cancer in the late 1950s and died on 15 April 1960 in Bonn, one day before his 64th birthday.

Awards
- Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class; Hanseatic Cross (Hamburg); Honour Cross of World War I with Swords; Wehrmacht Long Service Award (4th to 1st Class); Anschluss Medal; Sudetenland Medal; German Cross in Gold (1942).