Andreas Bolek

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Andreas Bolek
Police President of Magdeburg
In office
7 November 1938 – 5 May 1945
Gauleiter of Upper Austria
In office
June 1927 – 25 July 1934
Preceded byAlfred Proksch
Deputy Gauleiter of Upper Austria
In office
29 August 1926 – June 1927
Preceded byPosition established
Additional positions
1934–1945Honorary Gauleiter
1936–1945Reichstag Deputy
Personal details
Born(1894-05-03)3 May 1894
Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei [de], (DNSAP)
OccupationBusinessman
Civilian awardsGolden Party Badge
Military service
Allegiance Austria-Hungary
 Nazi Germany
Branch/serviceAustro-Hungarian Army
Schutzstaffel
Years of service1914-1918
1937-1945
RankLeutnant
Brigadeführer
Unit30th Infantry Regiment
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
Military awardsWar Merit Cross

Andreas Bolek (3 May 1894 – 5 May 1945) was an

Second World War, he committed suicide when Allied forces
entered Magdeburg.

Early life

The son of a teacher, Bolek was born at Weinbergen (today,

Battle of the Piave River. Promoted to Leutnant, he was decorated for bravery. After the end of the war, he returned to Linz in 1919, where he married and later had four daughters. From 1923 to June 1933, he was employed at the Linz Electricity and Tram Company (ESG), where he became the general personnel manager and sat on the administrative board.[1]

Political career in Austria

Also in 1923, Bolek joined the

Engelbert Dollfuß outlawed the Party and Bolek fled across the German border to Passau.[2]

Career in Nazi Germany

Bolek continued his Party activities in Passau and also in Munich where he was assigned to the Nazi Party's department that managed the Austrian Landesleitung (state leadership). He was involved in orchestrating cross-border violence and, as a result, the Austrian government revoked his citizenship in August 1933.[4] After the failed July Putsch against the Dollfuß government in 1934, the Party in Austria was driven further underground, and its Gau organizations were effectively dismantled as Hitler began a policy of more outward accommodation with Austria.[5] Bolek effectively was removed as Gauleiter of Upper Austria on 25 July. However, he was granted the title of Honorary Gauleiter. He also became a naturalized German citizen on 1 August 1935.[6] On 29 March 1936, Bolek was elected as a Reichstag deputy for constituency 33 (Hesse).[7]

On 9 November 1937, Bolek joined the SS (SS number 289,210) with the rank of SS-Brigadeführer and was assigned to the staff of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler.[8] On 1 December 1937, he was made the administrator of the Magdeburg police department and was named Police President on 7 November 1938. On 5 December 1938, his SS posting was changed to the SD Main Office, the Nazi Party intelligence service that became part of the Reich Security Main Office run by SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich. On 24 January 1939, Bolek was appointed as an honorary judge at the People's Court for a term of five years. He was granted the additional title of Generalmajor of police on 8 February 1944, and also was awarded the War Merit Cross that year.[2]

Bolek remained at his post in Magdeburg throughout the

Elbe River, and Bolek led his police forces (Polizeiregiment Bolek) in the final defense of the city.[9] By 5 May 1945, the Red Army
forces marched into Magdeburg from the eastern bank of the Elbe, whereupon Bolek shot himself rather than surrender.

References

  1. ^ Höffkes 1986, p. 32.
  2. ^ a b c Höffkes 1986, p. 33.
  3. ^ Land Oberösterreich, Geschichte und Geografie
  4. ^ Land Oberösterreich, Geschichte und Geografie
  5. ^ Pauley 1981, pp. 141, 143.
  6. ^ "Andreas Bolek (1894–1945)" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  7. ^ Andreas Bolek entry in the Reichstag Database
  8. ^ Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 2000, p. 12.
  9. ^ Magdeburg Chronik: Magdeburg under National Socialism Retrieved 29 February 2024

Sources

External links

Further reading