Generalleutnant Willibald BOROWIETZ

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LETTERS OF A KNIGHTS CROSS WEHRMACHT GENERAL

THE PRISONER OF WAR
CORRESPONDENCE AND
PHOTOGRAPHS OF AFRIKAKORPS
WEHRMACHT GENERALLEUTNANT
WILLIBALD ERICH FRANZ JOSEF
BOROWIETZ, WINNER OF THE
KNIGHT’S CROSS AND THE OAK
LEAVES TO THE KNIGHT’S CROSS

This web page is one of three. The second page consists of English translations of General Borowietz' POW correspondence. The third page recaps his German Army and Afrikakorps military career.

The newspaper report above is from the Völkischer Beobachter of 15 May 1943. The pictures above left show General Borowietz reviewing a Wehrmacht Regiment on the grounds of the Theresienwiese in central Munich, the site where the annual Oktoberfest is held.

GENERALLEUTNANT WILLIBALD [Willibald Erich Franz Josef] BOROWIETZ was born 17 September 1893 in Ratibor, Germany, and was killed in an auto accident in Clinton, Mississippi on 1 July 1945. He is the highest-ranking German POW buried at Fort Benning, GA. He served with distinction during the invasion of Poland, the Soviet Union and as a General in the Afrikakorps. He was the recipient of many medals and honors including the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

This very rare grouping consists of virtually all the correspondence between the widowed German Afrikakorps General Willibald Borowietz and the woman who took care of, and was the legal guardian of his two daughters while Borowietz was a Prisoner of War in America from 1943 to 1945. All of the correspondence was inspected German and/or American censors and yet it still provides a rare and fascinating glimpse into the mind and thoughts of a very high-ranking World War II German General and gentleman.

Borowietz was in reality an old old-school German General but he was also a very loyal soldier of the Führer, and even as a POW his writings indicate that he was perfectly committed to a Nazi victory. His letters make a strong point always about his “beliefs”, Germany and “We know what we are fighting for!”

He was happy to hear that one of his daughters was engaged to marry a wounded German Officer, and gave his blessing. He described the circumstances of his incarceration, asked to be sent uniform items, and sent his medals home to Germany for safekeeping. He got a new glass eye, attended to his legal and banking matters and gave gifts to people in Germany while a prisoner in America. In one of the many great ironies of World War II, General Willibald Borowietz was killed in a car accident in Mississippi in July of 1945 before he could be repatriated to Germany. He is buried at Fort Benning.

All in all this is a spectacular grouping from a well-documented Nazi General consisting of 5 postcards, 24 letters, 8 original photographs (including a 7 x 9-3/8 inch portrait of Borowietz wearing his Afrikakorps uniform and his Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves), and one Nazi newspaper. The newspaper includes a photo and news article stating that Adolf Hitler had awarded Borowietz the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.

Generalleutnant Borowietz POW letter translations - click HERE.

Generalleutnant Borowietz career and award information - click HERE.

This rare Nazi Borowietz POW grouping is offered for sale
for $2350.00 delivered worldwide.

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