Kurt Meyer (Panzermeyer)
| Kurt Meyer | |
|---|---|
Meyer in 1943
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Panzer Meyer |
| Born |
23 December 1910 Jerxheim, German Empire |
| Died | 23 December 1961 (aged 51) Hagen, West Germany |
| Allegiance | |
| Service/branch |
 Waffen-SS
|
| Years of service | 1930–45 |
| Rank | Brigadeführer |
| Service number | |
| Commands held | SS Division Hitlerjugend |
| Battles/wars |
See battles
|
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
| Other work | Spokesperson for HIAG, Waffen-SS lobby group |
Anschluss Occupation of Czechoslovakia
Kurt Meyer (23 December 1910 – 23 December 1961) was a high-ranking member in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany who commanded SS Division Hitlerjugend during World War II. He participated in the Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa, and the Battle of Normandy, among others, and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.
Meyer was convicted of war crimes for his role in the Ardenne Abbey massacre, the killing of Canadian prisoners of war in Normandy. He was sentenced to death; the sentence was later commuted to life in prison. Meyer was one of the last German war criminals to be released from prison.
After his release, Meyer became active in HIAG, a revisionist organisation and lobby group of former high-ranking Waffen-SS men. He was described by historians as a leading Waffen-SS apologist and the organisation's most effective spokesperson, depicting the majority of the Waffen-SS as apolitical, recklessly brave fighters, who were not involved in the crimes of the Nazi regime.
Born in 1910, Kurt Meyer came from a lower-class family. In 1914, his father joined the army and served as an NCO in World War I. Meyer joined the Nazi Party in September 1930 and the SS in October 1931. In May 1934, he was posted to the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). In September 1936, Meyer was promoted to SS-Obersturmführer, and appointed to command the LSSAH's anti-tank unit. With the LSSAH, Meyer took part in the annexation of Austria and in the occupation of Czechoslovakia.
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