Rudolf Witzig


Rudolf Witzig was a German Fallschirmjäger during World War II and Oberst in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the [Iron Cross with Oak Leaves]. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Witzig fought in the German attack against the Belgian fortress Fort Eben-Emael.

Early life and career

Witzig, the son of an engineer, was born on 14 August 1916 in Röhlinghausen, present-day a borough of Herne, at the time in the Province of Westphalia of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1927, the family moved to Kiel where Witzig graduated from a Realgymnasium—a secondary school built on the mid-level Realschule to achieve the Abitur.
Witzig volunteered for military service in the Wehrmacht on 1 April 1935, as a Fahnenjunker, joining Pionier-Bataillon 16 at Höxter. Starting in February 1936, he attended the Kriegsschule at Dresden.

Later life

Witzig re-joined the military service in the newly created Bundeswehr of the Federal Republic of Germany on 16 January 1956. He retired on 30 September 1974 holding the rank of Oberst. From 1980 to 1988, he served as president of the Bund Deutscher Fallschirmjäger.

Awards