Nazi Police Official. He served as the SS Obergruppenführer and General in the Waffen SS. Born Freiherr (Baron) Friedrich Karl von Eberstein into a noble military family in Saxony-Anhalt, he was educated in military schools. After service in World War I in the 17th Field Artillery Regiment, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Class, he joined a Freikorps, fighting in middle Germany and Silesia in 1919 and 1920 and then became a banker. He became an early member of the Nazi Party in 1922, though he broke with the party after the Beer Hall Putsch, only returning in 1929. He was one of the first officers in the SS, and was also a member of the SA for a short time. He was likely responsible for introducing Himmler to Heydrich, as his mother was Heydrich's godmother. He was the head of police in Munich from 1936 to 1942 and thus was in charge during Kristallnacht. He ordered that the police not interfere with anti-Jewish demonstrators taking part in the pogroms. In 1942 he added the role of head of the police in Nuremberg but was dismissed from his posts in 1945 for "defeatism." He testified at the Nuremberg Trials. After the war he returned to banking. He was investigated for war crimes but was never charged.
Nazi Police Official. He served as the SS Obergruppenführer and General in the Waffen SS. Born Freiherr (Baron) Friedrich Karl von Eberstein into a noble military family in Saxony-Anhalt, he was educated in military schools. After service in World War I in the 17th Field Artillery Regiment, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Class, he joined a Freikorps, fighting in middle Germany and Silesia in 1919 and 1920 and then became a banker. He became an early member of the Nazi Party in 1922, though he broke with the party after the Beer Hall Putsch, only returning in 1929. He was one of the first officers in the SS, and was also a member of the SA for a short time. He was likely responsible for introducing Himmler to Heydrich, as his mother was Heydrich's godmother. He was the head of police in Munich from 1936 to 1942 and thus was in charge during Kristallnacht. He ordered that the police not interfere with anti-Jewish demonstrators taking part in the pogroms. In 1942 he added the role of head of the police in Nuremberg but was dismissed from his posts in 1945 for "defeatism." He testified at the Nuremberg Trials. After the war he returned to banking. He was investigated for war crimes but was never charged.
Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert
Family Members
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