Anton Grasser

Anton Grasser (3 November 1891 – 3 November 1976) was a German general during World War II who commanded several corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Grasser joined the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guards) in 1951, retiring in 1953.

Anton Grasser
Born	3 November 1891
Died	3 November 1976 (aged 85)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany  West Germany
Service/branch	Army Bundesgrenzschutz
Rank	General of the Infantry
Commands held	25th Infantry Division LVI. Panzerkorps XXVI. Armeekorps LXXII. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Other work	Police Officer

In the 1950s, Grasser was involved in organizing an illegal underground army set up by Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS veterans in the event of a Soviet invasion of West Germany.[1] Grasser's role, as inspector general of the police and border police, was to provide this secret army with weapons from the police force in case of war. Grasser was connected to it through Albert Schnez, its leader, who had been Grasser's employer in the first post-war years.[2]

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (18 June 1915) & 1st Class (6 June 1916)[3]
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (21 May 1940) & 1st Class (8 June 1940)[3]
• German Cross in Gold on 11 March 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 25. Infanterie-Division[4]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 16 June 1940 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 119[5]
  • Oak Leaves on 5 December 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 25. Panzergrenadier-Division[6]
• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1953)

References

Citations

1. Wiegrefe, Klaus (14 May 2014). "Files Uncovered: Nazi Veterans Created Illegal Army". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
2. Das Gupta, Oliver (11 May 2014). "Wehrmachts- und SS-Veteranen planten Geheimarmee" [Wehrmacht and SS veterans planned secret army]. Sueddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 16 October 2018.
3. Thomas 1997, p. 215.
4. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 146.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 168.
6. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 65.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.