The Der Spiegel article mentions SD chief Colonel Engelke as a regular at the Madame Kleinknect's salon. He doesn't rate a Wikipedia entry, but there is a fascinating discussion thread about him on Axis History Forum, described as an apolitical forum for discussions on the Axis nations, as well as the First and Second World Wars. From information on the thread from three researchers, we can piece together a biography.
Friedrich Engelke, known as Fritz, was born in Hannover in 1900. He prospered as a merchant and textile trader. During the 1930s he joins the administrative division of the SS, or Schutzstaffel, the paramilitary organization run by Heinrich Himmler. In November 1940, Engelke is identified as an SS-Ustof, or second lieutenant, with the SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt, SS-WVHA, the organization responsible for managing finances, supply systems and business projects for the SS, according to Wikipedia. In June 1944, he has the higher rank of SS-Stubaf, or brigade leader.
He was stationed in Paris and placed in charge of the Buying and Distributing Office of Stocks and Commodities--sort of like the chief purchasing agent. One commenter notes that "it seems that he was corrupt and managed to loot a considerable amount of French property!"
A person by the same name was held as a prisoner in Dachau by the SS in April 1945. It is uncertain if it is the same one. However, there is also a suggestion that another SS officer who may have been his brother, Johann Engelke, was investigated for an unspecified relationship and was subsequently transferred to a military unit and reported missing in action.
After the war, Friedrich Engelke was convicted and sentenced in absentia for War crimes by the French on June 13, 1951. It was reported by another poster that he was still alive and residing in Hannover as of 1975.
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Fritz ENGELKE was the protector of millionaire textile merchant and collaborator Michel SZKOLNIKOFF, executed in Madrid by a 2ème bureau french comando on July 9th 1945.
ReplyDeleteMonsieur "Michel" was first arrested in Paris with his wife in 1943 by the Gestapo and freed after F Engelke intervened on his behalf. The same happened when Spanish police arrested him in Spain with 800 million Francs worth of jewelry.
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ReplyDeleteFritz /Friedrich ) Engelke war mit Margot Engelke / geb Schmauch verheiratet. Margot Engelke war die Cousine meines vaters Karl Schmauch. Im Krieg war diese Margot - weil in Hannover ausgebombt in Solz bei ihrem Onkel Heinrich Schmauch untergebracht. Es wurde von meinen Eltern Karl und Irngard Schmauch immmer erzählt/berichtet dass dieser Friedrich Engelke SS-Sturmbannführer war und in Paris tätig war und von dort ganze fertighäuser als Kriegsbeute nach Hannover transportierte. In einem dieser Häuser waren der vater von Margot Schmauch mit seiner Frau Emma untergebracht. In Hannover haben beide Friedrich Engelke bis 1981 und Margot bis 2001 gelebt. Sie sollen dort soziel engagiert gewesen sein mit verschiedenen Projekten ( Brunnen und Kirchturmuhr ) ( Wiedergutmachung ? )Margot Engelke hat ihr vermögen der Stadt Hannover vermacht. Heute gibt es aus diesem vermögen die Margot Engelke Stiftung und ein Senioren heim. Die Ehe blieb kinderlos. Gegenüber meiner Mutter äusserte Margot, dass sie nie Kinder haben wollte.
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ReplyDeletegestorben ist Engelke 1981 in Hannover
ReplyDeletemehr finden wir auch im Buch von Tom Wall
Hitlers Hostages
ISBN 978 1 52678 585 5
ich stelle im Augenblick einiges zusammen im Fall Engelke
Kontakt zu mir unter
buw@schmauch.org
wenn möglichauf deutsch