Helmuth Reymann

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Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) Helmuth Reymann was a German Army officer and the third to the last German commander of the Berlin Defense Area during the final assault by Soviet forces on the city of Berlin.

[edit] Berlin

On 6 March 1945, Lieutenant General Helmuth Reymann was contacted by German General Wilhelm Burgdorf. Burgdorf was German dictator Adolf Hitler's Chief Adjutant. Burgdorf indicated that Reymann was ordered to take command of the defenses of Dresden. After Reymann scoffed at this order, Burgdorf hung up the telephone. Burgdorf again contacted Reymann and this time indicated that he was ordered to take command of the Berlin Defense Area. In accepting this order, Reymann became one of the last three persons to be appointed as the commander of the Berlin Defense Area before the end of World War II. He was appointed to this position personally by Hitler. Reymann replaced Lieutenant General Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild. His appointment to this position was part of advance defensive preparations for the anticipated Battle of Berlin.

Prior to the encirclement of the city, Reymann reportedly urged Hitler to allow him to evacuate the underage population of Berlin. But he was rebuffed.

On 15 April, Reymann met with architect Albert Speer and General Gotthard Heinrici, Commander-in-Chief of Army Group Vistula, to discuss Hitler's scorched earth policy that Speer was clandestinely campaigning against. Although Reymann refused to side with Speer, he did promise to confer with Heinrici before destroying vital city infrastructure. Heinrici was also opposed to the scorched earth policy.

On 22 April, Hitler ordered Reymann to be replaced by Colonel Ernst Kaether. One day later Hitler changed his mind and made General of the Artillery (General der Artillerie) Helmuth Weidling the new commander of the Berlin Defense Area. Weidling remained in command to the end and surrendered the city to Soviet General Vasily Chuikov.