Wilhelm Zander

Wilhelm Zander
Born	22 April 1911 Saarbrücken
Died	27 September 1974(1974-09-27) (aged 63) Munich
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Schutzstaffel
Years of service	1933 to 1945
Rank	SS-Standartenführer
Awards	SA Sports Badge, Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class

Wilhelm Zander (22 April 1911 – 27 September 1974) was an adjutant to Martin Bormann during World War II.

Although he received only minimal education Zander built up business interests in Italy. However he abandoned these to take up a full-time post as a Nazi Party worker.^[1] In 1933, he joined the Schutzstaffel (SS) and later achieved the rank of SS-Standartenführer.^[2]

In early 1945, he accompanied Bormann and German leader Adolf Hitler to the Führerbunker in Berlin. On 29 April 1945, during the Battle of Berlin, Hitler dictated his last will and political testament. Three messengers were assigned to take the will and political testament out of the besieged city of Berlin to ensure their presence for posterity. The first messenger was deputy press attaché, Heinz Lorenz. The second messenager was Willy Johannmeyer, Hitler's army adjutant, and third was Zander. The three men left that day. Bormann had instructed Zander to carry the documents to Karl Doenitz.^[3]

By 30 April, with the Soviet Army less than 500 metres from the bunker complex, Hitler committed suicide.^[4] Zander made it through the Soviet Army encirclement of Berlin to the west.^[5] After the war ended, it was subsequently discovered that he had adopted the surname Paustin and worked as a gardener.^[6] He was captured under this name in the American occupation zone and as a consequence the copies of Hitler's will and testament went into the hands of the American and British forces. Thereafter, by January 1946, the texts of the documents had been published in the American and British press.^[7]

References

1. ↑ Trevor-Roper, Hugh, The Last Days of Hitler, Pan Macmillan, 2002, pp. 166-167
2. ↑ Trevor-Roper, The Last Days of Hitler, p. 166
3. ↑ Trevor-Roper, The Last Days of Hitler, p. 167
4. ↑ Joachimsthaler, Anton, The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, The Evidence, The Truth, Brockhampton Press, 1999, pp. 160–180
5. ↑ Joachimsthaler, The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, The Evidence, The Truth, p. 55
6. ↑ WashingtonPost.com: The Death of Hitler: The Full Story with New Evidence from Secret Russian Archives
7. ↑ Eckert, Astrid M., The Struggle for the Files: The Western Allies and the Return of German Archives After the Second World War, Cambridge University Press, 2012, p. 46

v t e Final occupants of the Führerbunker by date of departure (1945) 20 April Hermann Göring Heinrich Himmler 21 April Robert Ley 22 April Karl Gebhardt Julius Schaub Christa Schroeder Johanna Wolf Eckhard Christian 23 April Albert Bormann Theodor Morell Karl-Jesco von Puttkamer Joachim von Ribbentrop Albert Speer 24 April Walter Frentz 28 April Robert Ritter von Greim Hanna Reitsch Walter Wagner 29 April Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven Gerhard Boldt Rudolf Weiss Wilhelm Zander Heinz Lorenz Willy Johannmeyer 30 April Nicolaus von Below 1 May Wilhelm Mohnke Traudl Junge Gerda Christian Constanze Manziarly Else Krüger Otto Günsche Walther Hewel Ernst-Günther Schenck Hans-Erich Voss Johann Rattenhuber Peter Högl Werner Naumann Martin Bormann Heinz Linge Erich Kempka Hans Baur Georg Betz Ludwig Stumpfegger Artur Axmann Günther Schwägermann Ewald Lindloff Hans Reisser Armin D. Lehmann Josef Ochs Werner Schwiedel Heinz Krüger Heinrich Doose Gerhard Schach 2 May Rochus Misch Helmuth Weidling Hans Refior Theodor von Dufving Siegfried Knappe Still present on 2 May Erna Flegel Werner Haase Helmut Kunz Fritz Tornow Johannes Hentschel Committed suicide Alwin-Broder Albrecht Ernst-Robert Grawitz Adolf Hitler Eva Hitler (Eva Braun) Joseph Goebbels Magda Goebbels Wilhelm Burgdorf Hans Krebs Franz Schädle Executed Hermann Fegelein Killed Goebbels children Unknown Heinrich Müller