Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin
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Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist (2009)
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| Born | 10 July 1922 Schmenzin, Province of Pomerania, German Reich (now Smęcino, Poland)
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| Died | 8 March 2013 (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Wehrmacht Officer (1940–44) Publisher |
| Spouse(s) | Gundula von Kleist (1960–2013; his death) |
| Parent(s) | Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin |
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin (born 1922, died 2013) was a German publisher. He also helped start an important meeting called the Munich Security Conference. During World War II, he was an officer in the German army. His family was part of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler. Ewald-Heinrich was the last person alive who was involved in the 20 July 1944 plot to try and remove Hitler from power.
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Early Life and Family Values
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist was born in 1922. His family lived on a large estate called Gut Schmenzin in Pomerania, which is now part of Poland. His family believed in a king or queen ruling the country, not a dictator.
His father, Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin, strongly disagreed with Nazi ideas even before World War II began. Ewald-Heinrich grew up learning these values. Like his father, he disliked Hitler and the Nazis from a young age.
A terrible event in 1934, called the "Night of the Long Knives", made him hate the Nazi government even more. During this event, many people who disagreed with Hitler were killed.
Joining the Army in World War II
In 1940, when he was 18 years old, Ewald-Heinrich joined the Wehrmacht, which was the German army. He became an infantry officer. He fought on the Eastern Front near Lake Ladoga and was hurt in July 1943.
While he was getting better in Potsdam, a man named Claus von Stauffenberg asked him to join the resistance. The resistance was a secret group trying to stop Hitler.
Ewald-Heinrich was supposed to show Hitler new army uniforms. He planned to hide explosives in his briefcase. He thought he might even survive if the bomb went off in his hands. However, Hitler kept delaying the uniform demonstration, so the plan could not happen.
The 20 July 1944 Plot
On 20 July 1944, Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist was 22 years old. He was one of the youngest people helping with the plot to remove Hitler from power. The plan was to set off a bomb at Hitler's headquarters, the Wolf's Lair.
Ewald-Heinrich was part of the group in Berlin that would take over if the bomb succeeded. But the bomb did not kill Hitler. After the plot failed, Ewald-Heinrich managed to hide his involvement. The investigation against him was stopped in December 1944.
This saved him from a trial that would have likely ended in a death sentence. Many others involved in the plot, including his own father, were killed. Ewald-Heinrich was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp for a while. Then he was sent back to fight on the front lines until the war ended.
Life After the War
After World War II, Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist lost his home. His family's land in Pomerania became part of Poland, and all Germans living there had to leave. He then started a publishing business in West Germany. His company, Ewald-von-Kleist-Verlag, became a very important German publishing house.
He also joined a Protestant group called the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg). His father had also been a member of this group. Ewald-Heinrich became a Knight of Honour in 1957 and a Knight of Justice in 1975.
In 1962, Von Kleist started a meeting in Munich called the Wehrkundetagung. This meeting later became known as the Munich Conference on Security Policy. He led this conference until he retired in 1998. This meeting was very important during the Cold War. Today, it is a place where leaders, politicians, and military experts from around the world discuss international safety issues.
In 1991, he received an award from the US Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. This was for his work in making the relationship between Europe and America stronger. When he retired from the Munich conference in 1998, eight defense ministers from NATO countries came to honor him.
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist continued to be active in German public life. He often shared his opinions on topics like the German armed forces and reducing nuclear weapons.
His Passing
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist died at his home in Munich on 8 March 2013. He was 90 years old.
In Media
- Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin was interviewed in a British TV show from 1973 called The World at War.
- In a German movie from 2004, Stauffenberg, an actor named Sebastian Rüger played Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin.
See also
In Spanish: Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin para niños
- Assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler
- The Kleist family
