Adolf Hühnlein

Adolf Hühnlein (on the right side behind Hitler) 1933 at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Reichsautobahn

Adolf Hühnlein (November 12, 1881 Neustädtlein, Upper Franconia - June 18, 1942, Munich) was a German soldier and Nazi Party official. He was the Korpsführer (Corps Leader) of the National Socialist Motor Corps, the NSKK, from 1934 until his death in 1942.

He had been decorated with the Iron Cross Second Class and First Class in 1914, and was posthumously awarded the German Order on June 22, 1942.

All race car drivers were required to become members of the NSKK, which Himmler had moved into the SS following the curtailing of the SA. Hühnlein often presented the trophies at German Grand Prix races and made certain Nazi flags and bunting covered the victory tribunes. The most famous race car driver that had to answer to Hühnlein was Bernd Rosemeyer, who drove the Auto Union Silver Arrow. He was considered the best race car driver in the world in 1936. Although a member of the NSKK, Rosemeyer, like many drivers, did not respect Hühnlein or the NSKK, an organization the drivers were forced to join.

References

Axis Biographical Research (Archived 2009-10-24)

Photographs of Adolf Hühnlein's funeral