August Zehender

August Zehender
Born	(1903-04-28)28 April 1903
Died	11 February 1945(1945-02-11) (aged 41) Budapest, Hungary
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Waffen SS
Rank	Brigadeführer
Service number	NSDAP #4,263,133 SS #224,219
Unit	SS Division Maria Theresia
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

August Friedrich Zehender (28 April 1903 – 11 February 1945) was a high ranking SS commander in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II and the commander of the SS Division Maria Theresia. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Zehender (center, looking up) on the Stairs of Death at Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp during a tour with Heinrich Himmler, June 1941.

Zehender was posted to the SS-Verfügungstruppe in 1935 (his NSDAP party number was 4263133 and his SS service number 224219). He was given command of a motorcycle battalion in the SS Division Das Reich. At the end of June 1941, Zehender was wounded on the Eastern Front at Losza. After his recovery he was posted to the SS Cavalry Brigade. In the spring of 1944, he was given command of the SS Division Maria Theresia, with which he fought at Budapest. He was killed in action on 11 February 1945 days later in Budapest.

Awards

• German Cross in Gold on 16 October 1942 as SS-Sturmbannführer in SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 2
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 10 March 1943 as SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of the SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 2.
  • 722nd Oak Leaves as SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS, and commander of the 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division "Maria Theresia"

References

Bibliography

• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)