Germany. A Period Studio Photo Of Ss-Gruppenführer Karl Demelhuber (Dkis)

Measuring 91x140mm, near mint condition. The picture postcard shows Demelhuber in the rank of SS-Gruppenführer and Lieutenant General of the Waffen-SS. He wears the Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class.

Footnote: Karl Demelhuber was born on May 27, 1896 in Freising, Bavaria. He served in the First War and afterwards in the Freikorps Epp. After leaving the army in 1920, he joined the Bavarian police. Demelhuber became a member of the NSDAP on February 20, 1922 (member no. 4,439), but is said to have not rejoined after the temporary outlawing of the party. Between 1933 and 1935 he was the adjutant of the police president of Munich. In 1935 he joined the SS as an SS-Obersturmbannführer and took command of 2nd Battalion of SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 3 “Deutschland” between late 1936 and late 1940 Demelhuber served as Commander of the SS-Standarte “Germania”. Between November 1940 and April 1941 he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Waffen-SS East in the General Government (occupied Poland) before being deployed to Finland in May where he became the Commander of the SS-Division “Nord”. In April of 1942 Demelhuber served as Commander-in-Chief of the Waffen-SS in the Netherlands. Between January and April 1945 he commanded the 16th SS Army Corps in Pomerania. At the end of the war Demelhuber held the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS. Among his decorations are the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class (1914 and 1939) and the German Cross in Silver. He died on March 18, 1988.