Erich Hilgenfeldt

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Georg Paul Erich Hilgenfeldt (born 2 July 1897 in Heinitz/Ottweiler; died likely in May 1945 in Berlin) was a German official and a high NSDAP government official.

[edit] Life

Georg Hilgenfeldt went to the Oberrealschule in Saarbrücken, whereafter he went to Halle until Obersekunda (roughly Grade or Year 11) on the "Frankesch" endowment. After school, he was first an office staffer in the timber industry and head of sales for a building business.

From 1928, Hilgenfeldt was a staffer at the "Reich Statistical Office". On 1 August 1929, he became an NSDAP member (no. 143642), and by 1932 he had become NSDAP Kreisleiter (District Leader) and by 1933 NSDAP Gauinspektor for Inspektion I Groß-Berlin.

He worked as office head at the NSDAP Office for People's Welfare and in close association with the Nationalsozialistische Vol kswohlfahrt (NSV). On 21 September 1933 he was appointed as Reich Commissioner for the Nazis' Winter Support Programme (Winterhilfswerk). Under Hilgenfeldt the programme was massively expanded, so that the régime deemed it worthy to be called the "greatest social institution in the world".

From November of the same year, Hilgenfeldt was a member of the Reich Work Chamber (Reichsarbeitskammer), as well as the Academy for German Law and Honorary Judge at the Supreme Honour and Disciplinary Court. As NSV leader, he was also Reich Women's Leader (Reichsfrauenführerin) Gertrud Scholtz-Klink's superior.

On 9 September 1937, Hilgenfeldt became SS member no. 289225, and then in 1939 a Brigadeführer in the Waffen-SS, and moreover a Main Office Leader.

In the course of his career, he was not only made an honorary judge, but also appointed Chairman of the Reich Association for Offender Support (Reichsverband für Straffälligenbetreuung). Furthermore, he was also awarded the Danziger Kreuz, First Class.

Since May 1945, Hilgenfeldt has been missing. He is thought to have committed suicide in Berlin.