Arno von Lenski

Arno Ernst Max von Lenski (20 July 1893 – 4 October 1986) was a German military officer and general who served in the Imperial German army, the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany, and after the war in the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic, where he was also a politician.

Early career Lenski was born in the East Prussian village of Czymochen to a landowning family; his mother was a teacher of Masurian descent. Starting in 1903 he was educated at the Cadet School Köslin, Farther Pomerania and the Hauptkadettenanstalt Lichterfelde (Berlin) in 1908. In 1912 Lenski joined the German Imperial Army and was promoted to a Fähnrich in the Grenadierregiment zu Pferde Nr. 3 (Mounted Grenadier Regiment No. 3) in Bromberg on 22 March 1912.

Lenski fought in World War I, initially as a platoon leader, and joined the staff of the Generalkommando z.b.V. 55 in 1915. After the end of the war Lenski served in the Weimar German Reichswehr and served in the Kavallerieregiment 6 in Demmin and Pasewalk and at the Cavalry School Hanover, where he was a subordinate of Wilhelm Keitel in 1921. In 1925 he became a teacher at the cavalry school and in 1929, now a Rittmeister, commanding officer of the 5. Squadron of the Reiterregiment 14 at Ludwigslust.

In September 1942 Lenski took over the command of the 24 Panzer Division, which fought near Stalingrad, and was promoted to a lieutenant general on 1 January 1943. After the defeat of Wehrmacht forces in the Battle of Stalingrad Lenski became a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union.

Soviet captivity Lenski was first imprisoned at Krasnogorsk and transferred to Suzdal in April 1943. After initial hesitation he joined the National Committee for a Free Germany and the Bund Deutscher Offiziere led by Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach on 7 May 1944.

German Democratic Republic After the foundation of the German Democratic Republic Lenski was formally acknowledged as a "Victim of Fascism" in October 1949

Beginning in 1954 Lenski was observed by the East German Secret Police (Stasi). In December 1957 the Socialist Unity Party of Germany decided to release Lenski from duty in the National People's Army and Lenski retired on 31 July 1958.

In 1952 Lenski became a member of the East German Parliament for the NDPD. After his retirement he joined several equestrian associations and was a member of the East German Olympic Committee and the executive board of the Society for German-Soviet Friendship and the East German Gymnastics and Sports Association. In 1964, he succeeded Otto Korfes as chairman of the .

Lenski died on 4 October 1986 and was buried at Strausberg.