Bernhard Elsner

Bernhard Elsner (30 January 1927 – 24 July 2017 ) was a Major general in the East German Ministry for State Security (Stasi). During the course of a long career with the quasi-military ministry, between 1972 and 1987 he was Commander of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Life Bernhard Elsner was born in Königsberg, the capital of East Prussia which at that time was part of Germany. His father was a coachman. When he was six the Nazi Party took power in Germany. By the time he was thirteen war had resumed. He attended middle school locally before undertaking a traineeship, between 1941 and 1944, as a machine fitter. He undertook his National Labour Service in 1944 and then, towards the end of the year, volunteered for military service. He was captured in 1945 and spent 1945 to 1949 in a Soviet prisoner of war camp. emerging with a degree in military sciences. On 6 February 1976 the Chairman of the National Defense Council promoted Elsner to the rank of Major general. In 1987, after fifteen years in command of the regiment, he was transferred to the Ministry's Main Training Department, where he served as an officer for "special projects" ("Sonderaufgaben").