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Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten

1882 – 1944

German general

Farmer Resistance fighter Major general
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About Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten

Lived 1882 – 1944 (aged 61). Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten was a farmer, resistance fighter and major general.

Heinrich Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten (15 October 1882 – 14 September 1944) was a German major general and resistance fighter in the 20 July Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia. He was a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John, which was regarded with disfavour by the Nazis.

Early life Dohna-Schlobitten was born to Eberhard Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1846-1905) and his wife Elisabeth née Gräfin von Kanitz (1851-1936) in Waldburg (now Nikolajewka, Russia) near Königsberg, East Prussia, the son of a famous Prussian noble family. He grew up on his parents' estate near Königsberg, where he was strongly influenced by this mother's Christian faith. After graduating from high school in 1901, he began his career as a professional soldier and was already an ensign (Fahnenjunker) in the Prussian Army by 1901. In the First World War, he served as a General Staff officer (Generalstabsoffizier) in the 240th Infantry Division on the Western Front. He was released from the army as a Major in 1919. He subsequently became a member of the Baltische Landwehr but on ethical grounds he chose to leave the military and study agriculture. In 1920 he married Maria-Agnes von Borcke (1895-1983). He devoted himself to Tolksdorf, his wife's family estate. Later on he opposed Nazism and became active in the Confessing Church's Bruderrat ("brother council") in the old-Prussian Ecclesiastical Province of East Prussia.

World War II In 1939, Dohna-Schlobitten was remobilized as a General Staff officer and was appointed as Chief of Staff in Defence District I in Königsberg, later to be promoted to Chief of Staff, Army Group Centre. He acted as a corps leader in France, Norway and Finland.

Dohna-Schlobitten's last post was as major general and Chief of the Acting General Command in Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), before leaving the Wehrmacht at his own request in 1943.

Dohna was married to Maria-Agnes née von Borcke, with whom he had a daughter Ursula (1922-2022) and three sons, Lothar (1924-2021), Fabian (1926-2006) and Karl Albrecht (1921-1941). Maria-Agnes was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp after her arrest on 21 July 1944. She survived the war and died in 1983.

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Important facts

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Frequently asked questions

Who was Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten?

German general (1882–1944)

When was Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten born?

Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten was born on 15 October 1882 in Pribrezhniy (Kaliningrad).

When did Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten die?

Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten died on 14 September 1944 in Plötzensee Prison.

What was Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten's occupation?

Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten was a farmer, resistance fighter and major general.

What nationality was Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten?

Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten's recorded nationality: German Reich.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten

· Wikidata: Q96035

· DBpedia: Heinrich zu Dohna-Schlobitten

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten. https://biography.guide/heinrich-graf-zu-dohna-schlobitten/

MLA: "Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/heinrich-graf-zu-dohna-schlobitten/.

Chicago: "Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/heinrich-graf-zu-dohna-schlobitten/.

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