Otto Herfurth

Otto Herfurth (22 January 1893 – 29 September 1944) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Herfurth was executed as a conspirator in the 20 July Plot.

Herfurth was born in Hasserode in 1893. He joined the Imperial German Army in 1915, fought in World War I as a Leutnant and served as a battalion adjutant. At the end of the war, he remained in the Reichswehr as a career officer. He was an adjutant in the Reich War Ministry from 1935 to 1938. During World War II, he was a department head in OKH, a regimental commander and the chief of staff to Military Districts V (Stuttgart) and III (Berlin), successively.

Herfurth initially supported the coup attempt against Adolf Hitler, but later during the evening changed sides. Nevertheless, on 14 August 1944, he was arrested and was tried by the People's Court. He was hanged on 29 September 1944 along with to Joachim Meichssner, Fritz von der Lancken, Wilhelm-Friedrich zu Lynar and Joachim Sadrozinski at Plötzensee Prison in Berlin.

Awards and decorations Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class 1st Class Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg Military Merit Cross, 3rd class with War Decoration (Austria-Hungary) Wound Badge in Black (1914) Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class 1st Class Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 September 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 117