Wilhelm Brückner

Wilhelm Friedrich Brückner (11 December 1884 – 20 August 1954) was a German military officer who served as Adolf Hitler's chief adjutant from 1930 to October 1940. Thereafter, Brückner joined the Heer (army), becoming an Oberst (colonel) by war's end. He died on 20 August 1954 in West Germany.

Life Brückner was born and raised in Baden-Baden. He did his Abitur there in 1905. During his military trial, Rudolf Diels testified against Brückner, recalling that in 1933, an execution order against a thousand imprisoned communists had been relayed to Diels from Hitler through Brückner. Diels claimed he was able to negotiate against this by conferring with Hitler and Hermann Göring, accusing Brückner, then a superior officer to him, of having failed to do the same in similar instances. On 14 September 1948, Brückner was classified as a major offender, sentenced to three and a half years in a labor camp, and had part of his assets confiscated.

Following his release, Brückner lived alone in Herbsdorf, part of Nußdorf in Bavaria, where he died on 20 August 1954.

Decorations and awards Military Merit Cross (Bavaria) 2nd Class with Crown and Swords, 1915 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class, 1917 1918 Wound Badge in Black, 1918 Honour Chevron for the Old Guard, February 1934 The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords, 1934 Blood Order #7, 1934 Coburg Badge, 1936 Golden Party Badge, 1938 Anschluss Medal, 1938 Sudetenland Medal, 1939 Memel Medal, 1939 Clasp to the Sudetenland Medal, 1939