A rare photograph of Croatian Volksgruppenführer Branimir Altgayer (on the right) as a squadron commander in the SS Cavalry Division (later named "Florian Geyer") on the Eastern Front. The reason for sending this high official (who was also a state secretary) to the front is unknown; it is possible that it was disciplinary (since Altgayer was often disobedient, and was considered a weak leader), or for propaganda purposes, so that he would affect and increase the otherwise poor ethnic German response to recruitment, with a personal example (upon his return from the front, he did indeed declare the full mobilisation of Croatian Germans). In any case, this part of his career is being ignored in his biographies, for reasons unknown. The SS Cavalry Division participated in many actions against the Soviet partisans in the period in which Altgayer served in it (May–August 1943) – as did he himself, for which he was awarded too (in July), with the Iron Cross 2nd Class. In the photo, Altgayer is being addressed (not in a soft tone obviously) by the head of the Ethnic German Central, SS-Obergruppenführer Werner Lorenz (on the left); far in the background (in a light tunic), partially visible, is the division commander, SS-Brigadeführer Hermann Fegelein. This division largely consisted of ethnic Germans, and it spent a brief time in Yugoslavia as well, near Osijek, during winter 1943/44.
Text: Ivan Ž.
Photographer: unknown.
Date: summer 1943.
Date: summer 1943.
Location: unknown, Soviet Union.
Original caption: "SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Police Lorenz in conversation with the Croatian Volksgruppenführer Altgayer, who serves as a squadron commander in an SS cavalry division."
File source: NIOD / Beeldbank WO2, 32222.
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Retka fotografija hrvatskog folksgrupenfirera Branimira Altgajera (desno) kao komandira jednog eskadrona Konjičke SS-divizije (kasnije nazvane "Florijan Gajer") na Istočnom frontu. Razlog slanja ovog visokog funkcionera (koji je bio i državni sekretar) na front nije poznat; moguće je da je bio disciplinski (jer je Altgajer često bio neposlušan, i smatran mlakim vođom), ili propagande radi, ne bi li ličnim primerom uticao i povisio inače slab odziv folksdojčera na regrutaciju (po povratku sa fronta, on i jeste proglasio opštu mobilizaciju hrvatskih Nemaca). U svakom slučaju, ovaj deo njegove karijere se iz nepoznatih razloga zaobilazi u njegovim biografijama. Konjička SS-divizija je u periodu u kojem je Altgajer služio u njoj (maj–avgust 1943) učestvovala u mnogobrojnim akcijama protiv sovjetskih partizana – kao i on lično, za šta je i odlikovan (u julu), Gvozdenim krstom II reda. Na slici, Altgajeru se obraća (očigledno ne blagim tonom) šef Folksdojčerske centrale, SS-obergrupenfirer Verner Lorenc (levo); sasvim nazad (u svetloj bluzi) delimično se vidi i komandant divizije, SS-brigadefirer Herman Fegelajn. Ova divizija je dobrim delom bila sastavljena od folksdojčera, a provela je jedno kraće vreme i u Jugoslaviji, kod Osijeka, zime 1943/44.
Tekst: Ivan Ž.
Fotograf: nepoznat.
Datum: leto 1943.
Datum: leto 1943.
Mesto: nepoznato, Sovjetski Savez.
Originalni natpis: "SS-obergrupenfirer i general policije Lorenc u razgovoru sa hrvatskim folksgrupenfirerom Altgajerom, koji služi u jednoj konjičkoj SS-diviziji kao komandir eskadrona."
Izvor fajla: NIOD / Beeldbank WO2, 32222.
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