Background
BISMARCK, Klaus was born on March 6, 1912 in Jarchlin. Son of Gottfried and Gertrud von Bismarck (nee Kahn).
BISMARCK, Klaus was born on March 6, 1912 in Jarchlin. Son of Gottfried and Gertrud von Bismarck (nee Kahn).
High School, Doberan, agricultural education (training).
Bismarck was a highly decorated Lieutenant Colonel (Oberstleutnant of the Reserves) in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. According to his memoirs published in 1992 he refused to obey Hitler"s Commissar Order to execute all captured Russian political Commissars attached to the Russian Army whilst serving as an adjutant on the Russian front in 1941.
(Gitta Sereny, "Albert Speer - his battle with truth, Macmillan 1995) He is a relative of Otto von Bismarck, Germany"s first Chancellor, and was the son of Gottfried von Bismarck (1881–1928), Lord of Jarchlin and Kniephof, family estates located in Pomerania.
Bismarck received an honorary Doctor of Theology degree (Doctor h c theology) from the University of Münster. Wehrmachtbericht reference Bibliography.
He was also the President of the German Evangelical Church Assembly from 1977 to 1979 and a member of its presidium from 1950 to 1995, as well as President of the Goethe Institute, 1977 to 1989.
Married Ruth-Alice von Wedemeyer in 1939.