Georg Wilhelm Postel (25 April 1896 - 20 September 1953) was a German general of the infantry who served in the Imperial German Army during World War I, the Reichswehr in the interwar period, and the Wehrmacht during World War II, achieving the rank of Generalleutnant. He is best known for his command roles on the Eastern Front, where he led infantry regiments and divisions in intense defensive and offensive operations against Soviet forces, earning the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the highest military decorations of Nazi Germany. Postel commanded the 320th Infantry Division through several key battles in Ukraine and Russia, and later briefly led the XXX Army Corps in Romania before his capture by the Red Army in 1944. Convicted as a war criminal by Soviet authorities in 1949, he died in captivity from tuberculosis. His military career spanned over three decades, marked by steady promotions, tactical acumen in crisis situations, and personal involvement in frontline actions that often resulted in wounds.
Born on 25 April 1896 in Zittau, Saxony, in the German Empire, Postel was the son of Georg Gustav Paul Eugen Postel, a retired Oberstleutnant and managing director, and his wife Sophie, nee Schroeder, who passed away on 3 April 1914. His father remarried on 5 February 1919 to Waleska Agnes Grimm, a teacher in Berlin, and died on 21 November 1943 from stomach cancer in Wiesbaden. Little is known about Postel's early education, but he entered military service at the age of 18, enlisting as a Fahnenjunker in the Saxon Army on 20 August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I. He initially joined the 3rd Company of the Pomeranian Infantry Regiment Graf Schwerin Number 14 before transferring to the 10th Royal Saxon Infantry Regiment Number 134. Promoted to Leutnant on 3 April 1915 (with the patent dated 29 May 1915), he participated in trench warfare on the Western Front, attending specialized courses such as a gas protection course from 12 to 15 July 1915 and a field pioneer service course from 9 to 23 January 1916. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Royal Saxon Military Saint Heinrich's Order on 21 July 1915 and the Knight's Cross Second Class with Swords of the Royal Saxon Albrecht's Order on 30 August 1916. Serving in roles like battalion adjutant from 4 September 1916 and court officer from 7 September 1916, he also attended an Army Gas School course from 11 to 16 June 1917. By May 1918, he was an ordnance officer at the regimental staff and later detailed to the staff of the 46th Reserve Infantry Brigade. During the war, he earned both classes of the Iron Cross and the Wound Badge in Black.
Following the armistice, Postel remained in the military during the turbulent postwar period, serving as an ordnance and court officer in the staff of Border Jager Detachment 2 from early March 1919. He transitioned to the provisional Reichswehr and, by April 1920, was a platoon leader in the 1st Company of Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 24. As the Reichswehr was reduced to 100,000 men, he was assigned to the 10th Saxon Infantry Regiment, where he served as a company officer for several years. His personal life during this time included the birth of his son Joachim on 21 June 1921 in Bautzen and daughter Renate on 13 May 1922. His seniority as Leutnant was backdated to 1 September 1915 on 1 July 1922. By spring 1923, he was in the 5th Company in Bautzen, attending a physical training course from 16 January to 13 June 1924 and a machine gun course from 8 July to 6 August 1924. He trained as a driving and equipment instructor from 29 September to 23 October 1924 and was promoted to Oberleutnant on 31 July 1925 (backdated to 1 April 1925). His daughter Gisela was born on 21 July 1926. On 1 October 1926, he transferred to the staff of the 4th Division in Dresden for two-year leader assistant training, participating in exercise trips including one to the Riesengebirge from 5 to 12 February 1928. Returning to the 8th Machine Gun Company of the 11th Saxon Infantry Regiment in Leipzig on 1 October 1928, he attended an air raid protection course from 10 to 24 May 1930 and was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 November 1930, becoming chief of that company. He attended a heavy infantry weapons shooting course from 6 to 20 October 1931 and resided at Heerstrasse 7 in Leipzig-Mockern in 1932. Postel left active service on 28 March 1933, with his activities until 1 April 1934 unknown, possibly involving service in the Soviet Union. He was reinstated as Hauptmann on 1 April 1934, assigned to the 11th Saxon Infantry Regiment as chief of the 17th Machine Gun Company in the Training Battalion in Dobeln. With the military expansion, his unit became Infantry Regiment Leipzig on 1 October 1934, and he led the 4th Machine Gun Company. His first marriage ended in divorce on 10 October 1934, and he married Dr. phil. Irmgard Liebster, nee Rabe, a school principal in Leipzig, on 21 September 1935. On 15 October 1935, his unit was renamed Infantry Regiment 101 in Dobeln. Promoted to Major on 1 December 1935 (backdated to 5 May 1935), he was detailed as an instructor at the War School in Munich on 1 April 1936, officially transferring on 6 October 1936. His daughter Heidi was born on 5 June 1937 in Munich, and he was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1939, residing at Kadettenstrasse 1 in Munich.
At the start of World War II in September 1939, Postel was appointed commander of the II Battalion of Infantry Regiment 109 in the 35th Infantry Division, holding positions on the Western Front. On 11 January 1940, he transferred to command the II Battalion of Infantry Regiment 433, and on 30 April 1940, just before the invasion of France, he took over the I Battalion of Infantry Regiment 364, leading it during the campaign starting in early May 1940. After Oberst Kurt Heyser was wounded, Postel briefly served as deputy commander of Infantry Regiment 47 in the 22nd Infantry Division. On 5 July 1940, he was tasked with leading Infantry Regiment 364, officially becoming its commander on 26 September 1940. He was awarded the War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords on 6 October 1940. In the summer of 1941, during Operation Barbarossa, he commanded the regiment as part of the 161st Infantry Division in the advance into central Russia. He received the Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class on 10 July 1941 and First Class on 17 August 1941. Tragically, his son Leutnant Joachim Postel was severely wounded on 5 September 1941 near Aladynski while serving in the 6th Company of Schutzen-Regiment 101 and died that day from his injuries at Sanitäts-Kompanie 2/88, buried in the soldiers' cemetery in Bobowja. Postel was promoted to Oberst on 1 December 1941 (backdated to 1 November 1940). During the harsh winter defensive battles in the Rzhev sector from 1941 to 1942, his regiment played a crucial role in holding Soviet offensives, earning him the German Cross in Gold on 28 February 1942 (noted as Georg Postei in some records), the Infantry Assault Badge on 7 March 1942, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 August 1942 for actions including commanding units to close a Soviet penetration south of Wosszino on 4-5 February 1942. He also received the Eastern Medal and the Silver Wound Badge on 23 August 1942. Relinquishing command of Infantry Regiment 364 on 24 August 1942, he was placed in the OKH leader reserve.
On 26 November 1942, Postel was tasked with leading the 320th Infantry Division, stationed on the Channel Coast in France, and was promoted to Generalmajor effective 1 January 1943, officially appointed division commander. Transferred to the southern Eastern Front in January 1943, his division faced overwhelming Soviet assaults between the Don and Donets rivers in mid-January, defending isolated positions and repulsing attacks while withdrawing through a nine-day breakthrough battle, destroying several Soviet battlegroups, including a reinforced rifle regiment on 10 February 1943, and reaching German lines on 13 February 1943. Postel led from the front, suffering severe wounds during reconnaissance, and was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 14 February 1943 for this exemplary leadership. He received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 28 March 1943 as the 215th recipient. Evaluations from superiors like General Erhard Raus, General der Panzertruppen Werner Kempf, and Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein praised his tactical excellence and commitment in crisis situations. Due to illness, he relinquished command on 26 May 1943, with Oberst Kurt Ropke as deputy, but returned on 20 August 1943 to resume command, succeeding Ropke. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 September 1943, he led the division in the battles for Kharkov in the fall of 1943 and the winter retreat to the Dnieper River in 1943-1944, including operations near Belgorod in summer 1943 and Kremenchug in winter. The division distinguished itself at Cherkassy in early 1944, earning another Wehrmachtbericht mention on 19 January 1944. Postel was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 26 March 1944 as the 57th recipient for these campaigns. Superiors such as General der Panzertruppe Nikolaus von Vormann, General der Infanterie Otto Wohler, and Generaloberst Ferdinand Schorner commended his initiative, bravery, and troop leadership, recommending him for higher command.
Transferred to the OKH leader reserve on 10 July 1944, Postel assumed command of the XXX Army Corps in Romania on 16 July 1944. Following Romania's defection to the Allies and the collapse of German lines, he led the corps, along with the 306th and 15th Infantry Divisions and the 13th Panzer Division, in sacrificial battles against superior Soviet forces. He was severely wounded on 31 August 1944 at the Pruth River in Bessarabia, suffering a lung puncture and right arm fracture, and was captured by the Red Army on 30 August 1944. The Wehrmachtbericht additions on 31 August 1944 noted his heroic efforts. Evaluations from General der Artillerie Maximilian Fretter-Pico and Generaloberst Johannes Friessner highlighted his value as a leader. In Soviet captivity, Postel joined the Bund deutscher Offiziere and the Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland, signing the "Appeal to People and Wehrmacht" in early December 1944. He was held in various camps, including NKWD Camp Number 160 in Suzdal, Number 74 in Oranki, Number 48 in Cerny, Leznevo, Number 62 in Kiev, Number 149 in Kharkov, special hospital Number 5351 in Nowotscherkask, and Prison Number 1 in Kharkov. On 4 June 1949, he was sentenced to 25 years of forced labor by the Military Court of the Kharkov Military District as a war criminal. Postel died of lung tuberculosis on 20 September 1953 in the hospital of Prison Camp Schachty 8108 in the Soviet Union and was buried in the local cemetery (Row 3, Grave 14). His name is commemorated at the German War Cemetery in Krasnodar-Apscheronsk, though his remains were not transferred.
Throughout his career, Postel received numerous decorations beyond his Knight's Cross upgrades, including the Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class (10 July 1941), First Class (17 August 1941), German Cross in Gold (28 February 1942), Wound Badge in Silver, Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, Eastern Front Medal, and various Wehrmacht Long Service Awards (4th to 1st Class for 4 to 25 years). He was also awarded the Honor Cross for Front Fighters and the War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords. Postel's leadership was consistently rated highly in evaluations, emphasizing his tactical skill, personal bravery, and ability to maintain unit morale under extreme conditions, though his postwar fate reflected the broader reckoning faced by many Wehrmacht officers in Soviet captivity.
Born on 25 April 1896 in Zittau, Saxony, in the German Empire, Postel was the son of Georg Gustav Paul Eugen Postel, a retired Oberstleutnant and managing director, and his wife Sophie, nee Schroeder, who passed away on 3 April 1914. His father remarried on 5 February 1919 to Waleska Agnes Grimm, a teacher in Berlin, and died on 21 November 1943 from stomach cancer in Wiesbaden. Little is known about Postel's early education, but he entered military service at the age of 18, enlisting as a Fahnenjunker in the Saxon Army on 20 August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I. He initially joined the 3rd Company of the Pomeranian Infantry Regiment Graf Schwerin Number 14 before transferring to the 10th Royal Saxon Infantry Regiment Number 134. Promoted to Leutnant on 3 April 1915 (with the patent dated 29 May 1915), he participated in trench warfare on the Western Front, attending specialized courses such as a gas protection course from 12 to 15 July 1915 and a field pioneer service course from 9 to 23 January 1916. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Royal Saxon Military Saint Heinrich's Order on 21 July 1915 and the Knight's Cross Second Class with Swords of the Royal Saxon Albrecht's Order on 30 August 1916. Serving in roles like battalion adjutant from 4 September 1916 and court officer from 7 September 1916, he also attended an Army Gas School course from 11 to 16 June 1917. By May 1918, he was an ordnance officer at the regimental staff and later detailed to the staff of the 46th Reserve Infantry Brigade. During the war, he earned both classes of the Iron Cross and the Wound Badge in Black.
Following the armistice, Postel remained in the military during the turbulent postwar period, serving as an ordnance and court officer in the staff of Border Jager Detachment 2 from early March 1919. He transitioned to the provisional Reichswehr and, by April 1920, was a platoon leader in the 1st Company of Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 24. As the Reichswehr was reduced to 100,000 men, he was assigned to the 10th Saxon Infantry Regiment, where he served as a company officer for several years. His personal life during this time included the birth of his son Joachim on 21 June 1921 in Bautzen and daughter Renate on 13 May 1922. His seniority as Leutnant was backdated to 1 September 1915 on 1 July 1922. By spring 1923, he was in the 5th Company in Bautzen, attending a physical training course from 16 January to 13 June 1924 and a machine gun course from 8 July to 6 August 1924. He trained as a driving and equipment instructor from 29 September to 23 October 1924 and was promoted to Oberleutnant on 31 July 1925 (backdated to 1 April 1925). His daughter Gisela was born on 21 July 1926. On 1 October 1926, he transferred to the staff of the 4th Division in Dresden for two-year leader assistant training, participating in exercise trips including one to the Riesengebirge from 5 to 12 February 1928. Returning to the 8th Machine Gun Company of the 11th Saxon Infantry Regiment in Leipzig on 1 October 1928, he attended an air raid protection course from 10 to 24 May 1930 and was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 November 1930, becoming chief of that company. He attended a heavy infantry weapons shooting course from 6 to 20 October 1931 and resided at Heerstrasse 7 in Leipzig-Mockern in 1932. Postel left active service on 28 March 1933, with his activities until 1 April 1934 unknown, possibly involving service in the Soviet Union. He was reinstated as Hauptmann on 1 April 1934, assigned to the 11th Saxon Infantry Regiment as chief of the 17th Machine Gun Company in the Training Battalion in Dobeln. With the military expansion, his unit became Infantry Regiment Leipzig on 1 October 1934, and he led the 4th Machine Gun Company. His first marriage ended in divorce on 10 October 1934, and he married Dr. phil. Irmgard Liebster, nee Rabe, a school principal in Leipzig, on 21 September 1935. On 15 October 1935, his unit was renamed Infantry Regiment 101 in Dobeln. Promoted to Major on 1 December 1935 (backdated to 5 May 1935), he was detailed as an instructor at the War School in Munich on 1 April 1936, officially transferring on 6 October 1936. His daughter Heidi was born on 5 June 1937 in Munich, and he was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1939, residing at Kadettenstrasse 1 in Munich.
At the start of World War II in September 1939, Postel was appointed commander of the II Battalion of Infantry Regiment 109 in the 35th Infantry Division, holding positions on the Western Front. On 11 January 1940, he transferred to command the II Battalion of Infantry Regiment 433, and on 30 April 1940, just before the invasion of France, he took over the I Battalion of Infantry Regiment 364, leading it during the campaign starting in early May 1940. After Oberst Kurt Heyser was wounded, Postel briefly served as deputy commander of Infantry Regiment 47 in the 22nd Infantry Division. On 5 July 1940, he was tasked with leading Infantry Regiment 364, officially becoming its commander on 26 September 1940. He was awarded the War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords on 6 October 1940. In the summer of 1941, during Operation Barbarossa, he commanded the regiment as part of the 161st Infantry Division in the advance into central Russia. He received the Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class on 10 July 1941 and First Class on 17 August 1941. Tragically, his son Leutnant Joachim Postel was severely wounded on 5 September 1941 near Aladynski while serving in the 6th Company of Schutzen-Regiment 101 and died that day from his injuries at Sanitäts-Kompanie 2/88, buried in the soldiers' cemetery in Bobowja. Postel was promoted to Oberst on 1 December 1941 (backdated to 1 November 1940). During the harsh winter defensive battles in the Rzhev sector from 1941 to 1942, his regiment played a crucial role in holding Soviet offensives, earning him the German Cross in Gold on 28 February 1942 (noted as Georg Postei in some records), the Infantry Assault Badge on 7 March 1942, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 August 1942 for actions including commanding units to close a Soviet penetration south of Wosszino on 4-5 February 1942. He also received the Eastern Medal and the Silver Wound Badge on 23 August 1942. Relinquishing command of Infantry Regiment 364 on 24 August 1942, he was placed in the OKH leader reserve.
On 26 November 1942, Postel was tasked with leading the 320th Infantry Division, stationed on the Channel Coast in France, and was promoted to Generalmajor effective 1 January 1943, officially appointed division commander. Transferred to the southern Eastern Front in January 1943, his division faced overwhelming Soviet assaults between the Don and Donets rivers in mid-January, defending isolated positions and repulsing attacks while withdrawing through a nine-day breakthrough battle, destroying several Soviet battlegroups, including a reinforced rifle regiment on 10 February 1943, and reaching German lines on 13 February 1943. Postel led from the front, suffering severe wounds during reconnaissance, and was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 14 February 1943 for this exemplary leadership. He received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 28 March 1943 as the 215th recipient. Evaluations from superiors like General Erhard Raus, General der Panzertruppen Werner Kempf, and Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein praised his tactical excellence and commitment in crisis situations. Due to illness, he relinquished command on 26 May 1943, with Oberst Kurt Ropke as deputy, but returned on 20 August 1943 to resume command, succeeding Ropke. Promoted to Generalleutnant on 1 September 1943, he led the division in the battles for Kharkov in the fall of 1943 and the winter retreat to the Dnieper River in 1943-1944, including operations near Belgorod in summer 1943 and Kremenchug in winter. The division distinguished itself at Cherkassy in early 1944, earning another Wehrmachtbericht mention on 19 January 1944. Postel was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 26 March 1944 as the 57th recipient for these campaigns. Superiors such as General der Panzertruppe Nikolaus von Vormann, General der Infanterie Otto Wohler, and Generaloberst Ferdinand Schorner commended his initiative, bravery, and troop leadership, recommending him for higher command.
Transferred to the OKH leader reserve on 10 July 1944, Postel assumed command of the XXX Army Corps in Romania on 16 July 1944. Following Romania's defection to the Allies and the collapse of German lines, he led the corps, along with the 306th and 15th Infantry Divisions and the 13th Panzer Division, in sacrificial battles against superior Soviet forces. He was severely wounded on 31 August 1944 at the Pruth River in Bessarabia, suffering a lung puncture and right arm fracture, and was captured by the Red Army on 30 August 1944. The Wehrmachtbericht additions on 31 August 1944 noted his heroic efforts. Evaluations from General der Artillerie Maximilian Fretter-Pico and Generaloberst Johannes Friessner highlighted his value as a leader. In Soviet captivity, Postel joined the Bund deutscher Offiziere and the Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland, signing the "Appeal to People and Wehrmacht" in early December 1944. He was held in various camps, including NKWD Camp Number 160 in Suzdal, Number 74 in Oranki, Number 48 in Cerny, Leznevo, Number 62 in Kiev, Number 149 in Kharkov, special hospital Number 5351 in Nowotscherkask, and Prison Number 1 in Kharkov. On 4 June 1949, he was sentenced to 25 years of forced labor by the Military Court of the Kharkov Military District as a war criminal. Postel died of lung tuberculosis on 20 September 1953 in the hospital of Prison Camp Schachty 8108 in the Soviet Union and was buried in the local cemetery (Row 3, Grave 14). His name is commemorated at the German War Cemetery in Krasnodar-Apscheronsk, though his remains were not transferred.
Throughout his career, Postel received numerous decorations beyond his Knight's Cross upgrades, including the Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class (10 July 1941), First Class (17 August 1941), German Cross in Gold (28 February 1942), Wound Badge in Silver, Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, Eastern Front Medal, and various Wehrmacht Long Service Awards (4th to 1st Class for 4 to 25 years). He was also awarded the Honor Cross for Front Fighters and the War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords. Postel's leadership was consistently rated highly in evaluations, emphasizing his tactical skill, personal bravery, and ability to maintain unit morale under extreme conditions, though his postwar fate reflected the broader reckoning faced by many Wehrmacht officers in Soviet captivity.
Source :
Thomas, Franz. Die Eichenlaubtrager 1939-1945 Band 2: L-Z. Osnabruck, Germany: Biblio-Verlag, 1998.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001.
Scherzer, Veit. Die Ritterkreuztrager 1939-1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbundeter Streitkrifte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, 2007.
Websites:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg-Wilhelm_Postel
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/16028/Postel-Georg-Wilhelm.htm
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29879&start=2160
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/P/PostelGW-R.htm
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=profile&id=693
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/postel-georg-wilhelm
https://alchetron.com/Georg-Wilhelm-Postel
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-n-r/
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