Weidinger's January 1936 assessment at Braunschweig

    This assessment shows Weidingers graduation marks from the officer-training course he undertook at Braunschweig (Brunswick) SS-Junkerschule. Following this course he was promoted to Untersturmführer on 10th July 1936, which was not one of the Nazi notable dates, such as Hitler's birthday, or the remembrance day for the Beer Hall Putsch.

    At the time of writing I do not know what exam system was used to produce the grades listed below, nor do I know what the full range of grades was (was there an award higher than, 'rather good'?) Comments below are in italics.


Transcription

SS-Führerschule Brunswick 31 January 1936

Diploma of the SS-Führerschule (Leader, or Officer School) Brunswick.

The SS-Standartenjunker Weidinger, Otto SS-Number 114 921, has in January 1936 at the SS-Führerschule Brunswick, in the final exam, achieved ...

1) in world view ... good (i.e. the National Socialist political view of the world)

2) in tactics ... rather good

3) in army knowledge ... sufficient

4) in reconnaissance ... rather good

5) in arms-service ... rather good

6) in callisthenics ... sufficient (the SS as a whole were very keen on keep-fit exercises and it seems that Weidinger was only luke-warm on this subject)

7) in arms-teaching ... rather good

8) in pioneering knowledge ... rather good

9) in general troop-service ... rather good

10) in riding ... sufficient (it must be remembered that even after the start of the war, the German army used much horse-drawn equipment)

11) in communications ... rather good (this means the use of signals equipment)

12) in motor-vehicle knowledge ... sufficient

13) in aviation knowledge ... sufficient

14) in drawing ... rather good (presumably this relates to military drawing, such as maps and constructional diagrams)

Knowledge demonstrated and showed on the whole, rather good achievement. (the underlining is on the original document)

General assessment of the personality.

Weidinger is a simple, reliable, conscientious character. He is capable of transferring his quiet, certain manner before the ranks to the whole team and in no circumstances has he lost his composure. Mentally fully sufficiently talented, he must become still fresher in his entire nature.

Suitable to be a Leader (officer).

The course-leader … Dern

The leader of the SS-Führerschule Brunswick … Hausser (Paul Hausser, or 'Papa' Hausser as he was affectionately known to his men, went on to become an SS-OberstGruppenführer by the end of the war)

 

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© Michael Williams March 2004