Werner Neumann (13 May 1905 – 4 July 1970) was a German general (Generalmajor) in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He commanded the 563rd Volksgrenadier Division and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded on 5 September 1944 while he held the rank of Oberst (Colonel) and served as commander of Grenadier-Regiment 121.
Early Life and Career Neumann was born on 13 May 1905 in Neu Beelitz, Posen (then part of the German Empire). He served in the German Army, initially under the Weimar Republic and subsequently under Nazi Germany.
World War II During World War II, Neumann rose through the ranks to command the 563rd Volksgrenadier Division. In May 1945, as the war in Europe drew to a close, he surrendered to the Red Army in the Courland Pocket, a pocket of German forces trapped in the Baltic region by Soviet forces.
Post-War Following his capture, Neumann was convicted as a war criminal by the Soviet Union and held in captivity. He was eventually released in 1955. He died on 4 July 1970 in Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany, at the age of 65.
Awards and Decorations
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (5 September 1944)
