Freiheitsaktion Bayern

Freiheitsaktion Bayern
Part of World War II and German resistance
Münchner Freiheit (Munich Freedom), the street named to commemorate the Bavarian Uprising.
Date April 1945 Location (Bavaria) Munich, Dachau and Erding Result Political Success Failure from a military point of view Some goals achieved Further destruction of Munich prevented Sped up collapse of the Nazi regime in the city
Belligerents
Germany	Bavarian Rebels
Commanders and leaders
Local Nazi Commanders	Rupprecht Gerngroß
Strength
Unknown	420 fighters
Casualties and losses
1+	58 casualties

Freiheitsaktion Bayern was an attempt in 1945 to overthrow the Nazi regime in Munich, the capital of Bavaria. While the revolt was a failure from a military point of view, it did prevent the further destruction of Munich and sped up the collapse of the Nazi regime in the city.

The Revolt

In the final days of the Second World War, on the morning of 28 April 1945, Rupprecht Gerngroß, the general of the Bavarian rebels, ordered the occupation of the radio transmitters in Schwabing-Freimann and Erding. After the successful occupation, he broadcast messages in multiple languages, encouraging soldiers to resist the Nazi regime. He proclaimed a hunt for the golden pheasants (German:Jagd auf die Goldfasane), this being a popular nickname for NSDAP officials due to the color of their uniforms, and encouraged people to display white flags from their homes as a sign of surrender. The rebels also managed to occupy the Munich city hall and the headquarters of the Völkischer Beobachter and Münchner Neuesten Nachrichten, two newspapers vital to the Nazi propaganda.

However, the news of Munich's liberation were premature. Gerngroß's attempt to stop further bloodshed was quickly crushed by the Nazi and SS units still loyal to the collapsing regime. Paul Giesler, Gauleiter of the Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria was personally involved in putting it down. While Gerngroß escaped into the mountains, many others of his movement did not and more than forty were executed hours before the liberation of the city.

While unsuccessful in liberating Munich that day, the rebels could successfully save a number of lives through their actions.

The prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp were supposed to be sent on a death march south with their SS guards to be used as labourers in the Alpenfestung. His broadcast triggered an uprising in Dachau and the SS left in panic, abandoning the inmates who were liberated by the arriving US forces soon thereafter. Gerngroß is credited with saving the city of Munich from further destruction, and is therefore considered to be the leader of the only successful putsch against Hitler. His announcement of the end of the Nazis in Munich led many German soldiers to desert the lost cause and the US forces arriving in Munich on 30 April experienced virtually no resistance when taking the city.

In Götting (near Bad Aibling), the teacher Hangl and the priest Grimm decided to hoist the Bavarian flag at the steeple (instead of the swastika flag, called by the priest the "red hanky") although urged by an officer to remove the flag, they didn't obey. An SS officer later that day arrested both, and they were shot shortly afterwards.

On 2 May 1945 the village was liberated by American forces.

See also

• German resistance to Nazism
• Beer Hall Putsch
• Dachau Uprising
• Dachau liberation reprisals
• Münchner freiheit
• Münchner Freiheit station
• Aftermath of World War II in Bavaria