Hans Kammler

General Dr.-Ing. Hans (Heinz) Friedrich Karl Franz Kammler (born 26 August 1901; date of death unknown) was a German civil engineer and high-ranking officer of the Schutzstaffel (SS). He oversaw SS construction projects and towards the end of World War II was put in charge of the V-2 missile and jet programmes. He was the last SS officer in Nazi Germany to receive a promotion to the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer with date of rank from 1 March 1945.

He is most commonly referred to as Hans Kammler.

Early life

Kammler was born in Stettin, German Empire (now Szczecin, Poland). In 1919, after volunteering for army service, he served in the extreme right Rossbach Freikorps. From 1919 to 1923, he studied civil engineering at the Technische Hochschule der Freien Stadt Danzig and Munich and was awarded his Dr.-Ing. in November 1932, following some years of practical work in local building administration.

Kammler joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in 1931 and held a variety of administrative positions after the Nazi government came to power in 1933, initially as head of the Aviation Ministry's building department. He joined the SS (no. 113,619) on 20 May 1933. In 1934, he was a councillor for the Reich's Interior Ministry.