Dietrich Klagges

Life & Legacy

Dietrich Klagges (German pronunciation: [ˈdiːtʁɪç ˈklaɡəs]; 1 February 1891 – 12 November 1971) was a German politician of the Nazi Party who from 1933 to 1945 was the Ministerpräsident of the Free State of Brunswick. He also went by the pseudonym Rudolf Berg. Klagges is best known for obtaining German citizenship for Adolf Hitler in 1932, thereby making him eligible to run for political office. He was responsible for the persecution of Jews and Social Democratic opponents in Brunswick, resulting in imprisonments and deaths. He was also an SS-Obergruppenführer. Following the end of the Second World War, Klagges was arrested and stood trial for his crimes; he was convicted, imprisoned and released in 1957.