Paul Conrath

Paul Conrath
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and Paul Conrath (left)
Born	(1896-11-22)22 November 1896 Rudow, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	Hamburg, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1914–1945
Rank	General der Fallschirmtruppe
Commands held	Flak-Regiment (mot.) "General Göring" Fallschirm-Panzer-Division "Hermann Göring"
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

General Paul Conrath (22 November 1896 – 15 January 1979) was a German General der Fallschirmtruppe during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Following the battle at Monte Cassino in Italy, he was honored for authorizing action, prior to the battle, that saved priceless Christian treasures. At the request of two of his division's officers, he authorized use of trucks, fuel, and drivers to remove books and other property from the Abbey to the Vatican and other safe locations in Rome. After a mass in the basilica, Abbot Gregorio Diamare formally presented General Conrath with signed parchment scrolls enscribed in Latin. The scrolls cited two German officers who proposed the evacuation of the treasures of the Abbey, Lt. Col. Julius Schlegel, a military lawyer, and Capt. Maximilian Becker, an army surgeon, "for rescuing the monks and treasures of the Abbey of Monte Cassino."

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th class
• Cuffband "Afrika"
• German Cross in Gold on 18 May 1944 as Generalleutnant and commanding general of the Ausbildungs und Ersatz Truppen (training and replacement troops) of the 1. Fallschirm-Armee
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (18 August 1943)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 September 1941 as Oberst and commander of Flak-Regiment (motorized) "General Göring"
  • 276th Oak Leaves on 21 August 1943 as Generalmajor and commander of Fallschirm-Panzer-Division "Hermann Göring"

External links

• Paul Conrath @ Ritterkreuzträger 1939–45
• Paul Conrath @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht

Military offices
Preceded by Major Walther von Axthelm	Commander of Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring 1 June 1940 – 14 April 1944	Succeeded by Generalmajor Wilhelm Schmalz