Funeral of Admiral Donitz, near Hamburg, Germany

Feb. 28 The former admiral of the fleet Karl Donitz laid to rest in Aumuhle near Hamburg, West Germany: About 5000 people paid the last honour to the former admiral of the fleet Karl Donitz, when he was laid to rest on 6 January 1981 in the churchyard of Aumuhle near Hamburg. Numerous highly-decorated officers (in civil clothes) of the Second World War attended the funeral - under them also former submariners of west Germany, of Austria and representatives of soldier-associations of great Britain, France and Italy laid down garlands. Although attendance in uniform had been forbidden for members of the West German defence forces, some unknown people, wearing uniforms, were seen in the crowd. Karl Donitz, Supreme commander of the German Navy at the end of the Second World-War and in succession to Adolf Hitler as President of the Reich, died on December 24th 1980 in the age of 89 years. At the war crimes trial in Nuremberg Karl Donitz was sentenced ten years in prison, and since his release from the military-prison in Spandau in 1956 he lived in Aumuhle near Hamburg. Photo shows Military priest at the grave of Donitz

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5000 Although Attendance Churchyard Donitz Forbidden Garlands Laid Lived Numerous Paid Sentenced Spandau Submariners Succession World-war

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