Bernd Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven, commonly known as Bernd von Freytag-Loringhoven (born February 6 1914; died February 27 2007), was an officer in the German Army during World War II and post-war.

See "Notes" section below concerning the word "Freiherr" in the name of Bernd Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven.

Freytag-Loringhoven was a Baltic-German born in Arensburg (Kuressaare), Estonia.

Freytag-Loringhoven commanded a panzer battalion in 1942 and his unit was encircled in Stalingrad during the Soviet counter-offensive (see Battle for Stalingrad). He was flown out of the pocket in January 1943.

In addition to being a decorated tank commander, Freytag-Loringhoven was a General. From July 1944 - April 1945, he served as an adjutant to both General Heinz Guderian and General Hans Krebs.

Freytag-Loringhoven 's cousin, Wessel von Freytag-Loringhoven, provided the detonator charge and explosives for the assassination attempt against Hitler. He was a friend of Freytag-Loringhoven but did not involve him in the plot. Only with the backing of General Heinz Guderian was Freytag-Loringhoven not arrested after the failed July 20 plot.

Freytag-Loringhoven's last mission of the war was to prepare reports for German dictator Adolf Hitler, in whose company he spent many hours. After 23 April 1945, when Hitler's communication battalion fled en masse, he had to improvise significantly. Freytag-Loringhoven's intelligence reports were based heavily on information he was able to gain from the Allied news agencies Reuters and the BBC. Luckily, Hitler was not aware of what Freytag-Loringhoven was doing.

Gerhardt Boldt was a member of Reinhard Gehlen's military intelligence staff and became acquainted with Freytag-Loringhoven towards the end of the war. Both were stationed in the Führer's shelter (Führerbunker) located below the Reich Chancellery (Reichskanzlei) in central Berlin. Like Freytag-Loringhoven, Boldt also reported to General Hans Krebs. Boldt was to later write a book about these last days in the Führerbunker.

Of 28 April 1945, Boldt wrote the following: :"At about 2:00 am, I lay down completely exhausted and tried to catch a few hours of sleep. Noise drifted across from the room next door, where Martin Bormann, Hans Krebs, and Wilhelm Burgdorf sat carousing. I must have been asleep for two-and-one-half hours when Bernd (Freytag-Loringhoven) in the bunk beneath me woke me up. 'You really are missing something, just listen to that!' he whispered. Burgdorf was shouting at Bormann: 'Believe me, I have done my very best to smooth things over between Hitler and the Army, so much so that the Army has called me a traitor to the German Officers' Corps. Now I realize that they were right all along, that my work was in vain, my idealism misdirected, no, naive and stupid.' Breathing heavily, he paused for a moment. Krebs tried to calm him down and begged him to spare Bormann's feelings."

:"But Burgdorff went on regardless: 'Just leave me to it, Hans, it has to be said for once. In forty-eight hours it may well be too late. Our young officers went into battle full of faith and idealism. They went to their death by the hundred-thousand. But for what? For their Fatherland, for Germany's greatness and future? For a decent life? In their hearts they did, but nowhere else. They died for you, for your pockets, for your boundless ambitions. Thinking they were dying for a just cause, our youth allowed themselves to be bled to death on the battlefields of Europe, sacrificing millions of innocent lives, while you, the Party leaders, waxed richer and richer, living it up like lords, accumulating untold riches, stealing vast estates, building castles, revelling in luxury, deceiving and milking the nation. Our ideals, our morals, our faith, our soul -- all these you have ground into dirt; mankind was only a stepping stone for your insatiable greed. You have destroyed our ancient culture, you have broken up our nation. That is your only achievement!' "

:"The general's voice had risen to a roar. Now the bunker was quite still. We could hear his breath come in gasps. Then we heard Bormann's cool, superior, and oily voice. All he had to say was this: 'My dear fellow, do you really have to be so personal? Even if the others have filled their pockets, I myself am free of blame. That I swear to you by all I hold dear. Cheers my friend, and drink up!' "

Early on 29 April, Freytag-Loringhoven informed Boldt that Hitler had married Eva Braun. Boldt was laughing at the news when Krebs came from behind a curtain and chastised him: "Have you gone quite mad? How dare you laugh at your highest commander?"

During the evening of 29 April, Freytag-Loringhoven left the Fuhrerbunker with Gerhardt Boldt and Lieutenant-Colonel Rudolf Weiss. Earlier in the morning, Freytag-Loringhoven had approached Krebs and asked if he and Boldt could leave Berlin and "return to the fighting troops." Krebs talked to Burgdorf to get his advice. Burgdorf approved but indicated that they should take his assistant, Weiss. Hitler was approached for his approval at midday. Surprisingly, he asked many questions and offered his advice. Hitler asked: "How are you going to get out of Berlin?" When Freytag-Loringhoven mentioned finding a boat, Hitler became enthused and advised: "You must get an electric boat, because that does not make any noise and you can get through the Russian lines." When Freytag-Loringhoven agreed that an electric boat would be best but added that, if necessary, they might have to use a different craft, Hitler was suddenly exhausted. He shook hands limply with each of them and quickly dismissed the group.

Captured by the British, Freytag-Loringhoven spent two years as a prisoner of war. He was never found guilty of any war crimes. After being released, he moved to Munich, where he was active in the publishing industry. Freytag-Loringhoven was promoted to General in the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956. He was later promoted to Deputy General Inspector. Freytag-Loringhoven retired from the army in 1973.

At the time of his death in Munich, Freytag-Loringhoven was one of the last three known living witnesses (along with bunker telephone operator Rochus Misch and Hitler Youth courier Armin Lehmann) to the events in the Führerbunker at the end of World War II.

Although he had left the bunker by the time of Hitler's suicide, Freytag-Loringhoven was often called to testify and to co-operate in script writing. For example, he participated in this way in the film "Downfall" (Der Untergang).

Freytag-Loringhoven published his memoirs with the title In the Bunker with Hitler: The Last Witness Speaks. His memoirs focus primarily on the Reich's final months.

* Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven and François d' Alançon: Dans le bunker de Hitler : 23 juillet 1944 - 29 avril 1945 , Paris 2005, ISBN 2-262-02285-2 * Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven and François d' Alançon: In the Bunker with Hitler : The Last Witness Speaks, London 2006, ISBN 0-297-84555-1 * Beevor, Antony. Berlin: The Downfall 1945, Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5

* BBC News - Eyewitness: Hitler's last days (Tuesday, [[26 April], 2005)] * Obituary from The Times *Obituary from The Scotsman

Freytag von Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, Bernd