Erich Mix

Who was Erich Mix?

Erich Mix, born 27 June 1898 in Labuhnken in West Prussia – died 9 April 1971 in Wiesbaden, was a German politician, member of the Nazi Party, later a member of the FDP and Flying ace during World War II.

Mix fought as an infantryman in World War I before he trained as a fighter pilot and posted to Jagdstaffel 54, where, as an Unteroffizer from June 1918 until the end of the war, he scored 3 aerial victories of Jasta 54's total of 22 victories, for which he was awarded both Classes of the Iron Cross.

After the war, he studied law at the University of Greifswald and made a career as a leading administrative official. In 1934, he became Mayor of Tilsit in 1934-37, later of Wiesbaden in 1937-45 and 1954-60. In his first term as Mayor of Wiesbaden, most of the Jewish community of Wiesbaden, some 2,700 people in 1933, was murdered and their synagogues were burned, under Mix's leadership. However, he was again elected mayor in 1954, and he is presently buried in the honarary section of the Wiesbaden graveyard. In 1935 he started flying again, training as an observer and then as a fighter pilot in 1937.