Hans Georg Calmeyer

Who was Hans Georg Calmeyer?

Hans Georg Calmeyer was a German lawyer from Osnabrück who saved thousands of Jews from certain death during the German occupation of the Netherlands in from 1941 until 1945.

Calmeyer studied Law in Freiburg, Marburg and Munich. In 1923, as a member of the Reichswehr, he took part in Hitler’s attempted Putsch. Later, he opened his law practice in Osnabrück where he enjoyed an excellent reputation as a lawyer.

In 1933, his license to practice law was revoked because of his activity and leaning towards Communist lines of thought. Ten months later, his license was reinstated. He was a member of the Federation of the National Socialist German Lawyers, but not the Nazi party.

In 1940, Calmeyer, serving as a soldier and a member of an aerial defense intelligence unit, took part in the invasion of the Netherlands by the German Army. In 1941, he was active in the Reichs Commissioner's Office, which was in charge of all occupied districts in the Netherlands.