A forgotten soldier
Zoltán Papp, a Hungarian Recipient of the German Close Combat Clasp in Gold
Abstract
The Close Combat Clasp in Gold is the rarest German World War II decoration, which was awarded exclusively to real front-line soldiers, unlike the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross or the German Golden Cross. Zoltán Papp’s name and place of birth were misspelt in the German army, and later the literature on the subject took it that way, if at all. Because there was also an author who simply omitted his name or forgott to mention it in his book. Thus,the only Hungarian holder of one of the most prestigious German military decorations of World War II “disappeared”. This study, in addition to the insignificant number of legacies and archival documents, attempts to reconstruct this remarkable military career, based on the recollections of descendants.
References
Bundesarchiv (BArch.), Freiburg / Németország SS-Division “Wiking”, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Wiking”, 5. SS-Panzer-Division “Wiking”. BArch. RH 7/2476
Könyvészeti források Dörr, Manfred 2006. Die Träger der Nahkampfspange in Gold. Heer-Luftwaffe-Waffen SS 1943–45. 4. kiadás, Bissendorf: Biblio Verlag.
Klietmann, G. Kurt 1981. Auszeichnungen des Deutschen Reiches 1936–1945. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.
Kovács Zoltán András, Számvéber Norbert 2001. A Waffen-SS Magyarországon. Budapest: BusinessWeek–Hadtörténelmi Levéltár.
Scherzer, Veit 2021. Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945. 3 kiadás, Verlag Scherzer, Bayreuth Scherzer, Veit 2024. Himmlers militärische Elite - Die höchst dekorierten Angehörigen der Waffen-SS. Band 3. Bayreuth: Verlag Scherzer.
Folyóiratok Deutscher Volksbote
Interjúk A szerző Papp Zoltán leszármazottaival készített interjúi. 2025. február 25. és 27.
