KVK2X Award Doc – 20. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Signed by Augsberger!)

An authentic wartime award document issued to SS-Unterscharführer Wilhelm Barenscheer, who served with Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment 46 of the 20. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (1. Estnische). The document is dated 30 January 1945 and bears the bold signature of SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Franz Augsberger, commander of the division.

Franz Augsberger – Division Commander

Franz Xaver Josef Maria Augsberger (10 October 1905 – 19 March 1945) was an Austrian-born SS officer who rose rapidly through the ranks of the Waffen-SS. Beginning his career in the early 1930s with the SA and NSDAP, he transferred to the SS in 1932 and underwent officer training at the SS-Führerschule Braunschweig.

• Early career as platoon leader and instructor with SS-Standarte “Der Führer.”

• Command appointments in the 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division “Nord,” earning the German Cross in Gold (30 May 1942).

• In 1943, appointed commander of the 3. Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade, which in 1944 expanded into the 20. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Estnische Nr. 1).

• On 8 March 1945, awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, personally presented by Generalfeldmarschall Ferdinand Schörner.

• Killed in action on 19 March 1945 during a bombing raid at Neustadt in Upper Silesia, only days after receiving the Knight’s Cross.

Significance

The 20. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Estnische Nr. 1) was primarily formed of Estonian volunteers and conscripts. Under Augsberger’s command, the division fought in brutal rearguard and defensive actions on the Eastern Front, often against overwhelming Soviet forces. Documents signed by Augsberger are scarce due to his short tenure as a divisional commander and his death before the end of the war.

Collector’s Note

This document is a desirable piece of Waffen-SS history, connecting directly to the short-lived but historically significant Estonian SS division and its commander, Franz Augsberger. The combination of its late-war date (January 1945), division context, and signature of a Knight’s Cross holder killed in action just weeks later makes this a particularly compelling artifact for collectors of Waffen-SS or foreign volunteer divisions.