Membership Application GDR (OdR) – Ferdinand Hippel – Grenadier-Regiment 253

Original Beitritts-Erklärung (membership declaration), dated 9 June 1952, was completed for the Gemeinschaft Deutscher Ritterkreuzträger (Association of Knight’s Cross Recipients) at Ziegenhain, in the Kassel district of Germany.

The form includes an original portrait photograph of Hippel, typed personal details, his military rank and branch of service, and his handwritten signature at the bottom. It records his Knight’s Cross award date as 22 October 1943 and his last military rank as Oberst in the Heer (German Army).

The document also contains handwritten annotations in blue ink at the top and beside the birthplace entry, adding further historical character.

Ferdinand Hippel was born on 4 September 1903 and pursued a military career in the German Army, rising to the rank of Oberst (Colonel). He was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross while commanding Grenadier-Regiment 253, on 22 October 1943.

His wartime service is also documented in photographs preserved by the German Federal Archives. A photograph from August–September 1944 depicts Hippel alongside Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring in Italy, identifying Hippel as the commander of a grenadier regiment. This provides an additional contemporary historical reference for the officer named in this document.

Condition: Original paper document with age-related discoloration, creasing, edge wear, small tears and losses, staining, and several holes or damaged areas. The photograph remains attached. Handwritten annotations and the signature are present. Please examine the photographs carefully for the exact condition.