Traugott Martin von Sauberzweig
(28.10.1863 - 14.04.1920)
place of birth:  Greifenberg, Brandenburg
Königreich Preußen:  Gen-Gouv von Belgien,  AOK-Stabschef,  Generalleutnant


Imperial German general Traugott von Sauberzweig was active on both the Western and Eastern Fronts during the Great War, serving as chief of general staff at the corps and field army levels. Born and raised in northeastern Brandenburg, Traugott grew up in the home of pastor Gustav Sauberzweig. In 1881 he enlisted in nearby Frankfurt an der Oder as an Avantageur (officer aspirant) with a grenadier regiment. Sauberzweig graduated from the Royal Prussian War College in 1894 and was soon dispatched for duty with the Great General Staff in Berlin, serving in General Staff assignments for almost 15 years prior to the War. During peacetime, he also functioned for four years as instructor at the War College. Sauberzweig was elevated into the Prussian nobility in June 1913 during Wilhelm II.'s 25th anniversary on the throne.

In 1913, Oberst von Sauberzweig was also serving at his highest level of command, overseeing the headquarters of his original Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 12 in Frankfurt/Oder. A few months prior to War's outbreak, he was reassigned to the General Staff of the Army in order to serve as General Otto von Plüskow's chief of staff at XI. Armee-Korps headquarters in Kassel. He was thus Plüskow's preferred advisor when his corps troops overtook the Belgian fortress at Namur early on during the campaign. XI. Armee-Korps then redeployed to the Eastern Front and were immediately engaged in the September Battle of the Masurian Lakes. Sauberzweig's abilities were not unnoticed and he was reassigned to function as General von Hindenburg's senior quartermaster (Oberquartiermeister) at the newly-formed 9. Armee-Oberkommando headquarters. Following engagements in northwestern Poland, Generalmajor von Sauberzweig became Hans von Beseler's III. Reserve-Korps chief of staff during the August 1915 siege of Novogergievsk.

Sauberzweig then returned to the Western Front to serve as Imperial Germany's Governor General in Brussels, Belgium. It was in this capacity that he signed the orders which ultimately had British nurse Edith Cavell executed for her alleged treasonous acts: helping some 200 allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium. The immediate fallout led to Sauberzweig's return to Berlin for a few months where he functioned as General-Quartiermeister Freytag-Loringhoven's chief of staff. Back to the Eastern Front in November 1916 where he was Bruno von Mudra's chief of staff at 8. Armee-Oberkommando headquarters near Riga. For his distinguished service and leadership during this time, Generalmajor von Sauberzweig was decorated in 1917 with the highest Royal Prussian order of bravery, the Pour le Mérite.

He then served for a few months as Hermann von Eichhorn's 10. Armee chief of staff, before transferring in December 1917 to serve in the same capacity at Oskar von Hutier's newly-formed 18. Armee-Oberkommando headquarters in St. Quentin, France. He was promoted to Generalleutnant in July 1918 but soon thereafter had to leave the front for about three months due to heart problems. On the week before the Armistice was signed, Sauberzweig was fit enough to return to duty as chief of staff with Heeres-Gruppe Gallwitz. In this capacity, he was only able to support his commander in overseeing the orderly withdrawal of troops back to Germany. Generalleutnant von Sauberzweig retired from active duty in July 1919 and lived in Kassel. His poor heart condition continued to plague him, however, and he passed away just a few months later. His son Wolfgang also perished in the War while serving with his father's original outfit, Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 12.

	Generalleutnant	15.07.1918
	Pour le Mérite	06.09.1917  (23.03.1918:  Eichenlaub)
	Militär-St-Heinrich	07.05.1918  Ritter