Hermann Ritter von Burkhardt
(26.08.1861 - 07.09.1942)
place of birth:  Lehrburg, Mittelfranken
Königreich Bayern:  Div-Kdr,  Generalleutnant (Art)


Royal Bavarian brigade and divisional commander during the Great War, as well as a Pour le Merite honoree. He entered the military in 1879 and chose a career as an artillery specialist. Prior to the War, Burkhardt was in command of Bavaria's 4. Feldartillerie-Brigade, a unit he continued to lead in the Western theater once the hostilities were underway. Following the Armistice, Ritter von Burkhardt commanded Generalkommando 57 and was briefly in command of the Bavarian II. Armeekorps. In the spring of 1916, he was transferred East to replace General Rösch as head of Bavaria's 10. Infanterie-Division. 

After returning back to the Western Front the following year, Generalleutnant von Burkhardt took over Bavaria's Ersatz Infanterie-Division. He was promoted to Generalleutnant on 19.10.1916 conferring him the title of Exzellenz (Excellency.) Burkhardt's outstanding leadership of his troops during the Battle of the Aisne resulted in his being awarded the Pour le Merite by the Kaiser himself. He finished up his wartime command duties with Bavaria's 5. Reserve-Division, but he remained with the post-War Bavarian military forces to command at the corps level as well. Burkhardt was then elevated into the Bavarian nobility when in August 1918 King Ludwig III. decorated him with the Verdienstorden der Bayerischen Krone (Komturkreuz). When he retired from active duty in December of 1919, Burkhardt was additionally awarded the brevet rank of General der Artillerie. General von Burkhardt lived in Bavaria for 20 more years, passing away in Würzburg at the age of 81.

	Generalleutnant	19.10.1916
	Pour le Mérite	12.05.1917
	Verdst-Ord Bayr-Krone	12.08.1918  Komtur