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Christoph
Ritter von Kiefhaber
(19.10.1855 - 19.01.1955)
place of birth: Waischenfeld,
Oberfranken (Bavaria)
Königreich
Bayern: Div-Kdr,
Generalleutnant z.D.
Division-level
commanding general in the Royal Bavarian Army during the
Great War, Ritter von Kiefhaber lived to 99 years of age.
Prior to the War's outbreak, Generalmajor Kiefhaber served as commander
of Bavaria's 3rd Infantry Brigade headquartered in Augsburg and went
into retirement in 1912 at the age of 56. He returned to active duty
status following German mobilization in August 1914 and soon thereafter
received command of Bavaria's newly-formed 12th Reserve Brigade. His
troops were deployed to the Western Front in October and soon
successfully area around Wytschaete. During the
spring of 1915, the brigade was engaged in heavy combat at Nieuve
Chappelle, La Bassee, and Arras.
In March of 1916, Kiefhaber was transferred to Verdun
as commander of Bavarian Ersatz Division. The division then fought
along the River Somme in late 1916. In April 1917,
he replaced Ritter von Burkhardt as commander of 10th Infantry
Division, deployed to Flanders in support of Fourth Army. For his
outstanding leadership in defending his sector against the British,
Generalleutnant Kiefhaber was awarded the Pour le Merite. Additionally,
for his bravery and meritorious leadership in battle, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) of
Bavaria's highest military order - the Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden. He
was officially presented with the decoration on 07.03.1918 and was thus enrolled
into Bavarian nobility with the title Ritter von.
In 1918, his
division initially became part of Graf von Bothmer's Nineteenth Army,
but then was transferred in June to fight once again in support of
Fourth Army during battles at Soissons and Reims.
Generalleutnant von Kiefhaber was retired from active duty in July, and
the 10th Infantry Division was also demobilized soon thereafter.
Although he retired at the end of the war at the rank of
Generalleutnant, he was later awarded the brevet rank of General der
Infanterie (Charakter) on 27 August 1939 for
Tannenberg Remembrance Day.
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Generalleutnant |
17.03.1916 |
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Pour
le Mérite |
24.11.1917 |
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Militär-Max-Joseph |
22.10.1917
Ritter |
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