Von Klemperer, Klemens Wilhelm (31296519): Difference between revisions

Klemens W. Von Klemperer
Klemens W. Von Klemperer
Personal details
Birth name	Klemens Wilhelm von Klemperer
Born	2 November 1916; Berlin, Germany
Died	23 December 2012; Easthampton, Massachusetts
Nativity	Germany
Religion	Protestant
Known for	Historian of German resistance to Nazism; Smith College
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
ASN	31296519
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Rank at Ritchie	Private
Camp Ritchie	Class 6 (13 March – 11 May 1943)
Section	2
Enlisted	Boston, Massachusetts
Specialty	Military intelligence; SHAEF G-2
Team	IPW 2

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Revision as of 01:34, 18 September 2026

Klemens W. von Klemperer (2 November 1916 – 23 December 2012) was a German-born historian and Camp Ritchie graduate who served in SHAEF G-2 and later taught for decades at Smith College, writing major studies of resistance to Hitler.

Biography

Klemens Wilhelm von Klemperer was born in Berlin on 2 November 1916. He attended the Französisches Gymnasium, briefly Balliol College, Oxford, then studied in Vienna and took part in anti-Nazi student circles before fleeing to the United States after the Anschluss (1938–1939). He enrolled at Harvard under a refugee-scholar program.

Army service (1942–1946) interrupted his studies: after Camp Ritchie (Class 6; IPW 2) he served with Eisenhower’s G-2 at SHAEF in London, Versailles, and Berlin, and later worked at the Berlin Document Center. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1949 and joined Smith College, where he taught for thirty-seven years (L. Clark Seelye Professor of History from 1979). His scholarship on Central Europe and the German resistance—including German Resistance Against Hitler: The Search for Allies Abroad, 1938–1945—made him a leading interpreter of opposition to the Nazi regime. He died at his home in Easthampton, Massachusetts, on 23 December 2012.

Research notes

New York Times obituary URL supplied by editors; full text may be paywalled—facts cross-checked with AP / Gazette Net obituaries.

Gallery

After you are autoconfirmed, upload a photo and add [[File:Example.jpg|thumb|caption]] here, or set |photo=Example.jpg in the infobox.

Technical record

Field	Imported value
Approx Age at Death	96
Nara ASN	31296519
Nara Name	VON KLEMPERER KLEMENS W
Nara State	13
Nara County	17
Nara POE	1306
Nara DOE	100243
Nara Grade Alpha	PVT
Nara Grade Code	8
Nara Branch Alpha	BI
Nara Branch Code	0
Branch	Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Nara Term or Enlistment	5
Term of enlistment	Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Defer. Date	0
Nara Source	0
Nara Nativity	N1
Nara Year of Birth	16
Nara Race	J
Nara Race Description	White not yet a citizen
Nara Education	5
Nara Civilian Occupation	992
Nara Marital Status	6
Nara Height (inches)	71
Nara Weight (lbs)	163
Class_ASN	31296519
Class_Name	von KLEMPERER, Klemens W.
match_method	asn_exact_name_exact
row_source	both

Timeline

2 November 1916 — Born in Berlin.
1934–1938 — Gymnasium; Oxford / Vienna studies; anti-Nazi student activity.
1938–1939 — Flees to the United States; Harvard refugee scholar.
1942–1946 — U.S. Army; Camp Ritchie Class 6; SHAEF G-2 (London, Versailles, Berlin); Berlin Document Center.
1949 — Ph.D., Harvard (History).
1949–1986 — Smith College faculty; Seelye Professor 1979.
23 December 2012 — Died in Easthampton, Massachusetts.

Sources

The New York Times, “Klemens von Klemperer Dies at 96; Wrote of Nazi Era,” 7–8 January 2013
Daily Hampshire Gazette / Legacy — Klemens von Klemperer obituary
Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |first=Klemens
 |middle=W.
+|alias=Klemens Wilhelm von Klemperer
 |class_section=2
 |class_rank=Pvt
+|birth_date=2 November 1916
 |birth_year=1916
+|death_date=23 December 2012
 |death_year=2012
 |nativity=Germany
 |religion=Protestant
-|enlistment_place=BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
+|enlistment_place=Boston, Massachusetts
-|state=MASSACHUSETTS
-|ipw_ge=2
 |overseas=Y
-|certificate=1705
-|education=1 year of college
-|marital=Single without dependents
 |confidence=high
 |class_number=6
 |class_display=6
-|birth_place=Germany
+|ipw_ge=2
+|birth_place=Berlin, Germany
+|death_place=Easthampton, Massachusetts
 |rank_final=2nd Lt
+|specialty=Military intelligence; SHAEF G-2
+|known_for=Historian of German resistance to Nazism; Smith College
 }}
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-'''Klemens W. Von Klemperer''' (1916&ndash;2012) was a United States Army Private who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 6]]. Klemens enlisted at Boston, Massachusetts.
+'''Klemens W. von Klemperer''' (2 November 1916 – 23 December 2012) was a German-born historian and Camp Ritchie graduate who served in SHAEF G-2 and later taught for decades at Smith College, writing major studies of resistance to Hitler.
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-He worked at Berlin Document Center. Klemens attended Professor of History at Smith College (also Amherst and UMass). He worked at Columbia University Library. In September 1944, Von Klemperer moved to SHAEF HQ in Paris, serving with G-2. In 1949, Von Klemperer graduated from Harvard as PhD (History).
+Klemens Wilhelm von Klemperer was born in Berlin on 2 November 1916. He attended the Französisches Gymnasium, briefly Balliol College, Oxford, then studied in Vienna and took part in anti-Nazi student circles before fleeing to the United States after the Anschluss (1938–1939). He enrolled at Harvard under a refugee-scholar program.
+Army service (1942–1946) interrupted his studies: after Camp Ritchie (Class 6; IPW 2) he served with Eisenhower’s G-2 at SHAEF in London, Versailles, and Berlin, and later worked at the Berlin Document Center. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1949 and joined Smith College, where he taught for thirty-seven years (L. Clark Seelye Professor of History from 1979). His scholarship on Central Europe and the German resistance—including ''German Resistance Against Hitler: The Search for Allies Abroad, 1938–1945''—made him a leading interpreter of opposition to the Nazi regime. He died at his home in Easthampton, Massachusetts, on 23 December 2012.
 == Research notes ==
+* ''New York Times'' obituary URL supplied by editors; full text may be paywalled—facts cross-checked with AP / Gazette Net obituaries.
 == Gallery ==
@@ Line 104: / Line 109: @@
 <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
 <div class="soldier-timeline-body">
-* Born 2 November 1916 in Germany (Protestant with Jewish ancestors).
+* 2 November 1916 — Born in Berlin.
-* 10 February 1943 — Enlisted in Army in Boston as Pvt (ASN: 31296519).
+* 1934–1938 — Gymnasium; Oxford / Vienna studies; anti-Nazi student activity.
-* 13 March 1943 — Entered Class 6 (IPW Ge).
+* 1938–1939 — Flees to the United States; Harvard refugee scholar.
-* 11 May 1943 — Graduated with Class 6. Classified for Maps & Documents.
+* 1942–1946 — U.S. Army; Camp Ritchie Class 6; SHAEF G-2 (London, Versailles, Berlin); Berlin Document Center.
-* 20 May 1943 — Became naturalized U.
+* 1949 — Ph.D., Harvard (History).
-* 6 August 1943 — Promoted to S/Sgt.
+* 1949–1986 — Smith College faculty; Seelye Professor 1979.
-* September 1944 — Moved to SHAEF HQ in Paris, serving with G-2.
+* 23 December 2012 — Died in Easthampton, Massachusetts.
-* Assigned to SHAEF HQ in London. Reviewed POW Soldbuchs.
-* Assigned to SHAEF in Frankfurt to review documents.
-* Returned to U.S. on the SS Ernie Pyle.
 </div>
 </div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
+* [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/world/europe/klemens-von-klemperer-dies-at-96-wrote-of-nazi-era.html ''The New York Times'', “Klemens von Klemperer Dies at 96; Wrote of Nazi Era,” 7–8 January 2013]
+* [https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/gazettenet/name/klemens-von-klemperer-obituary?id=20104098 Daily Hampshire Gazette / Legacy — Klemens von Klemperer obituary]
 * Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
 * Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
 * NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
-* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
-* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Klemens W. Von Klemperer for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
-* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Von Klemperer, Klemens W. for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: KLEMENS von KLEMPERER.doc)