Karl-Heinz Rohrbach (4.FD), Fallschirmgefreiter

the editorial team

A photo of Duisburg in the 1930s

Karl-Heinz Rohrbach was born in Duisburg, Germany, on August 24, 1925. Unmarried and Catholic, he was still a student when he was drafted into the military. At the MUGOT – Museo Gotica Toscana in Ponzalla / Scarperia, a sand-colored uniform, similar to the one worn by German Paratrooper Corporal Karl-Heinz Rohrbach, is displayed in a showcase in the Sala del Giogo. Next to it are his documents. This young paratrooper fought at the Passo del Giogo on the Gothic Line in the autumn of 1944. Here is his story.

Education in the Hitler Youth and the RAD

Boys at a Hitler Youth parade

Karl-Heinz Rohrbach received an education that saw him join the Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend), the Nazi youth organization, like all young Germans of his generation. He participated with such dedication that he earned a merit badge. The Hitler Youth, founded to train future Nazi fighters, promoted equality and self-determination among young people through strict discipline and an intense educational program. This paramilitary organization was not only a place for physical and military training but also an environment where the values of National Socialism were deeply instilled. The young members underwent rigorous ideological training, which included the study of German history and culture according to the regime's dictates. From a young age, Rohrbach was immersed in an environment that promoted identification with the Führer, Adolf Hitler, and the subjugation of one's will to the Nazi ideal. Enrollment in the Hitler Youth began at the age of 10, when boys joined the Deutsche Jungvolk (DJ), the junior section for boys, where every sporting and ideological achievement was meticulously recorded in a personal booklet. The goal was to shape the youth not only physically, through marches and exercises, but also mentally, so that they would become fervent supporters of Nazi ideology. Daily activities were punctuated by long marches, which progressively increased in intensity up to 18 kilometers a day for 13-year-olds, thus helping to instill a sense of discipline and community belonging. According to Hermann Rauschning, the rhythmic step of the marches was intended to embed the feeling of belonging to the community into the subconscious. Volksgemeinschaft, the community of the people. Each year of training in the Hitler Youth was structured to deepen the knowledge of the "German gods and heroes," the "great Germans" like Frederick the Great and Bismarck, and to celebrate the battles that led to the rise of National Socialism in Germany. The fourth year was dedicated to studying the figure of Adolf Hitler and his companions in struggle, with the aim of consolidating adoration and obedience to the Führer among the young members. Thus, Karl-Heinz Rohrbach grew up under the aegis of the Hitler Youth, an experience that, on one hand, promoted solidarity and national identity, but on the other, shaped a generation of young people ready to serve the Nazi cause with dedication, often without realizing the ethical and moral implications of their actions.

On August 7, 1942, not yet of legal age, Karl-Heinz Rohrbach underwent a recruitment examination where he was deemed fit for military service. Before joining the armed forces, he was required to complete a period of mandatory civil service with the Reich Labor Service (RAD), the National Labor Service of the Reich. The RAD, established in July 1934 as an auxiliary organization in Nazi Germany, played a crucial role in providing support to the Wehrmacht during World War II. During his time in the RAD, Karl-Heinz was designated as an “Arbeitsmann,” a member of one of the labor units operating in civil, military, or agricultural projects. These units were organized into districts called Arbeitsgau and divided into labor groups called Arbeitsgruppen, formed like battalions, each with smaller units called RAD-Abteilung, similar to military companies. Each member of the RAD was equipped with a spade and a bicycle, wearing the uniform with the characteristic RAD insignia: a spade blade crossed with two wheat ears. During his training period, on April 24, 1943, Karl-Heinz also received an important mandatory lesson for all conscripts, focused on espionage, counter-espionage, sabotage, national betrayal, and safeguarding service secrets. This training aimed to prepare young men for active service in the armed forces, in a context where discipline, physical training, and loyalty to the regime were primary values taught from the early years of formation in the Hitler Youth. The period in the RAD not only marked a phase of mandatory civil service for Karl-Heinz but also helped strengthen his ideological commitment and physical preparation before fully entering the Nazi military organization.

Recruitment and Training

The photo of Rohrbach in his military booklet preserved in the Gotica Museum in Ponzalla

Having been discharged from the RAD, and with his previous application accepted, he joins the airborne troops of the Luftwaffe as a long-term soldier. His first assigned unit is the Flieger Regiment 32, also known as the "Kapuste" regiment, named after its commander. The unit is based in Angers, in western France. Here he receives basic training, studies the standard-issue weapons – pistol, submachine gun, rifle, and machine gun – and is issued his identification tag.

The training battalion in Blois

After only six weeks of training in the Reich Labor Service, in September 1943, Karl-Heinz Rohrbach was transferred to his first operational unit: the Flieger Regiment 63. This unit, established in April 1939 and initially based in Eger, operated in various locations in Nazi-occupied France. In Blois, where the III Battalion of the Regiment was stationed, Karl-Heinz continued his training and performed defense and territorial garrison duties.

Subsequently, he was sent to the parachute school in Stendal, "Fallschirmschule I," where he underwent brief but intense training. Within three weeks, he successfully completed the six prescribed jumps to earn his paratrooper badge.

German soldiers on the Anzio, Cisterna, Ardea, Aprilia Front.

Meanwhile, a new Fallschirmjäger division is being formed. There is a need for men to fill the ranks. Thus, Karl-Heinz Rohrbach is sent to Italy and assigned to the 12th Parachute Regiment, a unit designated to continue the legacy of the glorious 82nd "Sturm Regiment," renowned for its actions in Crete and Russia. The commanders are seasoned veterans of proven experience and reliability. The troops are less so, consisting of poorly trained individuals from various backgrounds. Not all are certified paratroopers. Guided by more experienced men, they will be able to contribute to the Nazi cause. And so it will be. Rohrbach joins the unit on January 10, 1944, just days before the offensive aimed at destroying the Anzio bridgehead. Here he has his baptism of fire. He takes part in numerous battles and in three attacks aimed at breaking through the Allied lines in the area south of Ardea.

With Operation "Shingle," the Allied landing at Anzio in January 1944, the Allies hoped to bypass the impenetrable Gustav Line from the west to liberate Rome. However, the German resistance was fierce. The German forces, under the command of General Eberbach, responded with a violent counterattack against the Americans advancing towards the capital. They moved towards Ardea, south of Anzio, in an attempt to cut the Allied communication lines. The battle was brutal, with heavy losses on both sides. Thanks also to air support, the Allies managed to repel the German attack, but the counterattack significantly slowed their advance towards Rome. During these desperate clashes, Rohrbach forged his character as an indomitable fighter. Subsequently, he and his units retreated north, defending the territory from the Allied advance for six months up to the Gothic Line in the Apennines.

On the Gothic Line Front

German soldiers in the trenches on the Gothic Line near Passo del Giogo

Subsequently, with the resumption of the Anglo-American advance, Rohrbach took part in countless clashes during the retreat along the peninsula. During this period, he was wounded by an artillery shell, probably lightly, in the right hand. For this wound, he received the Black Wound Badge. By September, Rohrbach had long returned to his post in the 12th Company, and between the 13th and 15th of the month, he participated in the fierce fighting at Passo del Giogo. By now, he was considered a veteran: on October 1st, he was promoted to Corporal, and on the 7th, he received the Iron Cross 2nd Class in recognition of the valor he demonstrated during the previous weeks' actions. He continued to fight with his unit throughout the winter, retreating to the outskirts of Bologna. Then, on April 10, 1945, he was transferred.

In Czechoslovakia in Brno

The Germans retreating from Brno under Russian fire

In Austria, a new paratrooper division is being formed, and experienced soldiers are needed to train the recruits. Corporal Rohrbach, not yet twenty years old, arrives at the 28th Parachute Regiment along with many of his comrades returning from the Italian front. The war is almost over, but the fighting continues intensely against the Russians. Karl-Heinz Rohrbach remains with his unit until May 8, 1945. Karl-Heinz Rohrbach, a young German corporal, experienced the chaos of war in Europe during the final days of World War II. After fighting fiercely in Italy with the 12th Parachute Regiment, where he participated in fierce battles and three bold attacks against the Allied lines south of Ardea, Rohrbach found himself transferred to Czechoslovakia in the reorganized 28th Parachute Regiment, mainly composed of personnel from the former III. / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4 and III. / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 12. He faced the Russian forces in intense combat. The regiment, under the command of the 10th Fallschirmjäger Division, had to confront the enemy advance southwest of Vienna, specifically in St. Pölten, in mid-April 1945. Rohrbach and his comrades faced the relentless advance of Russian tanks along the Traisen, resisting with determination in locations such as Echenau, Buchberg, and Wiesenfeld. The German resistance actions continued in the region of Brünn and Tischnowitz, where the German forces were heavily outnumbered but did not give up ground without a fight. The arrival of Allied troops marked the defeat, with the 28th Parachute Regiment retreating from Brünn, where many soldiers were captured.

At the end...

The fate of the young Rohrbach is unknown, but his name does not appear in the database of German war casualties. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that he survived the conflict and managed to return home to his loved ones. War always represents a tragic event for both the victors and the vanquished.