Planck, Erwin

(1893-1945)

   bureaucrat; served as the Chancellery's State Secretary under Franz von Papen* and Kurt von Schleicher.* Son of Max Planck,* the Berlin* physicist, he was commissioned an army officer in 1910. He began medical studies in 1913, but was recalled to the army upon the out-break of war. Severely wounded and captured in September 1914, he was con-fined in France until he was repatriated in October 1917. After assignment to the General Staff (where he served on Hindenburg's* personal staff), he became friends with then Major Schleicher, whom he followed into the Defense Ministry in November 1919. In January 1924, just promoted to cavalry captain (Ritt-meister), he went to the Chancellery as liaison officer; reporting to the Reichs-wehr,* he was Schleicher's "eyes and ears" at the government's highest levels.

   Highly valued by superiors and colleagues alike, Planck quit the Reichswehr in 1926 to formally join the civil service.* Assigned to the Chancellery, he advanced rapidly and, upon the collapse of Heinrich Brüning's* cabinet in May 1932, succeeded Hermann Pünder* as Staatssekretar (Pünder had promoted his career). He vigorously represented Schleicher before Reichstag* deputies and in December 1932 and January 1933 promoted his effort at an understanding with the trade unions.* Just before Schleicher's removal he considered thwarting Hitler's* appointment through proclamation of a national emergency.

   Planck applied for retirement on 30 January 1933 and was granted a pension in July. Although he was convinced of the regime's criminality, he became its opponent only after Schleicher's murder on 30 June 1934. Through contact with Johannes Popitz,* Prussian Finance Minister, he joined the resistance. He was arrested on 23 July 1944 and condemned to death. His father's efforts to gain Hitler's clemency were ineffectual.

   REFERENCES:Benz and Graml, Biographisches Lexikon; Bracher, Auflosung; Leber, Conscience in Revolt.