DUYSTERBERG Theodore (Duesterberg)

Duysterberg, Theodore (Duesterberg), (1875-1950), founder (1918) and director (along with Franz Zeldte) semi-legal paramilitary organization "Steel Helmet". Born October 19, 1875 in Darmstadt. Participated in the 1 st World War, Lieutenant Colonel. October 11, 1931 Duysterberg and Zeldte represented "Steel Helmet" in t. n. Gartsburgskom front - an unsuccessful attempt to unite all right-wing organizations into a single powerful political alliance. March 13, 1932 Duysterberg was nominated for the presidency of the German Nationalist Party, received only 2,557,729 votes against 18,650,730 votes for Paul von Hindenburg, and 11,339,285 - for Hitler. And during the election campaign the Nazis accused Duysterberga of Jewish origin, which fatally affected by it for the outcome of the election. At the re-election April 10, 1932 Nationalists withdrew candidacy Duysterberga and called on their supporters to vote for Hitler.
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. After coming to power in 1933, Hitler Duysterbergom apologized for the recent libel and offered him the post of Minister in the coalition government
. Duysterberg refused, and then press against him again rose unbridled slander. In 1934 Duysterberg, who broke this time gone over to the side of Hitler Zeldte, for opposition to the Nazi regime was briefly jailed. In 1943, he established contact with Karl Friedrich Goerdeler, one of the leaders of the anti-Hitler conspiracy, but active participation in the resistance movement did not take. Duysterberg died on 4 May 1950 in Hameln.