Lothar Witzke

Lothar Witzke (15th May 1895 - 6th January 1962) was a German naval officer, spy and saboteur during World War I.

Biography

Witzke was born in Kreis Koschmin, Germany in 1895. During the First World War, he was captured after his battleship, the SMS Dresden, was sunk following many months of attacks on Allied shipping. In 1916, Witzke escaped from American custody, and joined a group of saboteurs, being paired with Kurt Jahnke. Together, Witzke and Jahnke carried out several sabotage missions, mostly blowing up munitions factories.

In 1918, Witzke was arrested at the Mexican border while using the assumed name "Pablo Waberski". A cryptogram found in his sleeve when he was arrested was later decoded, confirming Witzke's identity and status as a saboteur. As a result, Witzke was sentenced to death, at one point managing to escape but being recaptured the same day. However, shortly before his execution, the Armistice was signed, ending the war and delaying Witzke's death sentence until it was commuted to life imprisonment by President Woodrow Wilson.

In 1923, the German Ambassador requested Witzke's release on the grounds that all other countries had released their prisoners of war. This, combined with the fact that Witzke's prison record revealed that he had prevented a boiler explosion, resulted in President Calvin Coolidge granting Witzke an official pardon.

During World War II, Witzke worked as an intelligence official, and was elected to become a state official in West Germany after the country was split. He died in 1962.