Karl Hanke

Karl Hanke
Hanke in February 1945
5th Reichsführer-SS
In office 29 April 1945 – 8 May 1945
President	Adolf Hitler Karl Dönitz
Chancellor	Adolf Hitler Joseph Goebbels Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk
Preceded by	Heinrich Himmler
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Chief of the German Police
In office 29 April 1945 – 8 May 1945
Preceded by	Heinrich Himmler
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Gauleiter of Gau Lower Silesia
In office 27 January 1941 – 8 May 1945
Appointed by	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	New Gau created
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Oberpräsident of the Province of Lower Silesia
In office 1 February 1941 – 8 May 1945
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Office abolished
State Secretary for the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
In office 26 November 1937 – 27 January 1941
Appointed by	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Leopold Gutterer
Personal details
Born	Karl August Hanke (1903-08-24)24 August 1903 Lauban, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	8 June 1945(1945-06-08) (aged 41) Neudorf, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czechoslovakia
Political party	Nazi Party
Spouse	Baroness Freda von Fircks ​ ​ (m. 1944)​
Children	1
Alma mater	Berufspädagogisches Institut, Berlin
Profession	Politician

Karl August Hanke (24 August 1903 – 8 June 1945) was an official of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) during its rule over Germany who served as the fifth and final Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (SS). He also served as Gauleiter of Gau Lower Silesia from 1941 to 1945 and as Oberpräsident of the Prussian Province of Lower Silesia. Captured on 6 May 1945, he was shot and wounded during an escape attempt and then beaten to death by Czech guards on 8 June, after the war had ended.