Wolf-Heinrich Graf von Helldorff was born on the 14th of October 1896 in the german town of Merseburg, then part of the German Empire. On the 30th of January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg. After the Nazi seizure of power, Helldorff quickly advanced within the regime. He was entrusted with leading the SS in Berlin and later in Brandenburg province, and reportedly issued the brutal order that for every Nazi killed, ten Marxists would die. In March 1933, Helldorff was appointed Police President of Potsdam and, later that year in November, he secured a seat in the Reichstag, the German parliament, on the Nazi electoral list. He remained at the head of the Potsdam police until being named Police President of Berlin in July 1935, a post that would define much of his later legacy. Helldorff’s personal life, however, stood in stark contrast to his public authority. After losing his inherited estate in 1928, his bankruptcy was not only a result of collapsing agricultural prices, but also driven by his compulsive gambling and extravagant lifestyle. He was separated from his wife, estranged from his mother after failing to pay her rent as promised, and frequently behind on his own rent. On one occasion, he “forgot” to pay for a brand-new Mercedes. He was also chronically late in settling bills with his personal tailor and the trainer he hired for his racehorse. Mounting personal debts and reckless spending left him in constant financial turmoil, which continued even while he held senior posts in the Nazi regime. Helldorff became notorious for unpaid bills, rent arrears, and a lifestyle he could not afford. At times, his salary was garnished, and yet he continued to benefit from large, interest-free “loans” from Nazi Party funds that he was never required to repay.
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