Andreas Schmidt (politician)

Andreas Schmidt (24 May 1912 - spring 1948) was a Transylvanian Saxon politician, ethnic group leader, and later a member of the Schutzstaffel (SS). He served as Head of the German Ethnic Group in Romania (GEGR) from November 1940 to August 1944, and was also a Volksgruppenführer (ethnic group leader) of Romania from 27 September 1940 to August 1944. In these roles, he helped lead the Nazification of the German minority in Romania, recruiting many to the SS and aligning the group with the Reich's beliefs.

Born into a powerful family Transylvanian Saxon from Mănărade, he initially studied law at Babeș-Bolyai University, but later dropped out. After studying at the Agricultural University of Berlin, he became involved with many SS members, and he was trained to Nazify the ethnic Germans in Romania. Returning to Romania the following year, he took on three positions as a member of the SD, Head of Staff of the National Labour Front, and Representative of the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle (VoMI). In this role, he helped recruit hundreds of ethnic Germans in Romania into the Waffen-SS.

On 27 September 1940, when he was 28, he was appointed Volksgruppenführer of Romania by Werner Lorenz. He also became Head of the German Ethnic Group in Romania (GEGR), which became the sole representative of ethnic Germans in Romania in November. In this role he often collaborated with Horia Sima and his father-in-law. In May 1943, he also negotiated an agreement between Romania and Germany allowing some ethnic Germans to go on short-term leave to volunteer with German troops. However, by early 1944, he lost influence within the Reich due to his closeness with Berger during his row with Ernst Kaltenbrunner. He was then accused of sexual harassment, excessive ambition, and making derogatory statements against Kaltenbrunner, which led to him almost getting fired. After the 1944 Romanian coup d'état, Schmidt helped organize Operation Regulus to install an anti-Soviet resistance movement and organize a revolt in Romania. After being turned in, he was transferred to Vorkutlag, a Soviet gulag labor camp, where he died in the spring of 1948, likely due to the prison administration ordering prisoners to beat him to death with axes. However, there were multiple versions of his death due to the uncertainty surrounding it.