My Family Tree

Circumstances of his death are mysterious. The information from the official authority was that Hans Prüter died in a car accident on the autobahn between Bremen and Hamburg. On the other hand, according to his son Klaus Prüter, Prüter's driver saw the car on the day after the accident but was forbidden to acknowledge this . Furthermore the blood stains on his uniform jacket and shirt, handed over to his widow, ran from the neck to the belt. His service pistol was also returned to the family at that time. One speculative alternative, is that he committed suicide subsequent to a careless remark from him that suggested sympathies with the assassination attempt on Hitler's life on 21.7.1944. Anna Prüter sold his service pistol in exchange for food supplies for the family to a huntsman friend of the family, Drögemüller. He pointed out that one shot from the pistol was missing and the gun had not thereafter been cleaned.

Hans Prüter is buried on the military cemetry in Travemünde Allee, Lübeck.

Todesumstände sind mysteriös: sich widersprechende Informationen durch übergeordnete Dienststellen und Kollegen (Fahrer Prüters sah den Wagen einen Tag nach dem Unfall; der Ehefrau überstellte Uniformjacke wies Blutspuren vom Nacken abwärts auf; Annahme der Familie, dass Selbstmord; Gerücht der Verquickung in Attentat vom 21. Juli 1944)
beerdigt auf Militärfriedhof, Travemündeallee, Lübeck

(Source: Annelore Prüter & Klaus Prüter)