Friedrich Engels Military Academy

The mission of the Military Academy was to train officers of all types of armed forces of the National People's Army of the GDR. The education and degrees obtained by graduates of the academy corresponded to those in Soviet military academies.

The Friedrich Engels Military Academy was opened on January 5, 1959. Since 1953, the Academy building housed a college for the training of officers of the Barracks People’s Police (Kasernierte Volkspolizei, KVP), and in October 1956 the college was renamed the College for Officers of the National People’s Army (NVA) ^[1] . The head of this educational institution from 1953 to 1959 was Colonel Wilhelm Adam (1893-1978).

The military academy also trained military specialists with the award of scientific degrees ^[2] . For outstanding achievements in studies at the academy, a graduate could receive a “special diploma” from the Minister of National Defense, corresponding to a gold medal for graduates of academies in the Soviet Union. In order to receive a “special diploma”, the cadets of the academy had to have marks of at least “very good” (sehr gut) in all subjects and to perfectly protect their thesis.

The Friedrich Engels Military Academy from 1956 to 1990 was located in the monumental buildings of the former Wehrmacht Luftgaukommando IV. The buildings were built in 1935-1938 according to the project of the architect Wilhelm Kreis and were located on the current August-Bebel Street in Dresden. After the Second World War and until 1952, the buildings were used by the government of Saxony and the Saxon State Parliament.

The cadets of the academy were officers who had previously graduated from a technical college or university and gained experience in the army ^[3] . Admission to the academy was carried out according to the results of entrance examinations, study lasted 3-3, 5 years. At the end of the training, cadets had to prepare and defend their thesis. The academy had 5 faculties: social sciences, land forces, aviation and air defense, naval forces, technology and weapons. Since 1970, faculties were called divisions. In 1990, the Academy had eight departments. In addition to educational activities, the Academy conducted research work. During the work of the Academy, about 6500 officers completed it.

After the unification of Germany, the academy was closed, and Dresden University of Technology is now located in its buildings.

The head of the Military Academy was appointed from among the representatives of the High Command of the Warsaw Pact. At different times, the heads of the academy were:

• Major General Heinrich Dollwetzel, (October 1, 1958 - September 30, 1959)
• Major General Fritz Johne, (October 1, 1959 - May 31, 1963)
• Major General Heinrich Heitsch, (June 1, 1963 - April 30, 1964)
• Major General Hans Wiesner, (May 1, 1964 - December 10, 1986)
• Lieutenant General Manfred Gehmert, (December 11, 1986 - February 28, 1990)
• Lieutenant General Hans Slad (Hans Süß), (March 1 - September 30, 1990)
• Colonel Gerhard Kolitsch (October 1-2, 1990)

At different times, the academy graduated:

• Horst Silla , Lieutenant General.
• Bernd Leistner , Major General.

• Der Lehrstuhl JFK / LV an der Militärakademie
• Architektur des luftgaukommandos
• Wilhelm Kreis - Architekt des Luftgaukommandos (link not available)

• Wolfgang Jahn, Roland Jäntsch, Siegfried Heinze: Militärakademie “Friedrich Engels” - Historischer Abriß. Militärverlag der DDR 1988.
• Wolfgang Demmer, Eberhard Haueis: Militärakademie "Friedrich Engels" 1959 bis 1990. Eine Dokumentation. DSS-Arbeitspapiere, Dresden 2008, (PDF 163 Seiten, nicht mehr abrufbar)
• Klaus Kürbis, Werner Scholz: Arbeitsunterlagen zur Entwicklung der Militärtechnischen Fakultät / der Sektion, zum Ausbildungsprogramm und zur Forschung.
• Klaus Froh, Rüdiger Wenzke: Die Generale und Admirale der NVA. Ein biographisches Handbuch. 4. Auflage. Ch. Links, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-86153-209-3 .