The Surrender Pens of World War II: Lüneburg Heath and Rheims

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. This multipart series explores the surrender ceremonies, participants, and pens that were used to sign the surrender documents.

- RICHARD BINDER

In the wake of Adolf Hitler's suicide in the afternoon of April 30, 1945, Wehrmacht commanders scrambled to surrender their commands—but only to the Western Allies. On May 4, 1945, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery accepted the surrender of German forces and naval ships in the area of Holland, northwestern Germany, and Denmark. Only one pen was used.

The signing was to take place in Montgomery's headquarters at Lüneburg (Heath), south of Hamburg. Großadmiral Karl Dönitz, formerly commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine, the German navy, was now the Führer. He deemed it unsuitable to negotiate with a mere field marshal and sent Generaladmiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg in his place. Von Friedeburg was accompanied by General der Infanterie Eberhard Kinzel, Konteradmiral Gerhard Wagner, Oberst Fritz Poleck, and Major Hans Jochen Freidel. The delegation arrived at Montgomery's tactical headquarters on May 3.

To save their comrades on the Eastern Front, the Germans initially asked Montgomery to accept the surrender of Army Group Vistula, which was then being cut off by the Red Army. That wasn't in his purview, and he said as much. Instead, he demanded the surrender of all the territories to his north and west. The Germans said that they had no authority to surrender those forces. He is reported to have replied, “If you don't agree, I shall go on with the war, and be delighted to do so.” The Germans asked and received permission to return to Dönitz to get the necessary authorization. They reappeared at Montgomery's headquarters the next day, May 4, with Dönitz’s permission to surrender the territories he demanded.