Sir Hans (Adolf) Krebs - The Führerbunker

Physiologist, born in Hildesheim, NC Germany. He began his research at Freiburg, but was forced to emigrate to England in 1933, where he continued his work at Cambridge, then at Sheffield (1935–54) and Oxford (1954–67). He shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1953 for his work on the nature of metabolic processes, the way living creatures obtain energy from food. He was knighted in 1958.

For the German-born British biochemist, see Hans Adolf Krebs.

Hans Krebs (4 March 1898 – 1 May 1945) was a German general of infantry who served during during World War II. He was a signatory witness to the last will and testament of Adolf Hitler and subsequently became the first chief of staff to attempt a negotiated surrender with the Soviets.

Krebs volunteered for service in the army in 1914. Krebs was a career officer, and reached the position of Head of General Staff of various army groups until he became an infantry general.

1936–1939 military attaché in Moscow (Krebs spoke fluent Russian) 1939 Chief of Army Training Section 1939–1942 Chief of Staff VII Corps 1942–1943 Chief of Staff German Ninth Army, Eastern Front 1943–1944 Chief of Staff Army Group Centre, Eastern Front 1944–1945 Chief of Staff Army Group B, Western Front 1945 Deputy Chief of Army General Staff 1945 April 1–May 1 Chief of Army General Staff

The Führerbunker

Within hours of Hitler's suicide on April 30, 1945, Joseph Goebbels sent Krebs under a white flag to General Vasily Chuikov, the commander of the Soviet forces in central Berlin. Krebs, a Russian-speaker, informed Chuikov that Hitler and Eva Braun, his wife, had killed themselves in the Führerbunker. The meeting ended with no agreement, and Krebs returned to the bunker looking "worn out, exhausted", according to Traudl Junge, Hitler's secretary.

As the Soviets advanced on the Führerbunker, Krebs was last seen by others, including Junge, in the bunker when they left to attempt to escape.