Between Fame and Oblivion – Norbert von Wurzbach, the Noble Tannenberg

Abstract

The article explores a fragment from the history of the wealthy and little-known Wurzbach family in Slovenia, whose individuals occupied exceedingly prominent positions until the beginning of World War I. It focuses on the unexplored life of Norbert von Wurzbach (1906–1984), who devoted much of his career to the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He was an officer in the Royal Yugoslav Army and later a major in the German Wehrmacht. His dedication to his profession is also evidenced by the fact that he was one of the few to successfully complete the highest level of military training – the General Staff Training – at the age of thirty-two and was highly successful and respected in his work. World War II and the collapse of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia changed his career path in many ways. After World War II, he  retreated to Berchtesgaden, where he became a successful journalist. He is buried in the Wurzbach family tomb in Preddvor in Gorenjska, his hometown.