Ludwig Ruckdeschel | |
|---|---|
 Ruckdeschel in 1938 | |
| Acting Gauleiter of Gau Bayreuth | |
| In office 19 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Fritz Wächtler |
| Succeeded by | Gau abolished |
| Acting Gauleiter of Gau Bayerische Ostmark | |
| In office 5 March 1935 – 5 December 1935 | |
| Preceded by | Hans Schemm |
| Succeeded by | Fritz Wächtler |
| Deputy Gauleiter of Gau Bayerische Ostmark, later Gau Bayreuth | |
| In office 1 February 1933 – 19 April 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Gau established |
| Succeeded by | None |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 March 1907 Bayreuth, German Empire |
| Died | 8 November 1986 (aged 79) Wolfsburg, West Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | Nazi Party |
| Residence(s) | Bayreuth, Bavaria |
Ludwig Ruckdeschel (15 March 1907 – 8 November 1986) was the Acting Nazi Gauleiter of Bayreuth during the final month of the Gau's existence before the collapse of Nazi Germany in 1945. Before this, from 1933, he served as the Deputy Gauleiter, first to Hans Schemm, and then to Fritz Wächtler, whom he had executed on orders by Martin Bormann. From 1933 to 1945 he was also a member of the German Parliament, the Reichstag.
During the Second World War Ruckdeschel served in the Waffen-SS, rising to the rank of Obersturmbannführer. After the war he was arrested in 1947 and sentenced to 13 years in prison but released in 1952.