Henne, Willi

Civil engineer

Born: 12.07.1907 in Grab (district of Backnang)

died: 10.02.1977 in Wiesbaden

Henne studied civil engineering at the Technical University of Stuttgart from 1926-30 and was then a trainee at the Württemberg Road and Hydraulic Engineering Administration in Ludwigsburg. In 1936, he became a consultant for special tasks at the later Organization Todt, a special organization of the Nazi state created in 1938 for the construction of military-related building projects. Alongside Xaver Dorsch (1899-1986), Henne was particularly responsible for the construction of the Westwall in 1938, which he managed from Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden Department, Westwall W, based in the Palasthotel Kaiserhof).

In occupied Norway, he was head of the main technical department from 1942 and, as head of the "Wiking" task force, was also responsible for the use of prisoners of war and forced laborers in various construction projects. In 1945, Henne was taken prisoner of war in Russia, from which he was only released in 1955.

He initially worked at the Besigheim Road Construction Office before succeeding Fritz Kind as President of the Hessian State Office for Road Construction in 1957. He headed the office until his retirement in 1972.