Friedrich Gollwitzer was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who commanded the LIII Army Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
206th Infantry Division's commander, Alfons Hitter (second from right) and Gollwitzer surrender to the Soviet forces.
The Vitebsk–Orsha offensive was part of the Belorussian strategic offensive of the Red Army in summer 1944, commonly known as Operation Bagration. During the offensive, Soviet troops captured Vitebsk and Orsha. A Soviet breakthrough during the offensive helped achieve the encirclement of German troops in the subsequent Minsk offensive.
Troops of the 158th Rifle Division fighting near the Vitebsk railway station during the assault on the city