After the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the corps command of the "VII. Armeekorps" based in Münster under General Oskar von Watter began to establish Freikorps units out of troops returning from the Western Front. Thus the Freikorps Lichtschlag was created in the area around Hagen. It was under the command of Captain Otto Lichtschlag (1885–1961) and had a strength of about 2500 men.