Kurt Schwerdt served as an officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Just a few weeks after the start of the campaign in Russia, he lost his right hand but remained on active duty and was transferred as a training officer to the Döberitz military training area. In May 1943, an accident occurred there, resulting in the loss of his remaining left hand. When the formation of the Volkssturm was announced in the fall of 1944, he volunteered for the front and became an adjutant in a Grenadier regiment, participating in the Battle of the Bulge and witnessing the surrender in the Ruhr pocket in April 1945. Even before the end of the war, he was awarded high decorations. After the war, Kurt Schwerdt worked as a lawyer until he took over the duties of the mayor of Biedenkopf in 1954. As mayor, he focused on twinning and community relations.