He served during World War I in the West Prussian Foot Artillery Regiment 17, and was discharged in 1918 with the rank of Vizefeldwebel of the reserves, having earned the Iron Cross second class.

[2] After the ban on the Nazi Party was lifted, Hohnfeldt rejoined it on 8 October 1925 and founded the Ortsgruppe (local group) Danzig, becoming its first Ortsgruppenleiter.

[2] However, on 20 June 1928, Hohnfeldt abruptly resigned as Gauleiter and Gau SS-Führer in Danzig, and also as SA-Gauführer East, ostensibly due to illness.

In reality, this was one of a number of changes Hitler made in the Gauleiter ranks, replacing those he felt were too socialist in outlook, or whom he considered lacked the necessary attributes to be effective administrators.

After the Reich League for Civil Servants (Reichsbund der Deutschen Beamten) was founded in October 1933, he became its regional head for Danzig.

[4] Leaving the Munich Reichsleitung post in 1937, Hohnfeldt returned to Danzig as Senator for Social Welfare in the city's administration.