The Corps was created as the XXXXVI Army Corps and converted to a Panzer Corps on 21 June 1942.
The Panzer Corps took part in Operation Barbarossa and fought in Kiev, Putyvl, Vyazma and Volokolamsk. It later fought in Rusa-Volokolamsk, Rzhev, Vyazma and Yelnya before taking part in Operation Zitadelle (Kursk). It retired to the Svin area in September 1943 and to Mozyr in December.
It was transferred to the southern sector in January 1944 and fought at Vinnitsa and later on the Dniester. It withdrew to Poland and ended the war in Pomerania by surrendering to British forces, by which point it only had the 547th Volksgrenadier Division and the 2nd Naval Division under its command.
Bußmann, Walter (1993). "Kursk-Orel-Dnjepr. Erlebnisse und Erfahrungen im Stab des XXXXVI. Panzerkorps während des Unternehmens Zitadelle" [Kursk-Orel-Dnieper. Experiences in the Staff of XXXXVI Panzer Corps during Operation Citadel]. Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte (in German). Oldenbourg.