Franz Augsberger
GermanyBiography of Franz Augsberger
Franz Augsberger was a Brigadeführer in the SS and a Major General in the SS forces (June 21, 1944). He was born in Vienna, which was then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After completing general education school, Augsberger attended a military preparatory school. However, during World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved, and Augsberger temporarily abandoned his military career to become an engineer and architect.
In July 1927, Augsberger joined the 'Steirischer Heimatschutz,' a public organization with anti-Semitic and anti-republican tendencies. He soon realized that he would not achieve much with this disorganized organization. On October 30, 1930, Augsberger joined the Storm Detachment and the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Until 1932, he continued working as an architect in Vienna. During this time, he also worked in Norway for a year and a half, learning the Norwegian language in the process.
In 1932, Augsberger's services were required by the party, and he was appointed as the head of the propaganda department. He held this position until June 19, 1933, when the NSDAP was banned in Austria. Augsberger relocated to Germany, where he became a member of the SS. On October 1, 1934, he joined the SS auxiliary organization, and by March 18, 1935, he became the commander of a unit. On this date, Augsberger was recommended to attend officer school, and on April 1, he was promoted to the rank of Hauptsturmführer. In January 1936, after completing officer training, he became a Standartenoberjunker. However, he did not hold this position for long. In the same year, he was promoted to Obersturmführer and in 1937, to Hauptsturmführer. In 1937, Augsberger returned to officer school, this time as an instructor.
On October 1, 1940, Augsberger was transferred to a special SS regiment consisting solely of Norwegian and Danish volunteers. He commanded these tough northerners until February 1941. On February 10, Augsberger was assigned to a special motorized infantry regiment. On December 1, for his excellent service, he was promoted to the rank of Sturmbannführer. In August 1942, Adolf Hitler entrusted Augsberger with the task of creating a special SS unit consisting solely of Estonian volunteers. He commanded the Estonian brigade, and by July 1943, he became a Standartenführer. In January 1944, his unit expanded, and he was promoted to Oberführer. Gaining the respect of his Estonian subordinates was not easy, but Augsberger managed to win their hearts, in part due to his habit of leading them into battle at the forefront. It was Augsberger who commanded the Estonian division during the prolonged retreat on the Eastern Front.
On March 10, 1945, Franz Augsberger was killed near the town of Oppeln in Upper Silesia. By that time, the town had been turned into a fortress and was surrounded by Soviet forces. Augsberger's division was in charge of defending the city. Two days before his death, Augsberger received the Knight's Cross from General Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner for his outstanding achievements in the defense of Oppeln. During an attempt to break through, Augsberger led one of the three attacking groups and was killed in action.
