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Karl FilerNSDAP party member, Reichsleiter (June 2, 1933 – May 8, 1945)
Date of Birth: 31.08.1895
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Karl Fiehler: From Nazi Activist to Munich's Top Official
- Early Life and Military Service
- Nazi Party Membership and the Beer Hall Putsch
- Municipal Politics and Party Leadership
- Mayor of Munich and Nazi Leadership
- SS and Reichstag Membership
- Late Life and Legacy
Karl Fiehler: From Nazi Activist to Munich's Top Official
Karl Fiehler, a prominent figure in the Nazi Party, held significant leadership positions throughout his life.
Early Life and Military Service
Born to a Baptist minister, Fiehler moved to Munich in 1902, where he attended secondary school and studied business. From 1914, he worked as a commercial agent in Schleswig-Holstein. In May 1915, he joined the army and served in auxiliary forces until his injury in 1918. He received the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his bravery.
Nazi Party Membership and the Beer Hall Putsch
Fiehler became one of the first members of the Nazi Party (membership number 37). In 1923, he joined Hitler's "Stoßtrupp Adolf Hitler," which later formed the nucleus of the SS. He actively participated in the Beer Hall Putsch, earning him a 15-month prison sentence.
Municipal Politics and Party Leadership
After serving his sentence alongside Adolf Hitler in Landsberg am Lech prison, Fiehler was elected to the Munich municipal council in 1924. In 1929, he published his pamphlet, "Nationalsozialistische Gemeindepolitik," outlining Nazi principles for local politics. From 1930 to 1945, he headed the Nazi Party's Municipal Policy Office.
Mayor of Munich and Nazi Leadership
Upon the Nazis' rise to power, Fiehler was appointed First Mayor of Munich in 1933 and Oberbürgermeister (Chief Mayor) two months later. In 1933, he became Chairman of the German Municipal Council. In 1935, Munich was designated as the "Capital of the Movement," a symbolic gesture to emphasize its role as the birthplace of Nazism.
SS and Reichstag Membership
Fiehler joined the SS in 1933 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming an SS-Obergruppenführer in 1942. He also served as a Nazi Reichstag deputy from Magdeburg from 1933 to 1945.
Late Life and Legacy
After the war, Fiehler fled Munich but was eventually arrested. He was sentenced to two years in a labor camp in 1949. Fiehler died in 1969, leaving behind a legacy as a key figure in the Nazi Party and its control over municipal and party politics.
