10 Facts About Franz Langoth

Franz Langoth was an Austrian nationalist politician who later became a leading figure in the country's Nazi movement.

Franz Langoth began his political career as a nationalist member of the Landtag of Upper Austria in 1909.

Franz Langoth served in the Austro-Hungarian Army as a lieutenant during the First World War and subsequently with the Landsturm.

Franz Langoth became leader of the Greater German People's Party after the First World War, leading the party on a strongly anti-Semitic and racist course.

However whilst the party initially enjoyed a following it soon lost out to the Nazi Party and Franz Langoth joined this group in 1933.

Under the Standestaat Franz Langoth established the Hilfswerk Franz Langoth which provided welfare payments to Nazi activists and played an important role in ensuring the continuation of the Nazi movement.

Franz Langoth was a strong supporter of the Anschluss and he argued that "the election on 10 April 1938 in Austria had been an example of a true, democratic plebiscite and would be recorded as a pure and clean vote in future history".

Franz Langoth served as a judge in the Volksgerichtshof where he passed 41 death sentences and obtained the rank of Brigadefuhrer in the Schutzstaffel.

Franz Langoth was arrested by the United States forces and interned at Glasenbach until 1947, although he surprisingly faced no charges under the denazification process and was amnestied by the Austrian government in 1950.

Franz Langoth became an advisor to the founders of the Federation of Independents and was an honorary member of the party.