19 Facts About Oswald Pirow

Oswald Pirow, QC was a South African lawyer and far-right politician who held office as minister of justice, and later minister of defence for the National and United Party, respectively.

Pirow eventually left the UP upon the Second World War and joined Daniel Malan's reunited National Party, but eventually broke when Pirow founded the New Order of South Africa, a marginal fascist group that disbanded before the end of the war.

Oswald Pirow was educated at Potchefstroom, Transvaal, before continuing his education in Germany and England.

Oswald Pirow was admitted to the Middle Temple on 15 October 1910 and was Called to the Bar on 4 June 1913.

Oswald Pirow then practised law in Pretoria, becoming a King's Counsel in 1925.

Oswald Pirow married Else Piel in 1919, the marriage producing two sons and two daughters.

The strike was put down when the government sent in troops, but in the resulting court cases Oswald Pirow was noted for his defence of the strike leaders.

Oswald Pirow came under the influence of Tielman Roos, an important figure in Transvaal and became a member of James Barry Munnik Hertzog's National Party being elected to parliament for Zoutpansberg in 1924.

Oswald Pirow was eliminated in 1929 however after running against Jan Smuts in Standerton.

Oswald Pirow won a by-election in October 1929 in Gezina however to confirm things and continued to represent the seat until 1943.

For Oswald Pirow, a strong advocate of both republicanism and a greatly increased role for South Africa in Africa as a whole, the foundation of the national airline was an important step in making the country more powerful.

In January 1935, the German cruiser Emden visited Cape Town, where Oswald Pirow arrived to welcome Karl Donitz, the captain of the Emden, to South Africa.

Oswald Pirow denied in the South African parliament that the South African government was planning to return Southwest Africa, saying that he was only expressing the wish that Germany have a colonial empire in Africa again.

Oswald Pirow toured Europe in 1938 and claimed to offer Hitler a free role in Eastern Europe in return for allowing the Jews to leave Germany.

Oswald Pirow supported Hertzog's calls for neutrality when war did arrive and followed his leader into the new Herenigde Nasionale Party.

Oswald Pirow acted as a prosecutor for a time during the Treason Trial of 1956.

Apart from the trial, Oswald Pirow largely lived his post-political career in retirement, publishing several books on wildlife and adventure books for boys.

Oswald Pirow died of heart failure in Pretoria, Transvaal, Union of South Africa.

Oswald Pirow was cremated and his ashes are kept at his Valhalla Farm residence near Pilgrim's Rest.