Hermann Neubacher
Encyclopedia
Hermann Neubacher was an Austria
n Nazi politician who held a number of diplomatic posts in the Third Reich. During the Second World War, he was appointed as the leading German official for the Balkans
.
, he was educated in Kremsmünster
and Vienna
before seeing service in Italy
in World War I
. Initially connected to the Social Democratic Party of Austria
through his friendship with a number of leading members whilst in charge of a housing project in Vienna, Neubacher became attracted to Pan-Germanism
and in 1925 founded his own Österreichisch-Deutscher Volksbund as a society for this school of thought. He was also a member of the Deutsche Gemeinschaft secret society and in this group he built up friendships with fellow members Engelbert Dollfuß and Arthur Seyss-Inquart
.
Neubacher became a member of the Nazi Party in Austria
because he felt it was the best way to bring about Anschluss
, although he was more in tune with the Anton Reinthaller
-led moderate faction than the extremists under Theodor Habicht
. After a spell as assistant to Josef Leopold
he became Landesleiter of the Austrian Nazi party in 1935, attempting to restructure the banned group. His tenure came to an end the same year when he was imprisoned for distributing illegal material and upon his release he dropped out of politics to take up a role with IG Farben
.
Under the Nazis he was chosen to serve as Mayor of Vienna, although he soon incurred disfavor for his habit of working with former Social Democrats and his lax attitude towards the Jews
and before long he was downgraded to the role of general representative of Josef Bürckel
.
, initially serving as an economic adviser in Romania
before taking on the role of ambassador to the same country and afterwards Greece
as well. In Greece he was joined by Italian
Alberto D'Agostino, with the two men given full authority over economic and financial matters after discussions between the Greek government and the occupiers aimed at reducing occupation costs. During the final days of occupation of Greece the more moderate Neubacher became embroiled in a struggle with Sicherheitspolizei
chief Walter Blume, after Blume suggested that the Nazis should undertake a policy of executing all members of the political elite suspected of having links to the United Kingdom
, so as to leave the count leaderless (the so-called "Chaos thesis"). Neubacher rejected this as counterproductive, arguing that as long as politicians opposed the work of the communist-controlled National Liberation Front and the Greek People's Liberation Army their British links should be ignored. In the end Neubacher's line was approved and Blume was withdrawn, a move that ultimately left in place a strong pro-British right wing governing class in post-liberation Greece.
. These were:
Ultimately only point 4 of his proposals was approved, although he did succeed in ending German military reprisals and in combating to an extent the Ustaše
reprisals against Serbs
.
and in 1946 a military court in Belgrade sentenced him to 20 years, although he was not ultimately required to serve the full sentence. He served his prison term in Belgrade, in the building of the former Gestapo headquarters. He was released from prison in November 1951 due to poor health. Back in Austria, he worked as a building constructor in Salzburg, and from 1954–1956, he worked in Ethiopia as a consultant to Emperor
Haile Selasie
. He died in Vienna, aged 67.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Nazi politician who held a number of diplomatic posts in the Third Reich. During the Second World War, he was appointed as the leading German official for the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.
Austrian activism
Born in WelsWels
Wels is the second largest city of the state of Upper Austria, located in the north of Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is not part of its surrounding Wels County , but a so-called Statutarstadt . However, Wels is the county seat of Wels-Land.- Geography :Wels is located in the...
, he was educated in Kremsmünster
Kremsmünster
Kremsmünster is a town in Kirchdorf an der Krems , in Upper Austria, Austria. Its population is 6,450, as of 2001. Settled in 777, it is home to the Kremsmünster Abbey....
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
before seeing service in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Initially connected to the Social Democratic Party of Austria
Social Democratic Party of Austria
The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
through his friendship with a number of leading members whilst in charge of a housing project in Vienna, Neubacher became attracted to Pan-Germanism
Pan-Germanism
Pan-Germanism is a pan-nationalist political idea. Pan-Germanists originally sought to unify the German-speaking populations of Europe in a single nation-state known as Großdeutschland , where "German-speaking" was taken to include the Low German, Frisian and Dutch-speaking populations of the Low...
and in 1925 founded his own Österreichisch-Deutscher Volksbund as a society for this school of thought. He was also a member of the Deutsche Gemeinschaft secret society and in this group he built up friendships with fellow members Engelbert Dollfuß and Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Arthur Seyss-Inquart was a Chancellor of Austria, lawyer and later Nazi official in pre-Anschluss Austria, the Third Reich and for wartime Germany in Poland and the Netherlands...
.
Neubacher became a member of the Nazi Party in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
because he felt it was the best way to bring about Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
, although he was more in tune with the Anton Reinthaller
Anton Reinthaller
Anton Reinthaller was an Austrian right wing politician active before and after the Second World War. He was the inaugural leader of the Freedom Party of Austria .- Early life :...
-led moderate faction than the extremists under Theodor Habicht
Theodor Habicht
Theodor Habicht was a leading political figure in Nazi Germany. He played a leading role in the Austrian movement.-Early years:...
. After a spell as assistant to Josef Leopold
Josef Leopold
Josef Leopold was a leading member of the Nazi Party in Austria. He was the Landesleiter of the party from 1935 to 1938 and the head of the Sturmabteilung in Austria...
he became Landesleiter of the Austrian Nazi party in 1935, attempting to restructure the banned group. His tenure came to an end the same year when he was imprisoned for distributing illegal material and upon his release he dropped out of politics to take up a role with IG Farben
IG Farben
I.G. Farbenindustrie AG was a German chemical industry conglomerate. Its name is taken from Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG . The company was formed in 1925 from a number of major companies that had been working together closely since World War I...
.
Under the Nazis he was chosen to serve as Mayor of Vienna, although he soon incurred disfavor for his habit of working with former Social Democrats and his lax attitude towards the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and before long he was downgraded to the role of general representative of Josef Bürckel
Josef Bürckel
Joseph Bürckel was a German politician and a member of the German parliament...
.
Greece
When war broke out Neubacher took on the role of a special plenipotentiary envoy in the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, initially serving as an economic adviser in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
before taking on the role of ambassador to the same country and afterwards Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
as well. In Greece he was joined by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Alberto D'Agostino, with the two men given full authority over economic and financial matters after discussions between the Greek government and the occupiers aimed at reducing occupation costs. During the final days of occupation of Greece the more moderate Neubacher became embroiled in a struggle with Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
chief Walter Blume, after Blume suggested that the Nazis should undertake a policy of executing all members of the political elite suspected of having links to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, so as to leave the count leaderless (the so-called "Chaos thesis"). Neubacher rejected this as counterproductive, arguing that as long as politicians opposed the work of the communist-controlled National Liberation Front and the Greek People's Liberation Army their British links should be ignored. In the end Neubacher's line was approved and Blume was withdrawn, a move that ultimately left in place a strong pro-British right wing governing class in post-liberation Greece.
Yugoslavia
In 1943 he devised the Neubacher Plan as a means to improve German occupation in the Balkans. In a wide ranging raft of reforms Neubacher suggested five main ideas to Joachim von RibbentropJoachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
. These were:
- The return of MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
to Serbia. - Installing General Milan NedićMilan NedicMilan Nedić was a Serbian general and politician, he was the chief of the general staff of the Yugoslav Army, minister of war in the Royal Yugoslav Government and the prime minister of a Nazi-backed Serbian puppet government during World War II.After the war, Yugoslav communist authorities...
as President of the resulting Greater SerbiaGreater SerbiaThe term Greater Serbia or Great Serbia applies to the Serbian nationalist and irredentist ideology directed towards the creation of a Serbian land which would incorporate all regions of traditional significance to the Serbian nation...
. - Autonomy in Montenegro.
- The re-opening of the University of BelgradeUniversity of BelgradeThe University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
and an end to German supervision of cultural life. - Reduction in German military presence and the establishment of a gendarmerie controlled by the new government.
Ultimately only point 4 of his proposals was approved, although he did succeed in ending German military reprisals and in combating to an extent the Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
reprisals against Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
.
Later life
After the war Neubacher faced trial in the Socialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
and in 1946 a military court in Belgrade sentenced him to 20 years, although he was not ultimately required to serve the full sentence. He served his prison term in Belgrade, in the building of the former Gestapo headquarters. He was released from prison in November 1951 due to poor health. Back in Austria, he worked as a building constructor in Salzburg, and from 1954–1956, he worked in Ethiopia as a consultant to Emperor
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
Haile Selasie
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
. He died in Vienna, aged 67.