Karl Mayr
Encyclopedia
Captain Karl Mayr was a General Staff officer and Adolf Hitler
's immediate superior in an Army Intelligence Division in the Reichswehr
, 1919-1920. Mayr was particularly known as the man who introduced Hitler to politics. In 1919, Mayr directed Hitler to write the Gemlich letter
, in which Hitler first expressed his anti-semitic views in writing.
Mayr later became Hitler's opponent, and wrote in his memoirs that General Erich Ludendorff
had personally ordered him to have Hitler join the Nazi Party and build it up. As far as it is known, his last rank was major. He fled to France
in 1933 after the Nazis rose to power, was tracked down by the Gestapo
, arrested and imprisoned, and later murdered at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp
in 1945.
A fact-based portrayal of Mayr is dramatized in the 2002 film Max
, a fictional account of Hitler's life in Munich
just prior to joining the Nazi Party.
in 1911.
From August 1914 Mayr was with the 1st Bayerischen Jägerbattailon. During the war he was in combat in Lorraine and Flanders and involved before its formation in early 1915 with the German Alpine Corps. On 1 June 1915 Mayr was promoted to Hauptmann
(captain). In 1917, he was named on the General Staff of the Alpine Corps. On 13 March 1918 he was appointed commander of the 1st Bavarian Jägerbattailon, with whom he served in the Eastern Army Group in Turkey from 20 July to 15 October 1918.
Shortly after the war, from 1 December 1918, Mayr acted as company commander in the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment in Munich. On 15 February 1919 he was on leave from the military, but returned in May as commander of the 6th Battalion of the guards regiment in Munich and from 30 May as head of the "Education and Propaganda Department" of the General Command von Oven and the Group Command No. 4 (Department Ib) under Lieutenant-General von Möhl.
In his capacity as head of the intelligence department, Mayr recruited Adolf Hitler as an undercover agent in early June 1919 after his return from the war. His role involved informing on soldiers suspected of communist sympathies. Hitler took part in "national thinking" courses at the Reichswehrlager Lechfeld near Augsburg which were organized by the Bavarian Reichswehr
under Captain Mayr. Mayr believed demoralized and Bolshevized forces should be taught national sentiments. After this training Mayr issued Hitler the order to become "anti-Bolshevik educational speaker" to the soldiers at the Munich barracks. Furthermore, Hitler was sent as an observer to the numerous meetings of the various newly-formed political parties in Munich at this time. Hitler spent much time at the meetings and wrote reports on the political ideas, goals and methods of the groups. This included studying the activities of the DAP (German Workers' Party
). Hitler became impressed with founder Anton Drexler
's antisemitic, nationalist, anti-capitalist
and anti-Marxist ideas. Drexler was impressed with Hitler's oratory skills and invited him to join the DAP, which Hitler accepted on 12 September 1919. After attending a further meeting on 3 October, Hitler stated to Mayr in his report "must join this club or party, as these were the thoughts of the soldiers from the front-line".
In March 1920, Mayr sent Hitler, Dietrich Eckart
and Ritter von Greim to Berlin to observe at close range the events of the Kapp Putsch
. On 8 July 1920, Mayr was released from military service as a Major of the General Staff of the military district commands VII, presumably because of his contacts with the Kapp Putsch.
Mayr in 1921 was still pro-Nazi, but later became a critic. In 1925 he joined the SPD
. Subsequently he was the leader and editor of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, an SPD paramilitary force. In the early 1930s, Mayr collected among other things, information on Georg Bell, an associate of Ernst Röhm, and other material against the Nazi Party, that he leaked in the Social Democratic press. After 1933, Karl Mayr emigrated to France. After the German invasion of 1940, he was arrested in Paris by the Gestapo and taken to Germany, where on 9 February 1945 he was killed in Buchenwald concentration camp.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's immediate superior in an Army Intelligence Division in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
, 1919-1920. Mayr was particularly known as the man who introduced Hitler to politics. In 1919, Mayr directed Hitler to write the Gemlich letter
Gemlich letter
The Gemlich letter refers to a letter written by Adolf Hitler at the behest of Karl Mayr to Adolf Gemlich, a German army soldier. The letter, written in 1919 in response to a request for clarification on the Jewish question, is thought to be the first known piece of antisemitic writing by Hitler...
, in which Hitler first expressed his anti-semitic views in writing.
Mayr later became Hitler's opponent, and wrote in his memoirs that General Erich Ludendorff
Erich Ludendorff
Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff was a German general, victor of Liège and of the Battle of Tannenberg...
had personally ordered him to have Hitler join the Nazi Party and build it up. As far as it is known, his last rank was major. He fled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1933 after the Nazis rose to power, was tracked down by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, arrested and imprisoned, and later murdered at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp
Buchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald concentration camp was a German Nazi concentration camp established on the Ettersberg near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937, one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps on German soil.Camp prisoners from all over Europe and Russia—Jews, non-Jewish Poles and Slovenes,...
in 1945.
A fact-based portrayal of Mayr is dramatized in the 2002 film Max
Max (film)
Max is a 2002 British/Hungarian/Canadian fictional drama film, that depicts a friendship between a Jewish art dealer, Max Rothman, and a young Austrian painter, Adolf Hitler...
, a fictional account of Hitler's life in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
just prior to joining the Nazi Party.
Life and work
Mayr was the son of a magistrate. After graduating from high school, he was enrolled on 14 July 1901 in the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment in Munich as a cadet. Well regarded by his superiors, he made rapid progress, becoming Leutnant in 1903 and OberleutnantOberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
in 1911.
From August 1914 Mayr was with the 1st Bayerischen Jägerbattailon. During the war he was in combat in Lorraine and Flanders and involved before its formation in early 1915 with the German Alpine Corps. On 1 June 1915 Mayr was promoted to Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
(captain). In 1917, he was named on the General Staff of the Alpine Corps. On 13 March 1918 he was appointed commander of the 1st Bavarian Jägerbattailon, with whom he served in the Eastern Army Group in Turkey from 20 July to 15 October 1918.
Shortly after the war, from 1 December 1918, Mayr acted as company commander in the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment in Munich. On 15 February 1919 he was on leave from the military, but returned in May as commander of the 6th Battalion of the guards regiment in Munich and from 30 May as head of the "Education and Propaganda Department" of the General Command von Oven and the Group Command No. 4 (Department Ib) under Lieutenant-General von Möhl.
In his capacity as head of the intelligence department, Mayr recruited Adolf Hitler as an undercover agent in early June 1919 after his return from the war. His role involved informing on soldiers suspected of communist sympathies. Hitler took part in "national thinking" courses at the Reichswehrlager Lechfeld near Augsburg which were organized by the Bavarian Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
under Captain Mayr. Mayr believed demoralized and Bolshevized forces should be taught national sentiments. After this training Mayr issued Hitler the order to become "anti-Bolshevik educational speaker" to the soldiers at the Munich barracks. Furthermore, Hitler was sent as an observer to the numerous meetings of the various newly-formed political parties in Munich at this time. Hitler spent much time at the meetings and wrote reports on the political ideas, goals and methods of the groups. This included studying the activities of the DAP (German Workers' Party
German Workers' Party
The German Workers' Party was the short-lived predecessor of the Nazi Party .-Origins:The DAP was founded in Munich in the hotel "Fürstenfelder Hof" on January 5, 1919 by Anton Drexler, a member of the occultist Thule Society. It developed out of the "Freien Arbeiterausschuss für einen guten...
). Hitler became impressed with founder Anton Drexler
Anton Drexler
Anton Drexler was a German right-wing political leader of the 1920s, known for being Adolf Hitler's mentor during his early days in politics.-Biography:...
's antisemitic, nationalist, anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
and anti-Marxist ideas. Drexler was impressed with Hitler's oratory skills and invited him to join the DAP, which Hitler accepted on 12 September 1919. After attending a further meeting on 3 October, Hitler stated to Mayr in his report "must join this club or party, as these were the thoughts of the soldiers from the front-line".
In March 1920, Mayr sent Hitler, Dietrich Eckart
Dietrich Eckart
Dietrich Eckart was a German journalist and politician, together with Adolf Hitler one of the early key members of the Nazi Party and a participant of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch.-Biography:...
and Ritter von Greim to Berlin to observe at close range the events of the Kapp Putsch
Kapp Putsch
The Kapp Putsch — or more accurately the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch — was a 1920 coup attempt during the German Revolution of 1918–1919 aimed at overthrowing the Weimar Republic...
. On 8 July 1920, Mayr was released from military service as a Major of the General Staff of the military district commands VII, presumably because of his contacts with the Kapp Putsch.
Mayr in 1921 was still pro-Nazi, but later became a critic. In 1925 he joined the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
. Subsequently he was the leader and editor of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, an SPD paramilitary force. In the early 1930s, Mayr collected among other things, information on Georg Bell, an associate of Ernst Röhm, and other material against the Nazi Party, that he leaked in the Social Democratic press. After 1933, Karl Mayr emigrated to France. After the German invasion of 1940, he was arrested in Paris by the Gestapo and taken to Germany, where on 9 February 1945 he was killed in Buchenwald concentration camp.