Maximilian Zitter
Maximilian Zitter (born August 7, 1901 in St. Veit an der Glan , † June 30, 1942 in Vienna ) was an Austrian community official and resistance fighter against the Nazi regime . He was sentenced to death by the Nazi judiciary and was one of ten railway workers who were beheaded in the Vienna Regional Court on June 30, 1942 .
Life
After Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, a number of damage to railway trains, especially to Wehrmacht trains, were recorded in the area of the Reichsbahndirektion Villach. The investigation that started immediately led to the arrest of several railway workers, including the Carinthian train driver Maximilian Zitter. Although the "deliberate listening" to foreign radio stations was strictly forbidden in the Nazi regime and was punished with death in "particularly serious cases", Zitter heard a call to sabotage Wehrmacht trains via an "enemy station" in early July 1941. He also spoke to two colleagues about possible actions, one of whom informed other railway employees about this conversation. The circle of confidants expanded and Zitter was arrested on October 5, 1941.
Death sentence and execution
Zitter was sentenced to death on April 25, 1942 by the Reich Court Martial for " broadcasting crimes, making it difficult to prepare for high treason and favoring the enemy ", although no acts of sabotage could be proven. Another nine of a total of 15 defendants were also sentenced to death :
“He allegedly did nothing more to realize his plans. But he also did nothing to prevent his conversations from having an impact. He also did not take any action when he later heard several times that on the Bruck ad Mur - Villach and Klagenfurt route, brake lines were actually made unusable by removing the sealing rings and cutting the hoses, as he had discussed and suggested. [...] The accused [...] who either carried out the attacks themselves or who induced and incited others to carry out such attacks, are punished with death for their crimes. In the current war, the fateful struggle to be or not for the German people, which requires the full and unconditional commitment of everyone to achieve victory, the defendants have faced their fatherland. "
The draconian punishments were intended to have a deterrent effect against further acts of sabotage - in the judgment almost 400 cases were given for the period from July to December 1941:
“Last but not least, it must also be taken into account that damage to railway wagons in the area of the Reich Railway Directorate in Villach in question occurred up until the days of this main hearing. The perpetrators of these crimes must be made clear that especially in this area, indulgence is not exercised under any circumstances, so that the criminal activity can finally be stopped. "
Maximilian Zitter and the nine railway workers sentenced to death with him were executed with the guillotine on June 30, 1942 from 5 a.m. in the Vienna Regional Court .
Monument to the grandfather
His name can be found on the plaque in the former execution room of the Vienna Regional Court . Another plaque at the St. Veiter train station commemorates those who were executed at the time.
After his grandson Armin M. Zitter , CEO of an international electronics company, retired, he had enough time to research his grandfather's story. The result was a 530-page factual novel with the title: Flieg, Schwalbe, flieg and was published in 2012 by Edition Hadrianneo. A quote from the author:
“On the basis of original documents I describe the trial in Klagenfurt, the torture, the judgment; but also a life of fear and cruel brutality - up to and including execution. "
swell
- Brigitte Bailer , Wolfgang Maderthaner , Kurt Scholz (eds.): "The execution proceeded without any special features". Executions in Vienna, 1938-1945 . Mandelbaum Verlag, Vienna 2013, p. 95-96 ( online [PDF]).
- Documentation archive of the Austrian resistance : No longer anonymous , with photos from the identification file of the Gestapo Vienna, accessed on April 10, 2015
- Fine, Erich: The stones speak. Memorials of the Austrian struggle for freedom. Memorials for the victims of fascism. A documentation. Vienna 1975
- Willi Weinert: “You can put me out, but not the fire”: a guide through the grove of honor of Group 40 at the Vienna Central Cemetery for the executed resistance fighters . Wiener Stern-Verlag, 3rd edition 2011 [1]
- Armin M. Zitter: Fly, Swallow, Fly , Roman, Edition Hadrianneo 2012
proof
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Shiver, Maximilian |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian railway worker and resistance fighter against National Socialism |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 7, 1901 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. Veit an der Glan |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 30, 1942 |
| Place of death | Vienna |