Karl Biedermann


Karl Biedermann was commander of the Austrian Heimwehr, Major of Wehrmacht and a member of German resistance to Nazism.

Life

After visiting the cadet corps in Traiskirchen, Karl Biedermann served from 1910 in the Common Army. In World War I he served as an officer. He was released from Bundesheer in 1920 with the rank of captain. His civil profession was official of the "Österreichische Postsparkasse".
In February 1934 Biedermann was commander of a company of the "Freiwilligen Schutzkorps", consisting of units of Heimwehr and helping troops of the Bundesheer. In this function he participated during Austrian Civil War at the conquest of Vienna Karl-Marx-Hof.
After the Anschluss to Nazi Germany in March 1938, Biedermann joined the Wehrmacht. 1940 he was promoted to major. During World War II he participated in the Battle of France, the Balkan Campaign and the Eastern front.
Biedermann joined the resistance group of Austrian Wehrmacht people led by Major Carl Szokoll within military districtII. In spring 1945, this group planned "Operation Radetzky", to support Red Army in the liberation of Vienna and to prevent further destruction, to avoid the blowup of bridges.
However, "Operation Radetzky", planned for 6 April 1945, was discovered. Biedermann was arrested the night from 5 to 6 April 1945 and brought to a Drumhead court-martial and sentenced to death. On 8 April 1945 Biedermann was hanged together with two other resistance fighters, captain Alfred Huth and Rudolf Raschke in public at Floridsdorfer Spitz in Vienna. The chief of "Sicheitspolizei and SD", Rudolf Mildner personally took command at the hanging place.
Biedermann was buried 2 August 1945 in Vienna on Hietzingen cemetery in a honorable grave. In the same grave were buried also Alfred Huth and Rudolf Raschke.
In the year 1995, in Wien-Floridsdorf, the Karl-Biedermann-Gasse was named after him.

Literature