Gustav Schwarzenegger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gustav Schwarzenegger
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| Born | 17 August 1907 Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 13 December 1972 (aged 65) Weiz, Steiermark, Austria |
| Buried |
Weiz Cemetery, Weiz, Steiermark, Austria
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| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/ |
 Sturmabteilung |
| Years of service | 1924–1945 |
| Rank | Stabsfeldwebel |
| Unit | 4th Panzer Army, Feldgendarmerie |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Iron Cross 1st Class Wound Badge |
| Spouse(s) |
Aurelia Jadrny
(m. 1945) |
| Children | 2, including Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Other work | Policeman |
Gustav Schwarzenegger (born August 17, 1907 – died December 13, 1972) was an Austrian police chief and a military police officer. He was also a member of the Sturmabteilung (SA), which was a group connected to the Nazi Party. Gustav Schwarzenegger is well-known as the father of actor and former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Contents
Early Life
Gustav Schwarzenegger was born in a country called Austria-Hungary. His parents were Cecelia Hinterleitner and Karl Schwarzenegger. His grandfather, Wenzel Mach, came from a village in what is now the Czech Republic. Wenzel had a child who later took the last name Schwarzenegger.
Joining the SA and Nazi Party
Gustav Schwarzenegger joined the Sturmabteilung (SA) in March 1924. The SA was a large group that supported the Nazi Party. He joined them 14 years before Austria became part of Nazi Germany.
He also applied to join the Nazi Party itself in May 1939. At this time, fewer people were joining the SA. The SA's numbers had dropped a lot since 1934. This was after a major event called the Night of the Long Knives. During this event, Adolf Hitler acted against the SA.
Military Service in World War II
Before World War II, Gustav Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army from 1930 to 1937. He became a section commander. In 1937, he started working as a police officer.
In November 1939, he joined the Wehrmacht, which was the German army. He became a senior sergeant in the Feldgendarmerie. This group acted as military police. He served in many countries during the war. These included Poland, France, Belgium, and Russia.
In August 1942, he was hurt in Leningrad, Russia. For his bravery, he received several awards. These included the Iron Cross First and Second Classes. He also got the Eastern Front Medal and the Wound Badge.
He was treated in a military hospital. He also had malaria several times. Because of his health, he was discharged from the army in February 1944. He then returned to Graz, Austria. There, he worked as a postal inspector.
A health report described him as a "calm and reliable person." Historians have said that his military career was typical for people of his time. There is no evidence that he was involved in war crimes. He went back to being a police officer in 1947.
Life After the War
Gustav Schwarzenegger married Aurelia Jadrny in October 1945. She was a widow from the war. They had two sons, Meinhard and Arnold. Meinhard sadly died in a car accident in 1971.
Gustav Schwarzenegger passed away from a stroke in December 1972. He was 65 years old. He died in Weiz, Steiermark, Austria, where he worked as a policeman. His wife, Aurelia, died in August 1998. She had a heart attack while visiting his grave. She is buried next to him.
News about Gustav Schwarzenegger's connections to the Nazi Party first appeared in 1990. At that time, his son Arnold asked the Simon Wiesenthal Center to look into his father's past. The Center found his army records and Nazi Party membership. However, they found no links to war crimes. Media interest came up again when Arnold ran for Governor of California in 2003.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken about the impact of the war on his father. In a video about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he urged Russian soldiers not to be "broken like (his) father" by continuing the invasion.
See also
In Spanish: Gustav Schwarzenegger para niños
