Friedrich Peter
Friedrich Peter (13 July 1921 – 25 September 2005) was an Austrian politician who served as chairman of the Freedom Party of Austria from 1958 to 1978. He was an active Nazi between 1938 and 1946. World War II and SS service Born in Attnang-Puchheim, Upper Austria, as the son of a social democratic engine driver and a master baker's daughter, Peter joined the NSDAP in 1938 and volunteered for the Waffen-SS at the age of 17. During World War II, he served at the western and eastern fronts and achieved the rank of Obersturmführer in the 10th regiment of the 1st SS Infantry Brigade. Parts of this brigade were detached to Einsatzgruppe C. The Einsatzgruppen systematically shot hundreds of thousands of Jews, Romani, communists, and others behind the front during the summer of 1941. Although his unit was almost exclusively engaged in this activity, Peter denied any involvement or knowledge about them after the war. Historian Martin Cüppers said it was impossible that Peter didn't know what was happening and unlikely that he didn't directly participate in such atrocities. He was interned by American forces for a year in Glasenbach. After his release, he became an elementary school and