Karl Holz
|
Karl Holz (27 December 1895 - 20 April 1945) was a German Nazi politician who served as Gauleiter of Gau Franconia and leader of the Nazi Party in the Nuremberg area.
Biography edit
Karl Holz was born in Nuremberg in 1895. In 1920 he joined the German Socialist Party under chairman Julius Streicher. When Streicher joined the Nazi Party the following year, Holz was one of the Socialist Party members who joined with him. He joined the Sturmabteilung and cultivated a close relationship with Streicher.
In 1924 Holz was elected to leader of the Nazi faction in Nuremberg, a post he held until 1932. From 1927 - 1933 he also held the position of editor of Der Stürmer, Streicher's anti-semetic Nazi propaganda newspaper, advancing to editor-in-chief in 1933 and remaining so until 1938.
After the outbreak of World War II, Holz was sent to the Western Front in France. He was wounded in action and sent back to Germany to return to Party service in 1942, becoming Acting Gauleiter for the Gau Franconia governate. In 1944 Adolf Hitler appointed him as permanent Gauleiter.
In 1945 Holz lead the defence of Nuremberg against Allied forces. After American troops of the 3rd Infantry Division had all but taken Nuremberg on 18 April 1945, Holz barricaded himself in the Nuremberg Police Presidium along with a small group. While barricaded inside Holz shot dead Mayor of Nuremberg Willy Liebel after he suggested surrendering. Two days later, on 20 April, Holz, still barricaded inside, shot himself rather than surrender to the Allies.