Stadler's assessment of 11 June 1939

 

    One point of note in the data below, is that Stadler's party number is quite high at 4,159,018 and his SS number is relatively low at only 139,495. Compare these numbers with Adolf Diekmann at 1,752,411 and 309,894 respectively. Given that they both joined the SS at roughly the same time, I can only surmise that the discrepancy must be due either to Stadler joining the Nazi Party quite late (which seems unlikely), or because as he was an Austrian maybe the Austrian Nazis had a separate numbering system which was later merged with the German system. Note the entry below that states he was, 'persecuted' under the pre-Anschluß Austrian government for his National Socialist beliefs.

    Comments on the text are in italics.


Personnel Report

Rank: SS-Obersturmführer

Name: Sylvester Stadler

Service-position: Leader of the Signals company

Member No. of the (Nazi) party: 4,159,018 (the relatively high number might be due to his Austrian Nazi membership being transferred and incorporated into a centralised master list after the unification with Germany)

SS identification No.: 139,495

Since when in this service-position: 10.2.1939

Most recent promotion date: 12.9.37

Birthday, birthplace (district), 30.12.1910, Fohnsdorf (Steirmark) (In Austria, about 50 km west of Graz) 

Occupation: 1 learned: Electrician 2: present: SS-Führer

Domicile: Unna (Westphalia)

Street: Iserlohner Strasse. 44 (Iserlohner heath and the town of Iserlohn are about 11 miles south of Unna on the B233).

Married? Yes

Maiden name of the woman: Elise Folger

Children: 1

Denomination: Gottgläubigkeit (the preferred 'religion' for an SS-man, it showed that the person held a general belief in God, but without allegiance to any established branch of faith, such as Catholicism).

Economic circumstances: orderly

Previous convictions: none

Injuries, prosecutions and penalties for the movement,: Persecuted under Dollfuss and Schuschnigg on account of high treason and national-socialistic propaganda. (Engelbert Dollfuss was the Austrian Chancellor between 1932-34 and Kurt von Schuschnigg was Chancellor between 1934 to the time of the Anschluß in 1938. This means that Stadler must have been an open and active Nazi in Austria prior to the Anschluß.

Judgement

I. Overall racial picture: Northern with Dinaric impact (Dinaric people are a group originating from the Dinaric mountains on the east coast of the Adriatic and are characterised by a broad face, relatively flat skull, stocky build, and long somewhat inclined noses and short arms. Stadler did not fit this description exactly as he is described in his Personnel Examination of 1934 as being of "Asthenic", or light build).

II. 1. Character: Clear and open.

2. Will: Energetic

3. Sound common sense: Good average

Knowledge and education: Good general knowledge

Powers of comprehension: Rapid

III. Appearance and conduct in and out of service:- O.stuf Stadler has led the company for 5 months. He has shown, particularly with the 10 days field-exercise that he is able to handle the service-position. He has a quiet, assured manner before the ranks. His sense of justice is to be emphasised. He has earned the promotion to the Officer community of the RFSS - command (Reichsführer-SS command). O.stuf Stadler is 29 years old.

IV. Education, courses, special-education:- Course in Tölz, course in Berne, November / December 1936 and January / February 1937.

V. Degree and skill of the training:

a) Through service in the army, the Reichswehr (Federal Defence force) or police. (No entry made).

b) In the SS service: Good signaller and driver (driving instructor).

c) In athletics: SA and Federal sport badges.

d) In instruction: Good teacher.

VI. Suitability:

a) To promotion: SS-Hauptsturmführer

b) For which service: Company leader

Unna (Westf.) 11th June 1939  

Commander of the SS-Nachrichten (Signals company) of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-Special purposes troops which was what the SS were called before being renamed the "Waffen-SS").


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© Michael Williams minor revison December 2004