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Wehrpass Franz Wunder, executed in Vienna 1943

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    Wehrpass Franz Wunder, executed in Vienna 1943

    By some strange coincidence, one year after presenting the unique grouping to Adolf Ballauf, who was executed by a Standgericht in France in 1944 (see link), another Wehrpass to an executed Geman soldier has fallen in my hands.

    Franz Wunder was born in Essen and was called up for military service at the age of 22 in October 1936. After two years of conscription he returned to civilian life, but another two years later he was called up again in October 1941. Wunder eventually ended up with the staff of the IV. Abteilung of Artillerie-Regiment 107 in the Summer of 1942. As part of the 106. Infanterie-Division, this regiment was refreshing from heavy losses on the Eastern Front in the area of Saint-Omer, France. There, Wunder enjoyed a quite comfortable life until word came that the division was to be sent to the East again in February 1943. Did he fear for his life, or did he not want to fight on moral or political grounds? Did he not return from his final home leave, or did he try to go underground in France? Either way, Franz Wunder deserted from the ranks as the 106.ID was transported to the area of Charkow.

    But by trying to escape, he would meet a perhaps even darker fate. Wunder was captured and brought in front of a Kriegsgericht, where he was found guilty of Fahnenflucht (desertion) on the 9th of February, 1943. He was demoted to Kanonier, therefore given a new Wehrpass, and was asked to sign for receipt of the confirmation of his judgement. Wunder spent more than seven months in jail until finally, on the 8th of October 1943, he was brought to his executioner in the cells of the Landesgericht in Vienna. He was beheaded with the prison's Fallbeil (guillotine), in a gruesome series of 19 executions that day. Among the other victims were two other soldiers, but mostly civilians condemned for (high) treason and communal crimes.

    I hope this tragic Wehrpass is of interest.
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    #2
    The Zweitschrift Wehrpass was started after his trial, because of his demotion.
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      #3
      Photo and biographical information.
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        #4
        His units. Wunder was administratively transfered to his Ersatz unit while in prison.
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          #5
          Only one battle entry for the protection of the Atlantic coast. Unfortunately, there are no entries on page 34 or any other entries regarding his trial or execution in the Wehrpass.
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            #6
            A confirmation document he had to sign after his trial was preserved in the Wehrpass.
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              #7
              Among the other victims executed only minutes before or after Wunder, were the brother and sister Michael and Johanna Cupal. They had sheltered their brother Ludwig, who had been parachuted into Germany by the Allies. When he was captured, Ludwig Cupal shot himself, and his mother, brother and sister died in German prisons.

              Source of the photo: Stadt- und Landesarchiv of Vienna, as published in 'Die Vollstreckung verlief ohne Besonderheiten. Hinrichtungen in Wien, 1938 bis 1945'.
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                #8
                The place of the execution is now a memorial site.

                Source of the photo: nachkriegsjustiz.at
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                  #9
                  And last, an old photo of the actual guillotine used...
                  Gives you the shivers.

                  Source of the photo: nachkriegsjustiz.at
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                    #10
                    Very interesting. You don't often hear about the German resistance, except the plots to kill Hitler.
                    Jeff

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                      #11
                      really interesting (and really dramatic !!!!)

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                        #12
                        Going from other WP i have seen in the archives to soldiers convicted for crimes and sent away from their unit, there would have been verious other documents with the WP, a summary of the sentence, reciepts for his transfer to prison etc.

                        A chilling reminder that the wehrmacht were just as harsh to their own.
                        Collecting German award documents, other paperwork and photos relating to Norway and Finland.

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