Josef Leopold

Josef Leopold
Landesleiter of Austria
In office
29 January 1935 – 21 February 1938
Succeeded byHubert Klausner
Gauleiter of Lower Austria
In office
29 August 1927 – 21 February 1938
Preceded byLeopold Eder
Succeeded byHugo Jury
Deputy Gauleiter of Lower Austria
In office
5 September 1926 – 29 August 1927
Preceded byPosition established
Additional positions
1938–1941Honorary Gauleiter
1938–1941Reichstag Deputy
Personal details
Born(1889-02-18)18 February 1889
Langenlois, Lower Austria, Austria-Hungary
Died24 July 1941(1941-07-24) (aged 52)
Malyn, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
CitizenshipAustrian, German (after 1938)
Political partyNazi Party
Other political
affiliations
Social Democratic Party of Austria
Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei
SpouseSidonie Saxeneder
OccupationMilitary officer
Civilian awardsGolden Party Badge
Blood Order
Military service
Allegiance Austria-Hungary
 Austria
 Nazi Germany
Branch/serviceAustro-Hungarian Army
Volkswehr
German Army
Years of service1910-1918
1918-1933
1939-1941
RankStabsfeldwebel
Hauptmann
Oberstleutnant
Unit49th Infantry Regiment
6th Infantry Regiment
Commands1st Feldjäger Battalion
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
Military awardsMedal for Bravery (Austria-Hungary), 1st and 2nd class
Iron Cross, 2nd class

Josef Leopold (18 February 1889 – 24 July 1941) was the Nazi Party Gauleiter of Lower Austria from 1927 to 1938, as well as the Party's Landesleiter (state leader) and the head of the Sturmabteilung (SA) for all of Austria from 1935 to 1938. He belonged to the faction within Austrian Nazism that supported an independent Austrian Nazi state rather than a union with Germany. Adolf Hitler removed him from office just before the Anschluss with Germany. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Leopold joined the German Army and was killed during the invasion of the Soviet Union.