Friedrich Peter

Friedrich Peter (13 July 1921 in Attnang-Puchheim, Upper Austria – 25 September 2005 in Vienna) was an Austrian politician who served as the chairman of the Freedom Party of Austria from 1958 to 1978.

Born 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 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. He was interned by American forces for a year in Glasenbach.

After his release, he became an elementary school and special education teacher, later Landesschulinspektor (state school supervisor).

From 1955 to 1966, Peter served as a deputy in the Upper Austrian Landtag, first as a representative of the Verband der Unabhängigen, later of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), whose chairman he became in 1958. In 1966, he was elected into the Austrian Nationalrat and became the leader of his party's delegation in 1970.

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