Karl von Krempler
| Karl von Krempler | |
|---|---|
War era photo used on a post-war document - 1945.
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| Born |
May 26, 1896 Pirot, Kingdom of Serbia |
| Died | April 17, 1971 (aged 74) Salzburg, Austria |
| Allegiance |
 Germany
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| Service/branch | Waffen SS |
| Rank | SS Standartenführer |
| Unit | SS Polizei-Selbstschutz-Regiment Sandschak |
Karl von Krempler, later only Karl Krempler, (26 May 1896, Pirot, Kingdom of Serbia – 17 April 1971, Salzburg, Austria) was a senior SS Standartenführer and SS-und Polizeiführer during World War II responsible for recruiting Muslims from Bosnia and the Sanjak region into the Waffen SS.
Karl von Krempler was born on 26 May 1896 in Pirot, Kingdom of Serbia. He was the son of an Austrian engineer. In 1915 he volunteered as a cadet for the Lower Austrian Infantry Regiment No. 84 (k.u.k. Niederösterreichischen Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 84). In 1920 he was released from active serive with the rank of Lieutenant (Oberleutnant).
He spoke fluent Turkish, Serbian and German. He was considered a specialist within the SS on Islam and in 1942 was recruited by Heinrich Himmler and Artur Phleps to participate in the formation of a proposed Bosniak Handschar Division within the Waffen SS, the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian). Unlike most SS personnel, Krempler was not a member of the Nazi Party.
"On 3 March [1942], Phleps met with fellow SS officer Karl von Krempler, who, together with Croatian government official Dr. Alija Šuljak, was to conduct the recruiting effort. The campaign began on the twentieth, when the multi-lingual von Krempler and Dr. Šuljak, accompanied by several other dignitaries began an eighteen-day recruiting tour through eleven Bosnian districts."
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Wikipedia