Franz Augsberger Franz Xaver Josef Maria Augsberger ( 10 October 1905 – 19 March 1945 ) was a Brigadeführer ( Brigadier General ) of the Waffen - SS . Early life . Franz Augsberger was the son of a hotel owner in Vienna , then the capital of the Austro - Hungarian Empire . After primary school he attended a military preparatory school for one year . However , following the collapse of the Austro - Hungarian Empire after World War I , Augsberger went on to study and graduate in engineering and architecture . In July 1927 , Franz Augsberger joined the Steirischer Heimatschutz , an antisemitic and antirepublican organisation . Yet Augsberger found this organisation too disorganised and left it in October 1930 . Instead , he quickly joined the Sturmabteilung ( SA ) on 30 October 1930 . The same day he also became a member of the NSDAP . Career . Until 1932 Augsberger worked as an architect in Vienna . During this period he took an engineering job in Norway for one - and - a - half years , where he learned Norwegian . In Vienna , he began to get more involved in the activities of the NSDAP . He was in charge of propaganda until 19 June 1933 , when the NSDAP was declared illegal in Austria . Move to Germany and SS . Franz Augsberger then moved to Germany and after having joined the SS in 1932 , became a probationary candidate until February 1934 when he was awarded the rank of SS - Mann ( Private ) . Franz Augsberger served with the Austrian Legion from April 1932 to October 1933 when he left the Legion ' s base at Lechfeld , South of Augsburg , and transferred to a training area near Dachau , and was subsequently promoted to SS - Unterscharführer ( Junior Squad Leader ) on 20 April 1934 , and to SS - Oberscharführer ( Senior Squad Leader ) on 1 June 1934 . On 1 October 1934 Franz Augsberger joined the SS combat support forces " ( SS - Verfügungstruppe ) , " and became a platoon leader until March 18 , 1935 . He was then recommended to attend the first class at " SS - Führerschule “ Braunschweig ” " , ( Officer candidate school ) where he began classes in April 1935 . He was also given the rank of SS - Hauptscharführer ( Head Squad Leader ) on 1 April 1935 . After passing the final exams , he was again promoted to the rank of SS - Standartenoberjunker ( Officer Candidate ) in January 1936 . After having been promoted to the rank of SS - Obersturmführer ( Senior Assault ( Storm ) Leader ) in 1936 and SS - Hauptsturmführer ( Captain ) in 1937 and having received additional training at the Rasse und Siedlungshauptamt he returned to the school in Braunschweig , where he became an instructor , teaching weapons courses , followed by a year of teaching at the SS officer school in Bad Tölz until March 1939 . At the beginning of March 1939 Franz Augsberger was moved to the SS - Standarte “ Der Führer ” where he remained until the beginning of August that year . Franz Augsberger belonged to a selection of candidates who might potentially become SS adjutant to the Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia , former Foreign Minister Konstantin von Neurath . He was also temporarily reassigned to an Allgemeine - SS command in Villach with the rank of " Allgemeine - SS " Sturmbannführer on 1 August 1939 . He was returned very soon to his still permanent regiment “ Der Führer ” assignment , where his Allgemeine - SS rank was changed to SS - Hauptsturmführer on 21 March 1940 , which would correspond to his Waffen - SS rank . On 1 October 1940 Franz Augsberger transferred as a company commander from the SS - Standarte " Der Führer " replacement unit to the SS - Standarte “ Westland ” , an SS - regiment consisting of volunteers from the Netherlands and Belgium only to transfer to the SS - Standarte “ Nordland ” , composed of volunteers from Norway and Denmark , in December 1940 . He was in charge of this regiment until February 1941 . Command career . Effective on 10 February 1941 , Franz Augsberger was given command of a battalion of the SS - Standarte 7 , which had just been reorganised into a motorised infantry regiment the month before . Augsberger continued as its commander until the beginning of December 1941 , when , on 1 December 1941 , he was promoted to SS - Sturmbannführer ( Major ) . As an SS - Sturmbannführer he now led the entire SS - Standarte 7 . Until July 1942 as a part of SS - Division * Nord ” . With this regiment Augsberger stood out amongst the other SS leaders , and his SS - Brigadeführer Karl - Maria Demelhuber recommended him for promotion to SS - Obersturmbannführer ( Lieutenant Colonel ) . With the SS - Standarte 7 Franz Augsberger won the Iron Cross II class on 4 July 1941 , and the Iron Cross I class on 15 September 1941 , as well as the Infantry Assault Badge on 15 January 1942 . On April 20 , 1942 he was promoted to SS - Obersturmbannführer with seniority retroactive to start of the same month . Augsberger also won the German Cross in Gold on 30 May 1942 for his battalion and regiment commands with the SS - Standarte 7 . Estonian legion . In August 1942 Adolf Hitler ordered the raising of an SS - unit composed of volunteers from Estonia . First named " Estonian Legion " , it was renamed 3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade in September 1942 . In October 1942 Franz Augsberger became commanding officer of the brigade and was subsequently , in July 1943 , promoted to SS - Standartenführer ( Colonel ) . In January 1944 the brigade was enlarged to form the " 20 . Estnische SS - Freiwilligen - Division " and in May 1944 the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS ( 1st Estonian ) respectively with Franz Augsberger remaining in his function as commanding officer , being promoted to SS - Oberführer ( Senior Colonel ) in January and to SS - Brigadeführer ( Brigadier General ) in June 1944 . Augsberger was mentioned in the daily Wehrmachtbericht on 9 March 1944 . Even though initially distrusted by his Estonian subordinates , Augsburger eventually gained their trust and respect by often leading them from the front . Franz Augsberger stayed in command of the division during the long retreat of the German forces on the Eastern front . On 19 March , Franz Augsberger was killed in action near Neustadt during an attempt to break out of the city of Oppeln in Upper Silesia , a city that had been declared a fortress and had been completely encircled by Soviet forces . Eleven days previously he had been awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross by Generalfeldmarschall Ferdinand Schörner for the division ' s role in the battle to defend Oppeln .