August Eigruber
August Eigruber (16 April 1907 – 28 May 1947) was an Austrian-born Nazi Gauleiter and "Reichsstatthalter" of Reichsgau Oberdonau (Upper Danube) and Landeshauptmann of Upper Austria. He was convicted of crimes against humanity at Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp and hanged. Early life and Nazi career. Born in Steyr, Austria, after finishing middle school, Eigruber underwent training in geodesy and fine mechanics at the Austrian Federal Teaching Institution for Iron- and Steelworking. Thereafter, he was active in his profession. In November 1922 he joined the National Socialist Worker Youth of Austria, whose leader he became in 1925. In April  1928, he joined the Nazi Party, whose Steyr-Land district leadership he took up in October 1930. For his activities in the NSDAP, which was banned in Austria, Eigruber was sentenced to several months in prison. From May 1935, Eigruber was the Gau Director ("Gaugeschäftsführer") for the banned Party in the Upper Austria Gau, and he took over complete leadership of the Gau as of 1936. Rise to power in Nazi state. After the Anschluss, he was appointed "Landeshauptmann" of Upper Austria on 14 March 1938. On 10 April he was elected as a member of the German "Reichstag", representing  Austria. On 1 June 1938, Eigruber joined the SA, with the rank of SA-"Brigadeführer" effective 12 March. On 25 July, he also joined the SS as a "Standartenführer" also with an effective date of 12 March. On 22 May Adolf Hitler appointed him "Gauleiter" of Reichsgau Oberdonau. He thus united under his control the highest party and governmental offices in his jurisdiction. In September 1938, "Gauleiter" Eigruber attended the "Reichsparteitag" in Nuremberg. When Passau Nazis met at the "Deutschmeister" Inn, Eigruber joined his allies and reminisced about their venture during the "Kampfjahre". He rose to the rank of SS-"Brigadeführer" in  January 1939 and to SS-"Gruppenführer" in November 1940. On 1 April 1940, he was installed as "Reichsstatthalter" (Reich Governor) of Oberdonau. In July 1940, the "Donau-Zeitung" announced that August Eigruber would travel to Passau by ship. There, he would be ceremonially welcomed at City Hall, and attend the latest play by Hans Baumann. On 16 November 1942 came his appointment as Reich Defense Commissioner ("Reichsverteidigungskommissar") for his Gau. On 21 June 1943, Eigruber was promoted to the rank of SS-"Obergruppenführer". He was also made an SA-"Obergruppenführer" on 9 November 1943. Toward the end of the war, as US forces  approached his capital at Linz, he proclaimed the city a "fortress" to be defended to the bitter end. However, shortly after the beginning of the offensive on 5 May 1945, he fled and proclaimed Linz an open city. He managed to hide out using forged identification papers until 11 August 1945, but was arrested by US Army Counterintelligence, in Sankt Pankraz (a few miles south of Kirchdorf an der Krems). Conviction and execution. At the Mauthausen-Gusen camp trials, held under the jurisdiction of the Dachau International Military Tribunal, he was sentenced to death by hanging on 13 May 1946  for his responsibility for crimes at Mauthausen concentration camp, where tens of thousands of prisoners died. The sentence was carried out in the prison yard at Landsberg Prison, Landsberg am Lech on 28 May 1947.