Josef Bürckel

Joseph Bürckel was a German Nazi politician and a member of the German parliament. He was an early member of the Nazi Party and was influential in the rise of the National Socialist movement. He played a central role in the German acquisition of the Saarland and Austria. He held the posts of Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter in both Gau Westmark and Reichsgau Vienna. He also held the rank of Obergruppenführer in both the SA and the SS.