Fritz Rössler
politician
- January 17, 1912 · Bad Gottleuba
- October 11, 1987 · Radstadt
- 75 years
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Fritz Rössler, 75, German neo-Nazi politician.
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|Fritz Rössler (17 January 1912 – 11 October 1987) was a low-level official in the Nazi Party who went on to become a leading figure in German neo-Nazi politics. In his later life he was more commonly known as Dr. Franz Richter.
Nazi activity
Rössler was born in Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübel, Saxony. After attending university in Dresden (where he did not complete a degree), Rössler became a Nazi on 1 October 1930 (No. 319,948) and soon became a technical adviser to the Gau of Saxony where he specialized in plans for resettlement of the East. By the end of World War II, Rössler was heading up the main office of the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda before fleeing the Eastern Front to Saarland.
On 30 May 1936, he married Ruth Rößler, née von Schönberg-Pötting at the Gottleuba registry office.
Dr. Franz Richter
As the war came to an end, Rössler was initially considered missing. In 1946, he resurfaced near Hanover and claimed to be Dr. Franz Richter, a Sudeten German teacher. He soon entered the Lower Saxon school service, becoming an elementary school teacher in Idensen (since 1974 part of the city of Wunstorf) on 2 April 1946, and in Luthe (also part of Wunstorf since 1974) on 5 October 1946. Wanting to remarry his wife, on 21 October 1946, he claimed under oath at the registry office in the small town of Luthe (since 1974 part of the city of Wunstorf) to have witnessed the death of Hauptmann Dr. jur. Fritz Rößler. He claimed to be Dr. Franz Richter, born 6 June 1911 in Smyrna (İzmir) in Ottoman Empire, studied philology in Prague, served as a student councilor (Studienrat), soldier from 1940–1945, not a former member of NSDAP, single, wanted to marry Rössler's widow and adopt the children. He made up the story, as it would have been impossible to verify, knowing that the records office in İzmir had burned down during the September 1922 fire, and most of the files of the German administration in the Sudetenland had also been destroyed shortly before the end of the Second World War. The ruse was accepted, and Rössler was able to remarry his wife on 7 November 1946 under his new name, while their children kept his old name.
On 20 May 1949, he was fired from his position in 1949 for teaching the Stab-in-the-back legend, and soon joined the Deutsche Rechtspartei and its successor the Deutsche Reichspartei, with the support of Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft. On 28 August 1949, he prevailed against Adolf von Thadden as the new DKP-DRP state chairman in Lower Saxony and also became a member of the federal executive committee. As early as 1949, he campaigned for a general amnesty for all Nazi crimes. Bearing a passing resemblance to Adolf Hitler due to his toothbrush moustache and habit of wearing Jodhpurs and jackboots, he was elected to the Bundestag in the 1949 election, but was expelled from the party the following year due to his radical Nazi ideals and his habit of attending parliament drunk.
Along with a number of other expellees from the DRP, he was a founder member of the Socialist Reich Party, which called for a restoration of Germany's historic borders and "National-Socialist fundamental principles". Continuing to sit in the Bundestag, he made a notoriously anti-Semitic speech on 15 November 1951 and was arrested soon afterwards for forging documents. In the course of investigations it was uncovered that Dr. Franz Richter was in fact Fritz Rössler, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the forgery, on top of a three-month sentence for insulting Lower Saxon ministers and breaching electoral regulations.
As Richter he also built up a close relationship with the British Union Movement, distributing Mosleyite literature across Germany, whilst also establishing the All German Representations "pen club" to arrange contacts between British activists and German followers of Europe a Nation.
Later years
Involved with the European Social Movement, Rössler was expelled from the SRP before it was banned, and after his release from prison he moved to Cairo, where a number of neo-Nazis operatives were based, and adopted the name Achmed Rössler. He returned to Germany in 1966 and became a businessman in Essen. He died at age 75 in Radstadt, Austria.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_R%C3%B6ssler
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 23, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Fritz Rössler's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Fritz Rössler born?
- A.Essen
- B.Hanover
- C.Dresden
- D.Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübelcorrect
Fritz Rössler was born in the town of Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübel, Saxony.
Source: Nazi activity section
2.On what date did Fritz Rössler officially join the Nazi Party?
- A.11 October 1987
- B.30 May 1936
- C.1 October 1930correct
- D.2 April 1946
Fritz Rössler became a member of the Nazi Party on 1 October 1930, holding membership number 319,948.
Source: Nazi activity section
3.Who did Fritz Rössler marry on 30 May 1936?
- A.A student councilor from Prague
- B.Ruth Rößler, née von Schönberg-Pöttingcorrect
- C.An elementary school teacher from Idensen
- D.Adolf von Thadden
Fritz Rössler married Ruth Rößler, née von Schönberg-Pötting, at the Gottleuba registry office.
Source: Nazi activity section
4.What false identity did Fritz Rössler adopt in 1946?
- A.Adolf von Thadden
- B.Achmed Rössler
- C.Dr. Franz Richtercorrect
- D.Hans Müller
After the war, Fritz Rössler resurfaced near Hanover and claimed to be a Sudeten German teacher named Dr. Franz Richter.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
5.Where did Fritz Rössler claim to be born when he assumed the identity of Dr. Franz Richter?
- A.Prague, Czechoslovakia
- B.Smyrna (İzmir) in the Ottoman Empirecorrect
- C.Dresden, Germany
- D.Idensen, Germany
To avoid verification of his false identity, Fritz Rössler claimed to have been born in Smyrna on 6 June 1911, knowing the city's records office had burned down.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
6.Why was Fritz Rössler fired from his teaching position in 1949?
- A.For his association with the British Union Movement
- B.For teaching the Stab-in-the-back legendcorrect
- C.For being an active member of the Nazi Party
- D.For forging his identity documents
Fritz Rössler was dismissed from his teaching job in 1949 because he was caught teaching the Stab-in-the-back legend to his students.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
7.Against whom did Fritz Rössler prevail to become the DKP-DRP state chairman in Lower Saxony?
- A.The Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft
- B.The British Union Movement
- C.Adolf von Thaddencorrect
- D.The Socialist Reich Party
On 28 August 1949, Fritz Rössler won against Adolf von Thadden to secure the state chairmanship in Lower Saxony.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
8.Which political organization did Fritz Rössler help found with other expellees from the DRP?
- A.The Deutsche Rechtspartei
- B.The All German Representations
- C.The Socialist Reich Partycorrect
- D.The British Union Movement
Fritz Rössler was a founder member of the Socialist Reich Party, which advocated for the restoration of historical German borders.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
9.What physical trait led people to note a passing resemblance between Fritz Rössler and Adolf Hitler?
- A.His height
- B.His bald head
- C.His habit of wearing Jodhpurs and jackboots
- D.His toothbrush moustachecorrect
Fritz Rössler was compared to Adolf Hitler due to his toothbrush moustache and his choice of clothing like jackboots.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
10.For what crime was Fritz Rössler sentenced to 18 months in prison following the discovery of his true identity?
- A.Teaching the Stab-in-the-back legend
- B.Forging documentscorrect
- C.Distributing Mosleyite literature
- D.Insulting Lower Saxon ministers
Investigations revealed that Dr. Franz Richter was actually Fritz Rössler, leading to an 18-month sentence for document forgery.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
11.What did Fritz Rössler do while maintaining his role as Dr. Franz Richter to arrange contacts between British and German activists?
- A.He founded the British Union Movement
- B.He established the All German Representations 'pen club'correct
- C.He became a teacher in Wunstorf
- D.He wrote a book on philology
Fritz Rössler created the All German Representations pen club to facilitate connections between British activists and German followers.
Source: Dr. Franz Richter section
12.What name did Fritz Rössler adopt after moving to Cairo following his release from prison?
- A.Achmed Rösslercorrect
- B.Fritz Rößler
- C.Dr. Franz Richter
- D.Adolf von Thadden
After being released from prison, Fritz Rössler relocated to Cairo and took on the name Achmed Rössler.
Source: Later years section
13.When did Fritz Rössler return to Germany after his time in Cairo?
- A.1949
- B.1951
- C.1987
- D.1966correct
Fritz Rössler returned to Germany in 1966 and eventually started working as a businessman in the city of Essen.
Source: Later years section
14.In what profession was Fritz Rössler active after returning to Germany in 1966?
- A.Soldier
- B.Businessmancorrect
- C.Teacher
- D.Politician
Upon returning to Germany in 1966, Fritz Rössler established himself as a businessman in Essen.
Source: Later years section
15.Where did Fritz Rössler pass away?
- A.Wunstorf, Germany
- B.Radstadt, Austriacorrect
- C.Cairo, Egypt
- D.Essen, Germany
Fritz Rössler died at the age of 75 in Radstadt, Austria.
Source: Later years section
16.How old was Fritz Rössler at the time of his death?
- A.75correct
- B.65
- C.90
- D.85
Fritz Rössler, who was born in 1912 and died in 1987, was 75 years old when he passed away.
Source: Later years section
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