Photo: Zschäckel, Friedrich — CC BY-SA 3.0 deSource
Sylvester Stadler
- December 30, 1910
- August 23, 1995
- 84 years
About Sylvester Stadler
Sylvester Stadler, 84, Austrian commander of the Waffen-SS during World War II.
Explore other notable deaths in 1995 or deaths in August 1995.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Sylvester Stadler?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|
Sylvester Stadler (30 December 1910 – 23 August 1995) was a high-ranking Austrian commander of the Waffen-SS, a commander of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, previously having been the commander of the SS regiment whose 3rd Company was responsible for the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre. Only 34 years old at the end of the war, he held the rank of SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
Biography
Stadler was born in Austria, the son of a Styrian miner, who learned the profession of electrical engineer after elementary and state school in Judenburg but joined the Nazi party and the SS in May 1933.
At the beginning of the Second World War, he led a company of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT). He then fought with the SS-Verfügungsdivision in France in 1940, where he was wounded near Arras. He also took part in the Balkan campaign in 1941. After being wounded again in the Battle of Moscow in 1941, he was briefly employed as a tactics teacher at the SS-Junker School in Braunschweig.
From March 1, 1942, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the Panzer Grenadier Regiment Der Führer belonging to the SS Division Das Reich. In May 1943 he was appointed commander of the 4th SS Panzergrenadier Der Führer Regiment with which he fought in Russia. For repelling an intrusion by the Red Army near Kharkov, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 6, 1943.
To recuperate, the Der Führer regiment, which had been severely decimated in Russia, was relocated to France in the Toulouse area at the beginning of 1944 - just like the remaining 2nd SS Panzer Division “Das Reich”. The division was ordered north to combat the Allied landing forces in Normandy in June 1944.
While Stadler was commander of the Der Führer, a subordinate unit under his command committed the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre. On 10 June 1944, part of the regiment, led by SS-Sturmbannführer Adolf Diekmann, killed 642 inhabitants of Oradour-sur-Glane. Stadler ordered a court martial for Diekmann, albeit the latter was killed in action before he could face the ordered trial.
On 10 July 1944, Stadler was appointed commander of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen. It fought on the Eastern Front, in Normandy, at the Falaise pocket, at Arnhem ("Operation Market Garden"), in the Ardennes offensive and in Hungary. He surrendered his division to the U.S. Army in Austria in May 1945. Stadler was interned until 1948.
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (25 September 1939) & 1st Class (26 June 1940)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight' Cross on 6 April 1943 as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of the II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer"
- 303rd Oak Leaves on 16 September 1943 as SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer"
- Swords in 1945 as commander of the SS Division Hohenstaufen (?) No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. Stadler claimed that Sepp Dietrich proposed him on 22 March 1945, even though the SS Division Hohenstaufen was not subordinated to the 6th Panzer Army.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Sylvester Stadler on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Stadler
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- November 3, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Sylvester Stadler's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the profession of Sylvester Stadler's father?
- A.Styrian minercorrect
- B.Railroad engineer
- C.Coal miner
- D.Local school teacher
The text states that Sylvester Stadler was born as the son of a Styrian miner.
Source: Biography section
2.In which city did Sylvester Stadler attend elementary and state school?
- A.Vienna
- B.Graz
- C.Judenburgcorrect
- D.Salzburg
Sylvester Stadler completed his elementary and state school education in the city of Judenburg.
Source: Biography section
3.What profession did Sylvester Stadler learn after completing his schooling?
- A.Civil surveyor
- B.Mechanical technician
- C.Electrical engineercorrect
- D.Architectural draftsman
After his schooling, Sylvester Stadler learned the profession of electrical engineer.
Source: Biography section
4.When did Sylvester Stadler join the Nazi party and the SS?
- A.July 1934
- B.January 1930
- C.March 1932
- D.May 1933correct
Sylvester Stadler joined both the Nazi party and the SS in May 1933.
Source: Biography section
5.Where was Sylvester Stadler wounded during the 1940 fighting in France?
- A.Near Arrascorrect
- B.Near Dunkirk
- C.Near Calais
- D.Near Paris
Sylvester Stadler fought in France in 1940 and sustained a wound while near Arras.
Source: Biography section
6.Where was Sylvester Stadler briefly employed as a tactics teacher after 1941?
- A.Berlin Military Academy
- B.Munich Officer Training Center
- C.SS-Junker School in Braunschweigcorrect
- D.Vienna Command School
After being wounded in the Battle of Moscow in 1941, Sylvester Stadler taught tactics at the SS-Junker School in Braunschweig.
Source: Biography section
7.When was Sylvester Stadler appointed commander of the 4th SS Panzergrenadier Der Führer Regiment?
- A.January 1942
- B.May 1943correct
- C.August 1945
- D.June 1944
Sylvester Stadler was appointed to command the 4th SS Panzergrenadier Der Führer Regiment in May 1943.
Source: Biography section
8.What award was Sylvester Stadler given on April 6, 1943?
- A.The War Merit Cross
- B.The Iron Cross 2nd Class
- C.The Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosscorrect
- D.The German Cross in Gold
Sylvester Stadler received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 6, 1943, for actions near Kharkov.
Source: Biography section
9.How many inhabitants of Oradour-sur-Glane were killed by the unit under Adolf Diekmann?
- A.642correct
- B.742
- C.542
- D.422
A unit led by Adolf Diekmann killed 642 inhabitants of Oradour-sur-Glane on June 10, 1944.
Source: Biography section
10.What action did Sylvester Stadler take regarding the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre?
- A.He personally ordered the massacre
- B.He resigned his command in protest
- C.He ordered a court martial for Adolf Diekmanncorrect
- D.He promoted Adolf Diekmann
Sylvester Stadler ordered a court martial for Adolf Diekmann following the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane.
Source: Biography section
11.On what date was Sylvester Stadler appointed commander of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen?
- A.1 September 1944
- B.20 October 1944
- C.10 July 1944correct
- D.15 August 1944
Sylvester Stadler was appointed commander of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen on 10 July 1944.
Source: Biography section
12.To which military force did Sylvester Stadler surrender his division in May 1945?
- A.The Red Army
- B.The French Army
- C.The U.S. Armycorrect
- D.The British Army
Sylvester Stadler surrendered his division to the U.S. Army in Austria in May 1945.
Source: Biography section
13.Until what year was Sylvester Stadler interned after the war?
- A.1948correct
- B.1949
- C.1947
- D.1946
Following his surrender, Sylvester Stadler was held in internment until 1948.
Source: Biography section
14.What was the date of death for Sylvester Stadler?
- A.30 December 1995
- B.15 September 1995
- C.10 October 1995
- D.23 August 1995correct
Sylvester Stadler died on 23 August 1995.
Source: Biography section
15.How old was Sylvester Stadler at the end of the war?
- A.38
- B.36
- C.32
- D.34correct
Sylvester Stadler was 34 years old when the war ended.
Source: Biography section
People who died on August 23
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Sylvester Stadler →Advertisement
