Josef Riegler: Nazi Guard and Hangman at Mauthausen Concentration Camp

Josef Riegler was an Austrian SS guard whose brutality made him one of the most feared perpetrators at the Mauthausen–Gusen concentration camp system during the Second World War. Born on 5 July 1922 in Linz, Riegler grew up during the rise of National Socialism and joined the SS shortly after the Anschluss of Austria in 1938, aligning himself fully with Adolf Hitler’s regime.After military service during the early stages of the Second World War—including deployments in Poland, Norway, and on the Eastern Front—Riegler was transferred to Mauthausen concentration camp in February 1942. There, he served as a Blockführer and later as Rapportführer, positions that gave him direct authority over prisoners and other guards. Mauthausen was classified as a Grade III camp, designed for destruction through forced labour, starvation, and terror rather than imprisonment.Riegler quickly gained a reputation for extreme cruelty. Survivor testimonies described routine beatings, torture, and arbitrary killings. He personally murdered prisoners, including Spanish Republicans who had fled General Francisco Franco’s regime and were later handed over to the SS. Witnesses recalled Riegler beating inmates to death, supervising hangings, and participating in mass executions with complete indifference to human suffering.In February 1945, Riegler played an active role in the infamous “Mühlviertel Rabbit Hunt,” a manhunt following the escape of Soviet prisoners of war from the Gusen subcamp. SS units, local civilians, and Nazi organizations hunted down the escapees; nearly all were murdered. Riegler later bragged about his participation in these killings.After the liberation of Mauthausen by U.S. forces in May 1945, Riegler was arrested and tried at the Dachau Mauthausen–Gusen Trials. He admitted to preparing prisoners for execution and participating directly in murders. Found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Josef Riegler was executed by hanging on 27 May 1947 at Landsberg Prison. He was 24 years old.This episode is part of the series Male Fascist Guards and Camp Auxiliaries.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv