However, their plans failed when Mayer was arrested by Nazi officers in an attempt to get crucial information. The mission that began with vengeance ended with forgiveness. Mayer was motivated by a powerful combination of hate and lovehate toward the Nazis and love for America. Works at Arbeitete bei der Stadt Luzern. Franz Josef Huber ran the Gestapo secret police in Vienna. The OSS MkII Hofer was looking for a way to surrender to the Americans and not the Russians and saw this as his chance. Both men joined the US Army, and were then approached to join the OSS, the US intelligence service,because of their language skills. 1" in 2003, there were seven long years without a single new Quentin Tarantino film. His mother, however, demanded that the family flee to the U.S. Young Fitz (Mayers nickname) was captivated by cowboy stories of the American West, and so looked forward to the journey. For the next several months, Mayer and his best friend Hans Winberg went about planning Operation Greenup. Fondation Franz Weber - Home - Facebook The team found a German POW named Franz Weber. Nationality: German (1933-1945, Third Reich) Biography. These are the untold truths of the making of "Inglourious Basterds.". In February, 1945, an odd trio parachuted onto a vast Austrian glacier and kicked-off one of the most spectacular clandestine missions of World War II. Hollywood tried to capture an actual OSS operation in a highly fictionalized film called Inglorious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino. IndieWire reported that Tarantino wanted the movie edited on a much tighter schedule that his previous productions, both as a reaction to spending too much time "overfiddling" with "Death Proof" and so the film would be ready to screen at Cannes. Few films could get away with an ending where a character turns to the camera and says, "This might just be my masterpiece," but "Inglourious Basterds" might trulybe QuentinTarantino's masterpiece. In March 1945 these three men nearly died being inserting into Nazi controlled Austria as they ended up parachuting onto a . Hoffer, who had already anticipated the fall of Nazi Germany, met Mayer to discuss the possibility of a German rendition, and naturally, his own protection. Hofer, convinced that the war was a lost cause, was looking for a way to surrender to the Americans rather than to the Soviets. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. His captors, including Franz Hofer, the governor of the Alpine Redoubt and an immensely powerful man within Hitlers inner Circle, faced war crimes prosecution. Unlike the strange and often idiotic Tarantinos movie, however, the truth was far more bizarre. Log In. On the outskirts of a sleepy West Virginia town lives 92-year-old Frederick Mayer. You had to go on and on and on about your backstory. It brought profound and permanent social, governmental and cultural changes in the United States, and has had a great impact on how Americans regard themselves and . But rather than doing that, why not just read the actual history of the war? Franz Weber (actor) (1888-1962), German actor Franz Weber (footballer) (1888-? In the nomination was written, In constant danger of his life, he exhibited almost unbelievable courage, resourcefulness and enterprise. Mayer received the Legion of Merit and the purple heart, among a number of other awards. In 2005, he and five others were honored by Austrian Chancellor Dr. Wolfgang Schssel for their athletic achievements and economic contributions to Austria. Franz Weber, Inc. It wasn;t until they brought in the informant that Mayer finally admitted he was an American agent, but insisted that he worked alone. Quentin Tarantinos Inglorious Basterds tells the story of a special battalion posted in France in charge of sabotaging German military activities and, most importantly, killing Nazis. Fred Raskin, Menke's assistant editor on "KillBill," would become Tarantino's go-to editor following her death, starting with "Django Unchained" in 2012. Franz Weber. This man was Hermann Matull, who was also working as a spy in the region. Frederick Mayer (spy) - Wikipedia After tramping through chest-deep snow, the men literally sledded down the side of the glacier in a Santa Claus-like sleigh. Tom Moon, author of This Grim and Savage Game: OSS and the Beginning of U.S. Covert Operations in World War II, wrote, The Germany Army in that area had in effect surrendered to an OSS Jewish Sergeant.. ADVERTISING. Franz Weber remains very active in numerous alpine skiing events and competes on the popular Legends/Champions Tour. Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE. World War II: Summary, Combatants & Facts - HISTORY According the filmmakers website, it has been shown inother countries atvarious film festivals and on the Discovery and History channels under the title The Real Inglorious Bastards. Franz E. Weber N, N-Dimethylacetamide is an FDA approved solvent widely used in pharmaceutical industry to facilitate the solubility of lipophilic, high molecular weight drugs with poor water . It turns out she was not Quentin Tarantino's first choice for the part in fact, he initially wasn't interested in casting her at all, due to disliking a movie she had starred in (Kruger did not state which movie this was). The trio got off at the town of Oberperfuss near Innsbruck and split up. Feigning the role of a captured German POW, Fred entered a camp and networked within its gates. Jews Exact Revenge on Nazis in Real Inglorious Bastards (VIDEO) It was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, and won Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz, who played the villain Hans Landa. When he is not skiing, Weber's schedule is filled with promotional and personal appearances for sponsors, celebrity sports events, speaking engagements and charity events. Mayer, who is Jewish, and his family fled Germany at the onset of the war, barely escaping the holocaust. Theres no doubt that Operation Greenup saved many thousands of lives, Austrian and American, civilian and military. There they were helped by his family. But unlike other refugees, Mayer decided to return to German-occupied Europe to strike back at the very individuals who imprisoned some of his family members in concentration camps. Air Force, The only area to infiltrate was a small lake frozen over in the winter between the mountains. After completing their training in Allied territories, the three soldiers were dropped off in Tirol on February 26, 1945. Mayer originally volunteered for the U.S. Army, but they rejected him as an enemy alien. However, the OSS, the forerunner to the CIA, saw Mayers potential and recruited him to join its ranks. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. See Photos. Then they boarded a Gestapo-infested train bound for Innsbruck (a major rail hub) where they were asked for their papers. However, he was never caught and lived a relatively peaceful life until his death in 1964. The award was presented to him by the Austrian ski resorts for his contributions to the sport of skiing. Wijnberg and Weber had to flee, whilst Mayer was tortured by the Gestapo. There were some contributions from historians, mainly to set things in context, and some re-enactments in the absence of archival footage, but the story was told largely in Mayer and Wijnbergs own words. Finally, Ulmer asked the Jewish-Americans matter-of-factly, Do you appreciate what can happen to you if youre caught?, Mayer responded, staring directly into Omers eyes, This is more our war than yours.. There are a few different reasons people have speculated on. The Americans will slaughter everyone who did this!. OSS was the forerunner to both the Special Operations Command of the military, OSS Jedburgh and Operation Groups were the units that became the US Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs owe part of their legacy to OSS Maritime Group operatives, where one of them invented the US version of SCUBA. Franz did Research in the Field of Nephrology and Hypertension. The OG group shared a unique bond. Rahn offered to send a message to OSS HQs in Bern, Switzerland headed up by Allen Dulles who later became the head of the CIA. He asked if they were willing to kill. The tables turned, the Gestapo man shaking, told Mayer to do with him as he would, but to please leave his family alone. The Methodology of the Social Sciences (Max Weber) Give Me Liberty! They didn't end up killing Hitler, but they were able to negotiate the surrender of the German Army in Austria. Undeterred by the units previous record, Mayer and his friends approached the units commander, Lt. Alfred Ulmer, and begged to sign up. . Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright, On a journey of discovery to historical sites? This is a horrible place where the Nazis tortured and killed members of the Belgium resistance. Christoph Waltz's performance as the erudite, sociopathic "Jew Hunter" Hans Landa was the most widely praised part of "Inglourious Basterds." 2. In 1997, he won the Legends Downhill Championship in Vail, Colorado and placed first overall in the Masters Division of the MCI World Downhill Championships. Franz Weber. He had Mayer brought to him. However, Inglorious Basterds highlights the work of one group specifically: "Operation Greenup, a real American battalion in charge of a similar mission. 12 min. His father didnt want to leave Germany. You think they're gonna be one way and then they're not at all.". ?, The GIs were not so merciful with the Gestapo, however, especially as some them were Jews. There is a nice WC on the ground floor with baby changing facilities. Enter Hermann Matull. Tarantino's movies, "Inglourious Basterds" included, generally have such excellent casting that it's often weird to read about who almost played their iconic characters instead. It was difficult to find a suitable drop point, as the obvious places were all occupied by the enemy. Shahan Russell is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE. are western hognose snakes legal in the uk risk assessment for cleaning pigeon droppings "Quentin said to close our scripts and asked us who we were. WW2 Info - World History is the interaction between people of different Pioneering environmentalist Franz Weber dies aged 91 The two men needed a third teammate who spoke German and knew the areaand was willing to risk certain death if captured. Austrian Speed Skiing Champion - Franz Weber Interview - SNOW Magazine Thinking he wanted revenge, the Americans later brought Mayer to a cell. Compared to dozens of other cities and towns, defended till the last shell and cartridge by German forces, then pulverized by US air power and artillery, Innsbruck survived the war nearly unscathed. 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Sally Menke edited every one of QuentinTarantino's movies from "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992 all the way up until "Inglourious Basterds" in 2009. Hans Wynberg, a Dutch-born Jew whose family was sent to Auschwitz, and Franz Weber, an Austrian officer who had defected from the German army, worked with Mayer. See Photos. People Archive - WW2 Gravestone STIWOT, 1999-2023. His books that capture Mayers story are They Dared Return and The Brenner Assignment. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Moscow Should Prepare For Probable US Nuclear Aggression: Reports Russian Military Journal, Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, Dr. Mary E. Walker: The First AND Only Female Medal Of Honor Recipient, Bakhmut on the Brink of Falling to Russian Troops, Decorated Navy SEAL Died in HALO Training Accident, Adam Brown: A SEALs Life of Courage and Redemption, Complete List: Ticonderoga-class Missile Cruisers To Retire By 2027, Nuclear Close Calls That Nearly Caused World War III, Russian Sausage Millionaire and Putin Critic Falls to His Death in India, Deadly Russian Rifle Brigade Wiped Out During War in Ukraine. Historian K. ODonnell published a volume called They Dared Return: The True Story of Jewish Spies Behind the Lines in Nazi Germany. Over 40.000 pages on the officers, the boats, technology and the Allied efforts to counter the U-boat threat. Franz Weber - Ancestry.com The revelations about Weinstein and Thurman's car accident placed an extra dark light on one anecdote about filming the scene in "Inglourious Basterds" where Hans Landa chokes Bridget Von Hammersmark to death. Franz Weber. Donny Donowitz. With a military background, he thought his former service would protect his family from persecution. He can see the reality of Hitlers plans, which, as Weber puts it, aims to transform the continent into Concentration Camp Europe. Weber deserts to the Allies, makes contact with the OSS, and agrees to join the team. It was hard to find a pilot to volunteer to fly in the difficult winter conditions over the glacier, but eventually, Billings stepped up, saying,If they are crazy enough to jump there, I will be crazy enough to take them there.. Franz Weber (0000-0003-1670-2296) - ORCID . Mayer was put in command of Operation Greenup, with Wijnberg as his radio operator. Their little band soon adds a third member: Franz Weber, a Wehrmachtlieutenant who has belatedly come to his senses about the murderous nature of Adolf Hitlers war. Mayer became an Army Ranger and went on to join the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) the precursor of todays CIA. The leader of the mission was Fred "Freddy" Mayer, who settled in Brooklyn in 1938 after escaping Nazi Germany with his family, having to leave the love of his life Hannah behind, who was . View Franz Weber results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Their most daring operation, however, involved finding the Alpine Redoubt in Austria a fortress where the German government could supposedly retreat to in the event of defeat. Starring Brad Pitt, Mlanie Laurent, and Christoph Waltz, in this uchronic story, a group of soldiers manages to kill the most important characters of the Nazi party, including its leader, Adolf Hitler. Modifying the papers so that Mayers picture appeared on it, he moved into her hospital to recover.. The Allied victory against the Axis was a long journeyone that actually took much longer than the war itself. He, therefore, transformed himself into a French electrician. He penetrated a secret underground factory producing jet engines for the Third Reich. Fortunately, Hofer realized that Germany would lose and wanted to save his skin, so he ordered Mayer brought to him. Heinrich Weber (1799-1848) married Susanna Fritz (1807-aft 1861) a. Franz Weber (this Franz Weber) b. Anna Maria Miller c. Elizabeth Herrman Provided by Trecil. For the next three days, he was mercilessly beaten, tortured, and hung upside down. One, an engineer, had worked on the German Fuhrers bunker in Berlin. In April, Mayers superiors needed info on an underground factory that made jet engines. DiCaprio would certainly have had fun playing the film's villain, if his performance as Calvin Candie in Tarantino's follow-up film, "Django Unchained," is anything to go by. His work was to get as much information as possible from the Germans, from plans for troop displacement, to attacks, and where they stored supplies, so him and his partners could sabotage them. And 15 Other Iconic Lines From Tarantino's FilmsThe Real-Life Django Who Rebelled Against Slavery And No One Talks About Enough10 Lessons We Learned From The Bad-Ass Women In Tarantino's Universe. The mission involved two Jewish members of the Office of Strategic Services,Frederick Mayer andHans Wijnberg, who parachuted into Austria in February 1945 to figure out Germany's battle plans. April 1812 in Mannheim) war ein deutscher Musiker, Kapellmeister und Theaterdirektor. Mayer parachuted onto an Alpine glacier, infiltrated enemy lines, and posed as a German officer to ascertain crucial intelligence. While promoting her 2022 action movie "The 355," Diane Kruger appeared on the podcast "Reign with Josh Smith" and answered questions about how she got the role of German actress and spy Bridget Von Hammersmark in "Inglourious Basterds." German Order of Battle: 1st-290th Infantry divisions in World War II Franz Weber - IMDb Trembling, he stammered, Do anything you want to me, but dont hurt my family.. They found that Germans were using movable bridges on the Brenner railway that they hid in tunnels by day and used only at night. A Nazi SS general responsible for deporting tens of thousands of Jews to death camps worked for West German intelligence after World War . Franz Carl Weber | zuerich.com Mayer saved the lives of perhaps thousands of troops on both sides by arranging the surrender of the German troops in Austria.