Leo Leixner

Leo Leixner (1908–1942) was a Nazi German journalist and war correspondent. He is known for his book From Lemberg to Bordeaux, a first-hand account of war in Poland, the Low Countries, and France, 1939–40, during World War II.

Leo Leixner
Birth nameLeopold Leixner
Born(1908-03-26)March 26, 1908
Thörl-Maglern, Duchy of Carinthia, Austria-Hungary
DiedAugust 14, 1942(1942-08-14) (aged 34)
Krasnodar/Kuban, RSFSR, USSR
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchArmy
RankWachtmeister
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsIron Cross First Class
RelationsMarga Käthe Leixner (née Gambalis- Altmann)

Early life and education

Leo Leixner, a schoolteacher's son, was born in Thörl-Maglern, Austria, on March 26, 1908, and graduated in 1918 from the German National Real Gymnasium in Villach. He studied German Literature at the University of Graz and received his Doctor of Philosophy in 1932, with a dissertation entitled Mohammed in German Poetry.[1][2]

Journalist and war correspondent

After 1933, Leixner wrote for Der Angriff newspaper, and was assigned to the Vienna office. He also wrote for the Völkischer Beobachter and other Nazi publications. On August 22, 1939, Leixner volunteered for the Wehrmacht. His most popular book was the illustrated From Lemberg to Bordeaux: Front Experiences of a War Reporter (1941).[3][4]

Death

Leixner was killed on 14 August 1942 in Krasnodar-Kuban (Russia). He was shot through the head while crossing the Kuban River in an inflatable boat. He was awarded an Iron Cross First Class on the day of his death.[5]

Books
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References
  1. Erich Nussbaumer, Josef-Friedrich-Perkonig-Gesellschaft. Kärnten im Wort: Aus d. Dichtung eines halben Jahrhunderts, 1971, p. 279
  2. Joh. Leon. Carinthia I.: Mitteilungen des Geschichtsvereins für Kärnten. 2004, p. 105
  3. Pruckner, Marion. Dr. Leo Leixner – ein typischer Vertreter der nationalsozialistischen Kriegsberichterstatter? Thesis, University of Vienna 2009
  4. From Lemberg to Bordeaux in the Library of Congress catalog
  5. Leo Leixner on Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V.
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