Enemy approaches from the rear, reposition firearms accordingly
In the darkest days of World War II, a group of unlikely heroes emerged from the shadows, fighting against the Nazi regime from a "vantage point" in neutral Switzerland. This resistance movement, known as Patria, was a transnational effort involving the British SOE, American OSS, French DGER, and Swiss military intelligence service, working in collaboration with anti-Nazi activists.
At the heart of this resistance were two men: Eduard Unsinn and Eduard Riedmann. Unsinn, a carpenter, deserted from the Nazi Party and successfully escaped to Switzerland in July 1944. Riedmann, a sticker, crossed the border to Switzerland in January 1945, later meeting Unsinn at an internment camp in Switzerland, who persuaded him to join the Patria.
Prepared by Bruckner and officers of the Allied and Swiss secret services, Unsinn and Riedmann were given fake identities, documents, and armed with weapons for their infiltration into Vorarlberg, Austria. On April 14-15, 1945, Riedmann was stopped at the Swiss-Austrian border, armed with a machine pistol. During the encounter, he fired his weapon.
The proceedings against Riedmann and Unsinn were eventually discontinued under the law "concerning the discontinuation of criminal proceedings and the pardon of penalties for fighters against National Socialism and Fascism". However, in November 1949, charges were raised against them for the death of Johann Holzer.
The Patria deserters came from various regions including Vienna, Styria, Tyrol, South Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. The British Consulate in Basel confirmed that "the British recognize the resistance movement Patria as an independent Austrian military association and support it to the extent that it provides military assistance in driving the Nazis out of Austria."
Despite their significant contributions, there is a lack of information available about the persons involved in organizing the resistance group "Patria" in Vorarlberg. Wilhelm Bruckner, a Vienna student who fled to Switzerland in 1938, founded the "Patria League" in 1944, in coordination with Allied and Swiss intelligence services. His activities focused on Austria and South Tyrol.
Unsinn and Riedmann did not speak about their activities in the transnational resistance after their experiences with the judiciary. Unsinn demanded the return of the seized Patriot documents from the District Court of Dornbirn in 1958, and the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the District Court regarding Unsinn's compensation for detention.
The story of Unsinn, Riedmann, and the Patria resistance is a testament to the power of ordinary people standing up against tyranny. Their actions, though often shrouded in secrecy, played a significant role in the eventual defeat of the Nazis and the liberation of Austria.
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