The Heretics' Hour: Interview with Wilhelm L. Kriessmann

Carolyn talks with World War II Wehrmacht veteran and Luftwaffe bomber pilot Wilhelm Kriessmann (pictured right in 1940 enlarge) about the political climate in Austria during his youth in the 1920s and ’30s; then his wartime and post-war experiences. Kriessmann was incarcerated in the British concentration camp for political prisoners at Wolfsberg for nine months after his return to his family home in Sept. 1945; then for a further eight months at Camp Wetzelsdorf before being released in 1947 and continuing his education.

About Wilhelm Kriessmann

Listeners can learn more about Wilhelm Kriessmann’s WWII experiences here and here.

Dr. Kriessmann received his Ph.D. at Gratz University in Austria. After a few years in the Trade Ministry, he was appointed Austrian Trade Commissioner for the U.S. west coast in 1953, which led to his eventual permanent move to California. In more recent years he turned to writing - publishing many articles and features in German-American periodicals. He has always been an avid sportsman, with a special fondness for the ski slopes, long biking trips and tennis.

13 MB / 32 kbps mono / 0 hour 56 min.