Nazi Death Notice Published In Austrian Newspaper: Paper Prints Deceased’s Rank In Nazi Army In Obituary

An Austrian newspaper has apologized for publishing a Nazi death notice that included the deceased’s rank in the SS, CBS News is reporting.

Lois Plock’s obituary in the Austrian newspaper, Kleine Zeitung, noted some less-than-savory aspects of the man’s life, including his rank in the Nazi army. The death notice included the fact that Plock was an “Untersturmfuehrer” (“Lower Assault Leader”) in the SS forces. Such forces carried out many of the atrocities the Nazi army is famous for, as well as serving as Hitler’s personal bodyguard.

In addition, the Nazi death notice also included a picture of a decoration the deceased earned for his service, and included a few lines of verse from the oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler taken by Nazi soldiers, according to Huffington Post.

“I vow to you, Adolf Hitler, as Führer (Leader) and chancellor of the German Reich, loyalty and bravery. I vow to you and to the leaders that you set for me, absolute allegiance until death. So help me God! I believe in a Lord God. [A man without a God is] arrogant, megalomaniacal and stupid; he is not eligible for us.”

Obituaries are written by the deceased (before they die, obviously), or by their families, and as such, newspapers aren’t directly responsible for their content. How diligently newspapers proofread death notices for potential offensive content will vary, and sometimes, offensive, funny, or downright weird obituaries will make it to print.

For example, in February, according to this Inquisitr report, Michael Sven Vedvik’s family used the obituary pages to blame his death on a bad play call in the Super Bowl, with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

“We blame the Seahawks’ lousy play call for Mike’s untimely demise.”

Another obituary may have crossed the line from snarky to downright inappropriate: the family of Larry Darrell Upright of Cabarrus County, North Carolina, used his obituary to make a political statement.

“Also, the family respectfully asks that you do not vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016. R.I.P. Grandaddy.”

And in the obituary for 24-year-old Molly Parks, who died of a heroin overdose, her father used her death notice to opine about the horrors of drug addiction.

“My daughter Molly Parks made many good choices in her too short life and she made some bad choices. She tried to fight addiction in her own way and last night her fight came to an end in a bathroom of a restaurant with a needle of heroin.”

The Austrian newspaper’s editor, Hubert Patterer, has apologized for printing the Nazi death notice, calling it a “horrible mistake.”

[Image courtesy of: Shutterstock / Jan S.]