A footballer persecuted as a "professional criminal"
"Many Viennese still remember the famous footballer Glotzmann from FC. Vienna." This was the first sentence in an obituary in the Wiener Arbeiterzeitung in December 1945, but to whom was this tribute addressed?
Karl Glotzmann was born in 1908 in the Favoriten district of Vienna. This is where he started playing football. He made his debut for the 1st FK Vorwärts 06 in the second division in 1925. The talented striker quickly attracted the interest of larger Viennese clubs. At the age of 19, he moved to First Vienna FC in the first division. He made appearances and scored goals, but was unable to make a lasting impression. He played for various clubs and moved between the first and second divisions. Glotzmann also tried his hand as a professional abroad. However, knee injuries slowed him down and led to the early end of his career in 1935. He also came into conflict with the law. He made a living as a commercial agent, but slipped further and further down the ladder. After serving a sentence for theft and assault, the Vienna criminal investigation department took him into custody in October 1940.
Due to his previous convictions, he was considered a "professional criminal" who should not be released. He was sent to Buchenwald via Dachau concentration camp in December 1940, where he remained for over four years. Among other things, the SS deployed him in a punishment unit and as a foreman in the notorious "gardening" labour unit, where the prisoners were subjected to the harshest conditions and countless assaults by the SS. Many fellow prisoners later reported on his solidarity. "Glotzmann saved lives", according to the obituary. In January 1945, he reported for duty at the front. Karl Glotzmann has been missing since March 1945.
