A young man who became the most successful German sniper towards the end of the war. And sixty years later, an inspiration for one of Quentin Tarantino’s best films, Inglourious Basterds.
Life before the war
Matthäus Hetzenauer was born on December 23, 1924, in the Tyrolean village of Brixen, Austria, to Simon and Magdalena Hetzenauer, descendants of a long line of Austrian farmers from the Kitzbühel area. He was baptized as a Catholic on Christmas Eve in the medieval parish church and grew up with his two brothers and sister on his parents’ farm above the village.
According to available information, he was the youngest of three children in a family that struggled with economic difficulties during his youth. His father was a farmer, and young Matthäus often helped with farm work, where he reportedly developed a sense of detail and patience.
The war
In September 1942, at the age of 18, he was drafted into the Wehrmacht and assigned to the 140th Mountain Reserve Battalion (Kufstein). After completing basic training, he was allowed to return home, but only for a short time. The German Wehrmacht and the war needed a constant supply of soldiers, so Matthäus was recalled in January 1943. He underwent further training, first as a grenadier in the mountain infantry, and later as a sniper.
After completing his training, Hetzenauer was assigned to the 3rd Mountain Division in July 1944, with which he participated in numerous retreat battles as a sniper in Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia. After just three months of deployment, he nearly died. On November 6, 1944, he suffered a head injury during artillery fire, but survived and was awarded the Wound Badge three days later. On April 17, 1945, towards the very end of the war, Hetzenauer was awarded the Knight’s Cross. Generalleutnant and divisional commander Paul Klatt recommended him for the award due to his numerous sniper kills, which collectively destroyed two enemy companies.
His main weapon was the Karabiner 98k rifle with a six-fold telescopic sight. On the front lines, he often operated alongside his fellow Austrian sniper, Josef Allerberger, and together they formed an exceptionally deadly pair.
With 345 confirmed kills, Hetzenauer became the most successful German sniper of World War II. It’s worth noting that in Nazi Germany, confirmed kills were only counted in the presence of an officer, so Hetzenauer’s actual kill count is likely much higher. His longest confirmed shot was reported at 1,100 meters. His sniper partner, Josef Allerberger, ranked just behind him in confirmed kills.
When the war ended, Hetzenauer was captured by the Soviets and spent five years in a POW camp. Afterward, he returned to Brixen, Austria, where he married Maria Beihammer and had three children. He spent the rest of his life focusing on his family and farming, rarely speaking about his wartime experiences. He passed away on October 3, 2004, at the age of 80.
Inspiration for the film Inglourious Basterds
Five years after Hetzenauer’s death, a film emerged that brought attention to his story. Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 movie Inglourious Basterds presents an alternate version of World War II, and while its main characters are fictional, many of them are based on real people. One such character is the famous sniper Fredrick Zoller, portrayed by Daniel Brühl, who was created as a composite of various historical figures.
For those of you who have seen the film, I won’t spoil the plot, but for those who haven’t, I’ll just hint at the connection. Matthäus Hetzenauer, the most successful sniper in the Wehrmacht, served as a strong inspiration, combined with another historical figure, Audie Murphy, an acclaimed American soldier and later actor.
The character of sniper and actor Zoller blends Hetzenauer’s sniper achievements with Murphy’s post-war acting career, during which Murphy, for example, played himself in the 1955 autobiographical war film To Hell and Back.
How much did Hetzenauer inspire the film?
Director Tarantino remarked in one interview that his characters change the course of history, adding, “I’m not just talking about Shosanna or Aldo and the Basterds. I’m talking about Fredrick Zoller. If a German soldier did what he did during the war, I’m here to tell you that Joseph Goebbels would have made a film about him, just like Hollywood made To Hell and Back with Audie Murphy.”
PS: What other famous sniper inspired the film? Check it out.
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