Rudolf Kanzler

Rudolf Kanzler (26 February 1873 – 26 February 1956) was a German surveyor and politician who was involved in the organisation of Freikorps units after World War I.

A Roman Catholic, Kanzler was a member of the Centre Party and served this party in the Landtag of Bavaria as representative for Lichtenfels from 1905 to 1918.[1] Noted for his anti-communism, he organised a Bürgerwehr or militia against the communists in Rosenheim in 1919.[1] This group grew into the Freikorps Chiemgau, for a time the largest single Freikorps in Germany, under the command of Kanzler who became known as the 'White General'.[1] Kanzler became an ally of the rightist militant Georg Escherich and soon led his own Organisation Kanzler or 'Orka' in imitation of Escherich's Orgesch.[1] Like his ally he became close to Richard Steidle in Austria and helped him in the organisation of the Heimwehr.[1]

Kanzler stood down from his Freikorps roles in 1921, and later became a member of Carl Spruner von Mertz's Bayerischer Heimat- und Königsbund, a monarchist group that was outlawed in 1933 after the formation of the Nazi Party regime.[1] Indeed, Kanzler had been an early leader of this group, which – beyond a nostalgically sentimental attachment to the House of Wittelsbach – had minimal function, before giving way to General von Krafft.[2] Kanzler was later arrested and charged with treason during the Third Reich for attempting to promote monarchism and for co-operating with the Black Front of Otto Strasser. However, Kanzler was acquitted.[1] Following his death, on his 83rd birthday, he was buried in his home town of Wasserburg am Inn.[1]