Heinrich Harrer
Austrian mountaineer and author (1912–2006)
Who was Heinrich Harrer?
Heinrich Harrer lived from July 6, 1912 to January 7, 2006. Heinrich Harrer was born 6 July 1912 in Hüttenberg, Austria, in the district of Sankt Veit an der Glan in the state of Carinthia. His father, Josef Harrer, was a postal worker. From 1933 to 1938, Harrer studied geography and sports at the Karl-Franzens University in Graz. Heinrich Harrer (German: [ˈhaɪnʁɪç ˈhaʁɐ]; 6 July 1912 – 7 January 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer, explorer, writer, sportsman, geographer, and an SS sergeant. Harrer and the team flew the Nazi flag atop the mountain. Harrer had joined the Nazi Party shortly after the annexation of Austria in March 1938, and was personally received by Hitler after the climb.
A year later in 1939, he and the climbing team went on an expedition to the Indian Himalayas, where they were arrested by British colonial authorities due to the outbreak of World War II. He eventually escaped to Tibet, staying there until 1951. He is the author of two autobiographical books, Seven Years in Tibet (1952) and The White Spider (1959).
Historical significance
He was a member of the four-man climbing team that made the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the "last problem" of the Alps, in July 1938.