Müller Family

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Crossen an der Oder in 1920 to a conservative Prussian family, Müller's father served as a lieutenant-colonel in the Wehrmacht. He joined the Jungvolk, reaching Fähnleinführer, then the Reich Labour Service, and finally the Wehrmacht in 1939. He saw action during the invasion of Poland, though he claimed little combat, and later said he dressed as a Polish peasant to reconnoiter Soviet-occupied lines. Fighting on the Eastern Front from 1941, he was promoted to first lieutenant on 20 April 1945, Hitler's birthday. Seriously wounded by a bullet to the spine, he was evacuated from East Prussia to Frankfurt, where he was captured by Americans. After release in 1947, he enlisted in the US Army Civilian Labor Group, became a lieutenant in a CLG security unit, worked as an Industrial Police watchman, and trained NATO troops in Paris. Denied entry to the Bundeswehr in 1956, he cleared mines for British Petroleum in the Sahara. Emigrating to South Africa in 1962, he was recruited as a mercenary lieutenant in 5 Commando in 1964, aged 44—the oldest of Mike Hoare's soldiers. Promoted to captain after taking Albertville, he led 52 Commando (about 53 soldiers) from July 1964, later becoming a major. His unit committed widespread arbitrary violence, killings, and war crimes, including decorating vehicles with enemy skulls and mounting heads on spears. Photographed by Time magazine wearing his Iron Cross, he became a hate figure for West German socialists after a December 1964 Konkret feature titled "Congo Atrocity." Media portrayed him as a war criminal and SS veteran, claiming he read Mein Kampf after battles. In an interview, he spoke nostalgically of service in occupied Poland and France, and laughed about following "barbaric customs" by shooting wounded opponents. East German state media instead cast him as a counterculture symbol comparable to the Rolling Stones. He was the main subject of the 1966 East German documentary The Laughing Man – Confessions of a Murderer. Historian Quinn Slobodian noted Müller "provided a link between Nazi Germany and postcolonial conflict beyond polemical analogy." He died of stomach cancer in Boksburg, Johannesburg, South Africa in April 1983.

In Their Own Story

In late 1964, Müller's unit suffered low morale and desertion after their first assault on Boende failed. Deserters called Müller "incompetent" and "too soft." The mercenaries eventually captured the city. As news of atrocities spread, Müller became a hate figure among socialists and student activists in West Germany. He was first brought to public attention by a feature entitled "Congo Atrocity" in the December 1964 issue of the left-leaning magazine Konkret. Media portrayed him as a war criminal, an SS veteran, and claimed he would read his copy of Mein Kampf after every battle. Another lengthy interview included Müller speaking nostalgically of his wartime service in German-occupied Poland and France and "concluded with him laughing as he spoke about how he was now compelled to follow the 'barbaric customs' of the Congo by not taking wounded opponents prisoner but simply shooting them dead."

Reader's Guide

Müller's role in the Congo Crisis was as a mercenary commanding part of 5 Commando. He led 52 Commando, a small sub-unit of about 53 soldiers, from July 1964. His unit participated in widespread arbitrary violence, killings, and other war crimes. There were reports that Müller and his mercenaries would decorate their vehicles with the skulls and bones of their enemies, as well as drunken violence, looting and mounting the heads of their enemies on spears. Pictures show Müller wearing his Iron Cross in the Congo, attracting attention from journalists from Time magazine. In late 1964, his unit suffered from low morale and desertion due to their first assault on the town of Boende being unsuccessful, with deserters criticizing Müller as "incompetent" and "too soft." The mercenaries eventually captured the city. As news of atrocities spread, Müller became a hate figure among socialists and student activists in West Germany. He was first brought to public attention by a feature entitled "Congo Atrocity" in the December 1964 issue of the left-leaning magazine Konkret. Media portrayed him as a war criminal, an SS veteran, and claimed that he would read his copy of Mein Kampf after every battle. Another lengthy interview included Müller speaking nostalgically of his wartime service in German-occupied Poland and France and "concluded with him laughing as he spoke about how he was now compelled to follow the 'barbaric customs' of the Congo by not taking wounded opponents prisoner but simply shooting them dead." The historian Quinn Slobodian states "Müller provided a link between Nazi Germany and postcolonial conflict beyond polemical analogy." He was also profiled as a hate figure by state media in East Germany where some instead responded by seeing him as a symbol of the counterculture comparable with the Rolling Stones. He was interviewed for the 1966 East German documentary The Laughing Man – Confessions of a Murderer in which he was also the main subject.

Did You Know?

• Müller was promoted to first lieutenant on 20 April 1945, Hitler's birthday.
• He was the oldest of Mike Hoare's soldiers in 5 Commando at age 44.
• He was photographed by Time magazine wearing his Iron Cross in the Congo.
• An East German documentary titled 'The Laughing Man – Confessions of a Murderer' featured him as the main subject in 1966.
• The character Captain Henlein from the 1968 film 'Dark of the Sun' was based on Müller.

Early Life and Wehrmacht Service

Siegfried Friedrich Heinrich Müller was born in Crossen an der Oder, Germany (modern Krosno Odrzańskie, Poland) in 1920 to a conservative Prussian family. His father was in World War I and later in the Wehrmacht as a lieutenant-colonel. Siegfried was enrolled at a boarding school in Freiburg and was in the Jungvolk, reaching the rank of Fähnleinführer. He then joined the Reich Labour Service, and the Wehrmacht in 1939. He first experienced action during the German invasion of Poland although he says he saw very little combat. He says that, after the invasion, he would sometimes dress as a Polish peasant and walk along the lines of Soviet-occupied Poland in order to reconnoiter. He fought in the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and spent the rest of the war on the Eastern Front. He said that he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant on 20 April 1945, Hitler's birthday. After being seriously wounded from a bullet hitting his spine, he was evacuated from East Prussia to Frankfurt, where he was captured by the Americans.

Post-War Career and Mercenary Recruitment

Released in 1947, he enlisted in the US Army Civilian Labor Group (CLG), an American Labor Service Unit of Germans; then became a lieutenant in a CLG security unit. He also worked as an Industrial Police watchman and trained NATO troops in Paris. He was denied entry to the Bundeswehr in 1956, but found employment with British Petroleum, clearing mines planted by the Afrika Korps in the Sahara Desert during World War II. Müller emigrated to South Africa in 1962 and was recruited as a mercenary with the rank of lieutenant in 5 Commando in 1964 as part of the repression of the Simba rebellion in the Congo Crisis. At 44, Müller was the oldest of Mike Hoare's soldiers.

Notoriety During the Congo Crisis

He was promoted to captain after a successful operation to seize Albertville (now Kalemie) and led 52 Commando, a small sub-unit of 5 Commando of approximately 53 soldiers, from July 1964. He was later promoted to major. In this period, the units participated in widespread arbitrary violence, killings, and other war crimes. There were reports that Müller and his mercenaries would decorate their vehicles with the skulls and bones of their enemies, as well as drunken violence, looting and mounting the heads of their enemies on spears. Pictures show Müller wearing his Iron Cross in the Congo, attracting attention from journalists from Time magazine. In late 1964, Müller's unit suffered from low morale and desertion due to their first assault on the town of Boende being unsuccessful, with deserters criticizing Müller as "incompetent" and "too soft." The mercenaries eventually captured the city. As news of atrocities committed by mercenaries in the Congo spread, Müller became a hate figure among socialists and student activists in West Germany. He was first brought to public attention by a feature entitled "Congo Atrocity" in the December 1964 issue of the left-leaning magazine Konkret. Media portrayed him as a war criminal, an SS veteran, and claimed that he would read his copy of Mein Kampf after every battle. Another lengthy interview included Müller speaking nostalgically of his wartime service in German-occupied Poland and France and "concluded with him laughing as he spoke about how he was now compelled to follow the 'barbaric customs' of the Congo by not taking wounded opponents prisoner but simply shooting them dead." The historian Quinn Slobodian states "Müller provided a link between Nazi Germany and postcolonial conflict beyond polemical analogy." He was also profiled as a hate figure by state media in East Germany where some instead responded by seeing him as a symbol of the counterculture comparable with the Rolling Stones. He was interviewed for the 1966 East German documentary The Laughing Man – Confessions of a Murderer in which he was also the main subject.

Legacy in Popular Culture

The character Captain Henlein from the 1968 film Dark of the Sun was based on Müller. Müller is portrayed as the 'Reichkommissar' of Reichskommissariat Zentralafrika in 'The New Order: Last Days of Europe' a Hearts of Iron 4 mod set in the 1960s in the aftermath of a Nazi German victory in the Second World War.