Jef François | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Josephus Alphonsus Marie François (1901-05-22)22 May 1901 |
| Died | 1996 (aged 94–95) |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Occupation | Politician |
Josephus Alphonsus Marie François (22 May 1901 – 1996) was aBelgianFlemishfar right politician andNazi collaborator.
A native ofGhent, he first came to politics as a member of theFrontpartij, along with the likes ofWard Hermans andJoris Van Severen.[1] In 1931 he joined the likes of Van Severen andWies Moens in launchingVerdinaso (The Verdinaso (Verbond der Dietse Nationaal-Solidaristen – Union of Diets National Solidarists) was an authoritarian and fascist-inspired political party in Belgium and the Netherlands during the 1930s), and was installed as deputy leader of the group the following year and head of the militia in 1937.[1] François succeeded Van Severen as leader of Verdinaso after Van Severen's murder in the 1940 massacre in Abbeville, taking the movement in a new, pro-Nazi Germany direction and merging them into theFlemish National Union.[1] He commanded the militia group,Dietsche Militie, of this combined organisation.[1]
François enrolled in theSchutzstaffel (SS), in August 1941 and for a time he was the leader of theFlemish SS.[2] Seeing action on theEastern Front, he rose to the rank ofObersturmführer (First Lieutenant) in the27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck.[1] After the war he was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he was released in 1952.[1] After the war he organised an SS veterans group and was involved on the fringes of theVlaamse Militanten Orde (a Flemish nationalist activist group in Belgium defending far-right interests by propaganda and political action).[1]