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Heinrich Harrer

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Adventurer

The Resume

    (July 6, 1912-January 7, 2006)
    Born in Huttenberg, Austria
    Mountaineer and author
    Member of the first teams to climb the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland (July 24, 1938) and the Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) in Indonesia (February, 1962)
    During World War II, escaped from a camp for enemy aliens in India and crossed into Tibet (1944)
    Left after the Chinese occupation of Tibet (1951)
    Wrote ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ (1952), ‘Return to Tibet’ (1985), and ‘Beyond Seven Years in Tibet: My Life Before, During, and After’ (2007)
    Portrayed by Brad Pitt in a film adaptation of ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ (1997)

Why he might be annoying:

    He joined the Nazi SS (1938).
    He claimed he joined only so he could take part in an expedition to the Himalayas financed by the German government.
    However, an investigation by Stern magazine found that he had joined the Nazi SA (Brownshirts) in Austria four years earlier.
    At the time he joined, the Nazi Party was banned in Austria, so he did not have the excuse that membership would further his mountaineering career.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He won the downhill skiing event at the Student World Championships (1937).
    He survived being caught in an avalanche while climbing the Eiger.
    He said joining the Nazi Party was a ‘stupid mistake,’ made before he learned to think for himself.
    After his return to Europe, he was cleared of having committed any crimes as a Nazi, a conclusion supported by Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal.
    While in Tibet, he tutored the Dalai Lama in English and geography.
    He and the Dalai Lama became lifelong friends.
    He served as a court photographer; the photos he took are considered some of the best records of traditional Tibetan culture.
    He twice won the Austrian national championship in golf (1958,1970).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 92.86% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying