Karl Haidle, Germany’s Oldest Man, Dies at 110

Karl Haidle, the oldest living man in Germany, passed away in Kernen im Remstal, Baden-Württemberg, on 1 November, at the age of 110 years, 60 days.

Karl Haidle was born in Kernen im Remstal, on 2 September 1915.

Several of his brothers lost their lives in World War II. Even in his later years, Haidle was able to recount his career and the harrowing experiences he endured during the war in vivid detail. He trained as a mechanic, was drafted into the Reich Labor Service and later into the army, served in Austria as a mountain infantryman, and traveled across Europe as a dispatch driver. In 1944, he was taken prisoner by Yugoslav forces, and for three years his family had no idea where he was.

Eventually, he returned home, where he worked alongside his father on the farm and in the vineyard. In 1955, he married his wife Frieda and later took over his in-laws’ larger business.

Following the passing of Karlheinz Stauber (25 October 1914 – 17 February 2024), he became the oldest known living man in Germany.