 Following the Anschluß of Austria to Germany in 1938, Eugen, as an outspoken critic of the Nazi-movement was harassed by the GESTAPO and was put under de facto house arrest in a rented house at Hietzing.Only his status as a former Field-Marshal protected him from worse.With Schildenfeld at his side as confidante and lady companion, Eugen survived the Second World War and the flight to the Tyrol in 1945.