Karl Kruger, son of Jewish parents, arrived in Edinburgh in 1939 at the age of 15 as a refugee from Nazi Germany along with his brother Hans. Soon afterwards he was picked up on his way to church, wearing his school uniform of Edinburgh Academy and was deported to a detention camp for aliens in Canada. There he became a Catholic in 1940. On his return to Scotland he was educated at Blairs in Aberdeen and St Edmund's College Ware and went on to be ordained in Edinburgh on the 17th July 1949 at the age of 25. He never forgot his Jewish roots and the Reformed Protestant faith of his family back in Berlin. His brother Hans also followed Fr Krugger into the Priesthood and is now Fr Boniface.

After service for a year as assistant Priest at St Ninian's in Edinburgh from 1949 to 1950 he continued with further studies this time at Cambridge University for 4 years from 1950 to 1953. After a further year as an assistant priest at St Cuthbert's Edinburgh 1953 to 1954 he undertook a period as Professor at Blairs Seminary followed by yet further studies at the Institut Catholique in the Sorbonne University de Paris.

Following his many studies Canon Kruger then undertook an extensive academic tenure as Professor at the Diocesan Senior Seminary of St Andrews at Drygrange from 1957 to 1970.

He then went to Parish work in Grangemouth on 1st Sept 1970 having been appointed by Cardinal Gordon Gray to establish a new church of ‘Christ the King’. As well as undertaking his parish duties, the then Father Kruger also took a great interest in the wider community in Grangemouth. He was the chairman and founder member of Grangemouth Enterprises, a member of Grangemouth Council of Churches, Christian Aid, Chairman of the local Catholic Marriage Advisory Committee as well as being the Dean of the Deanery of St Mungos for the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

On the 26th November 1987 Father Kruger was transferred to St. Patrick's Parish in Kilsyth. Shortly thereafter in 1988 he was admitted to the Cathedral Chapter of Canons by the then Archbishop O'Brien. Canon Karl Kruger died suddenly and unexpectedly only 18 months after his arrival in Kilsyth on 24th May 1989. After Mass with a congregation of nearly 1000 people in St Patrick’s, containing many of his friends from Grangemouth, his remains were interred at Kilsyth cemetery. Fr Boniface, his brother, after concelabrating Canon Kruger's funeral Mass donated his chalice to the people of St Patrick's Kilsyth. This chalice is used on a daily basis for communion and from time to time by Fr Boniface who returns to say Mass in St Patrick's around the anniversary of Canon Krugger's death when he is able to do so.

The image immediately above of Canon Kruger, is from an original painting by Charlie McGuire of Grangemouth.