Greta bosel biography
Female Nazi war criminals. |
Many of say publicly staff from the Nazi strength camps were arrested and well-tried for murder and acts a range of brutality against their prisoners back World War II.Some 3,600 column worked in the concentration camps and around 60 stood research for before War Crimes Tribunals between 1945 and 1949.
Be incumbent on these 21 were executed title their cases are detailed lower. (In total, 5,025 men lecture women were convicted of combat crimes in the American, Island and French zones and close down 500 of these were sentenced to death, with the best part executed.)
It was decided that those sentenced to die should swallow death by hanging for both sexes, although no standard action protocol was agreed.
Each express carried out executions in affinity with its normal procedure. That led to the use accept British style measured drop ornament in private, for those finished in the British sector, diminutive drop hanging in public thwart private for those in justness Polish and Russian sectors bear standard drop hanging in semi-private for those executed by dignity Americans at Nuremberg, Dachau allow Landsberg.
Some of the Dweller hangings were televised and shown on the news. No troop were executed in the Yell Sector.
Executions under British jurisdiction.
A exact of 189 men and 10 women were hanged at Hameln Prison (near ) in be submerged British jurisdiction. These executions were carried out by Albert Pierrepoint who was flown in intentionally on each occasion.
Generally be active was assisted by Regimental Serjeant-at-law Major O'Neil who was natty member of the Control Liedown there. The hangings took spot in a purpose built function room at the end stencil one of the prison's fingertips. The gallows having been optional extra constructed by the Royal Engineers to allow the execution work for prisoners in pairs and homegrown upon the design of Pentonville’s gallows.A British female prison instructor or deputy governor had however be present at female executions.The deputy governor of Strangeways censure, Miss Wilson was present subsidize the first three on nobleness 13th of December 1945.
Cerebration Camp staff.
was started importation late as April 1943 production near the city of style a transit centre.
It was turned into a concentration camping-site by its second commandant, SS-Hauptsturmführer Josef Kramer, and was worn to house those prisoners who had become too weak industrial action work as forced labour unembellished German factories. It was freethinking by the British army lead into . The British soldiers make higher 10,000 unburied corpses and 40,000 sick and dying prisoners living example whom a staggering 28,000 then died after liberation.
Owing to a result of these atrocities, 45 former members of pole from Bergen-Belsen, including some inmates who had taken part stop in mid-sentence acts of brutality against provoke prisoners, were charged with either being responsible for the regicide of Allied nationals or position suffering of those in Bergen-Belsen in Germany (first count) creep Auschwitz concentration camp in Polska, (see below for details blond this camp) (second count).
Brutal defendants were charged with both counts.
The accused comprised of 16 men and 16 women, including Josef Kramer, 's commandant, plus 12 former prisoners (seven men and five women).
The Belsen Trial owing to it was known was conducted by the British Military Stick at No. 30 Lindentrasse, Lüneburg, in Germany from September Seventeenth to November 17th, 1945 botched job court President Major-General H.M.P.
Berney-Ficklin, sitting with five other team. The prosecution was in authority hands of a team state under oath 4 military lawyers and command prisoner was represented by data. All the prisoners were below par together and sat in interpretation large dock, each wearing uncomplicated number on their chest.
Rear-ender the afternoon of November Sixteenth the verdicts were delivered.
30 one prisoners were convicted vocation one or both counts deed 14 acquitted of all excise. Irma Grese and Elisabeth Volkenrath were found guilty on both counts, Juana Bormann guilty one and only on the second charge. Distinction following day the sentences were read out to the prisoners.Eleven of them were sentenced do death and 19 others inspire various terms of imprisonment.
The death sentences were major as follows by Major-General Berney-Ficklin:
"No. 1) Kramer, 2) Designer, 3) Weingartner, 5) Hoessler, 16) Francioh, 22) Pichen, 25) Stofel, 27) Dorr. The sentence be more or less this Court on each only of you whom I own just named is that jagged suffer death by being hanged".
He then passed sentence proceed the women as follows "No.
6) Borman, 7) Volkenrath, 9) Grese. The sentence of that court is that you have death by being hanged." Penetrate here for photos.
The finding was translated for them comprise German as "Tode durch hassle strang," literally death by excellence rope. All the prisoners were returned to Lüneburg prison. Digit of the eleven condemned appealed to the convening officer, Field-Marshal Montgomery, who rejected their appeals for clemency.
Elizabeth Volkenrath tell Juanna Borman decided not finish appeal. On Friday the Ordinal of December the appeals salary the others were rejected near their death warrants signed mass Field Marshal Montgomery.The condemned were then transferred to jail goodness following day to await performance, being housed in a stretch of tiny cells along spruce up corridor with the execution sepulchre at its end.
The 11 from had been joined soak two other men, Georg Otto Sandrock and Ludwig Schweinberger, sentenced for the murder of Preliminary Officer Gerald Hood, a Brits prisoner of war at , , on .
The executions were set for Thursday, Dec the 13th, 1945 and were to be carried out present half hour intervals starting bear out 9.34 a.m.
with Elisabeth Volkenrath, followed by Irma Grese horizontal 10.03 a.m. and Juana Bormann at 10.38 a.m. The joe public, including Joseph Kramer, were invariable in pairs afterwards, all 13 executions being completed by 4.17 p.m. In view of interpretation proximity of the condemned cells to the gallows, each pooled of them must have heard the preceding hangings.
I enjoy returned death warrants that demonstrate Elizabeth Volkenrath was executed lid, with Irma Grese second nevertheless this does not accord with the addition of Albert Pierrepoint’s autobiography wherein passage is stated that Irma Grese was the first.
For copperplate detailed account of Irma Grese's case click here and prevalent for Juana Borman’s
Elisabeth Volkenrath was 26 years old.
She was convicted of numerous murders and made selections for depiction gas chamber. She was stated doubtful as the most hated female in the camp. Juana Borman was known as “the female with the dogs” and took sadistic pleasure in setting put your feet up wolfhounds on prisoners to wrench them to pieces.
The post meridian before execution each prisoner was weighed so the correct slide along could be calculated for them.
Irma Grese smiled at Pierrepoint when he asked her being. Elisabeth Volkenrath was steady however looked nervous and Juana Borman limped down the corridor complex old and haggard.
Ravensbrück reverie camp.
Ravensbrück concentration camp near Furstenberg in was the only greater Nazi concentration camp for platoon and also served as orderly training base for female Drive supervisors.
Some 3,500 women underwent training there. They then spurious in Ravensbrück or were extract to other camps. The camping-site was established in 1938 impressive liberated on by the Indigen Army. The estimated number break on victims there were 92,000!
Sixteen members of the standard of were arrested and were tried between and by dialect trig court in the British sector on charges of murder give orders to brutality.
All were found at fault on , except one, who died during the trial. Squad were sentenced to hang, together with five women, head nurse Elisabeth Marschall, Aufseherin Greta Bösel, Oberaufseherin Dorothea Binz and Kapos Carmen Mory and Vera Salvequart.
41 year old Mory easy her wrists during the threadbare of April 9th with topping razor blade she had deliberate in her shoe and consequently escaped the noose.She was concealed within the prison grounds.Swiss indwelling Mory was unusual in stroll she had worked as boss spy for the French, representation Nazis and finally the Land before and during the Clash and had been sentenced competent death by each in ring but always managed to fool her execution, by good pot on the first two occasions.
She was a prisoner get in touch with Ravensbrück, having been reprieved beside the Nazis, and here she made the most of relax situation by becoming a Kapo and spying on other prisoners and assisting the staff. Question paper to a shortage of force, the SS frequently used prisoners (Kapo’s) to supervise other business German inmates.
On the 2nd show May 1947, Albert Pierrepoint uniform the remaining three women, sharpen at a time starting narrow 27 year old Dorothea Binz at 9.01 a.m.
followed 9.31 a.m. by Elisabeth Marschall who was nearly 61 years suspend, and then by 39 gathering old Greta Bösel at 9.55 a.m.
Dorothea Binz had been foaled on the 16th of Tread 1920 at “Düsterlake” near Templin in and had never united. She had joined the rod of Ravensbrück on the Ordinal of September 1939 and simulated as an Aufseherin in character women's camp before being promoted to Oberaufseherin.
She was under legal restraint in in May 1945 humbling came to trial at prestige first Ravensbrück trial.
Elisabeth Marschall had been born on prestige 24th of May 1886 view became a nurse in 1909.She rose to the rank exhaust Oberschwester (Head Nurse) in birth Revier (hospital) barracks at Ravensbrück.Here she maltreated sick prisoners ahead also took part in awful experiments.She also made selections vindicate the gas chambers.
Greta Bösel was born on in and was a trained nurse.
She went to work in Ravensbrück hamper August 1944. Her job was to supervise female working teams. She is supposed to plot said: "Let them rot supposing they can't work." During arrangement trial, she made contradictory statements about her role in batch prisoners for the death camps.
The third woman, 28 year beat up Vera Salvequart was born with reference to the 26th of November 1919 in Wonotsch in Czechoslovakia last had trained as a nurse.She had also served several periods in prison.
She had shout been an SS guard, on the other hand rather a prisoner herself lead to Ravensbrück. She was sent give explanation KZ Ravensbrück in December 1944 and as a Kapo influenced as a nurse in honourableness camp's hospital wing. Here she was said to have administered poison in form of skilful white powder to some 50 of the patients, of whom 12 died.She claimed to possess stolen plans for the V2 rocket and passed these denote .
Vera Salvequart petitioned the King for a pardon in view of her brief secrets to the British. She was granted a stay time this was considered but significance Royal prerogative of mercy was withheld and on Thursday she followed the other three be adjacent to the gallows.She was the be in first place of thirteen prisoners to credit to hanged that day by Albert Pierrepoint, assisted by Regimental Recruiter Major Richard Anthony O'Neill, magnanimity execution being carried out ready 9.03 am.Her body was next buried in the Wehl graveyard in .Click here for photos.
The third Ravensbrück trial, the middling called "Uckermark trial", was kept between April 14th and Apr 26th 1948 to hear grandeur cases of five women government from the Uckermark concentration bivouac and extermination complex.This was great satellite camp that housed girls aged 16 – 21.Two remaining the women were acquitted, match up received prison terms but Miscarry Closius was condemned to have killed.
Ruth Closius, (married name Neudeck) was born in July 1920. She had belonged to rank SS guard staff of Ravensbrück and had worked there timetabled various capacities from , as well as work in the punishment domicile in late 1944. She was promoted to Oberaufseherin (senior supervisor), at Uckermark in early 1945 and worked there until nobility camp was liberated.
She was convicted of the torture paramount murder of men, women refuse children and of selecting prisoners for the gas chambers. She was hanged on .
The ordinal series of Ravensbrück trials was held between July 2nd other to hear the cases hold Aufseherin accused of maltreatment take up prisoners and making selections backer the gas chambers.Two of dignity six were acquitted, two confirmed prison terms and two sentenced to death.
These were 60 year old Emma Zimmer, unhelpful Mezel, and 36 year dampen down Ida Bertha Schreiber (or Schreiter) who were hanged on rectitude 20th of September 1948.No niche women were executed as clarification of the other Ravensbrück trials although others received death sentences which were later commuted say yes prison terms.
The bodies of influence first 93 executed up halt 1947 were originally buried examination but transferred to Wehl boneyard in 1954.
The bodies unfamiliar the later 106 executions were interred directly at Wehl.
Compactness Camp.
was established in Could 1940, on the orders cut into Heinrich Himmler, on the suburbs of the town of discern . The Germans called integrity town and this became justness name of the camp. Redundant was expanded into three continue camps, I, Birkenau, Auschwitz II - Monowitz and had fiercely 40 satellite camps.
Initially, was used to house Polish national prisoners, Soviet prisoners of combat and gypsies. From June 1942, it was used as mainly extermination camp for European Jews who were killed in honesty gas chambers at - Birkenau. It is thought that have a laugh one million people died detect this camp. It was natural by the Red Army sensation .
The trial of the pikestaff who had been captured took place at in in distinction autumn of 1947 and accomplished on the 22nd of Dec of that year.
Twenty give someone a buzz defendants, including ex-commandant Liebehenschel, impressive two women, Maria Mandel, sense of the women's camp limit Therese Rosi Brandel, were doomed to death by the Peerless People's Court in .
SS-Oberaufseherin Maria Mandel, a 36 epoch old blonde, was born indulgence Munzkirchen in in January 1912 and joined the SS control 1938.
From October 1938 appraise May 1939, she was Aufseherin at KZ Lichtenburg and as a result from May 1939 to Oct 1942 she was Aufseherin sully KZ Ravensbrück. She then transferred as an Oberaufseherin to KZ Auschwitz where she worked up in the air . She was moved raid to KZ Mühldorf where she continued until May 1945. Afflict arrest came on .
She was reported to be warmly intelligent and dedicated to time out work. The prisoners, however, referred to her as "the beast" as she was noted keep an eye on her brutality and enjoyment bind selecting women and children long for the gas chambers. She besides had a passion for exemplary music and encouraged the women's orchestra in .
The stripe were kept busy playing spick and span roll calls, to accompany legitimate speeches, to welcome transports topmost at hangings. Click here reach photo.
Therese Rosi Brandel been domestic in in February 1902 sports ground began training at Ravensbrück providential 1940.She worked as an Blind Aufseherin in KZ Ravensbrück beforehand transferring to in 1942 tube then to the KZ Muehldorf (a satellite camp of ).
She beat her prisoners cranium made selections for the empty talk chambers. In 1943, she conventional the war service medal senseless her work there. She was arrested on in the Province mountains. Click here for photograph of her.
On , all cardinal one prisoners were executed send back groups of five or scandalize within the Montelupich prison be next to .
The hangings commenced fatigued with Maria Mandel and a handful of male prisoners, Artur Liebehenschel, Hans Aumeier, Maximilian Grabner and Carl Möckel. Each prisoner in snake was made to mount ingenious simple step up. When they were noosed, this was unperturbed leaving them suspended, slowly choke to death. The four soldiers were hanged one at deft time, followed by Maria Mandel.
It is reported that invalidate was 15 minutes before they could be declared dead.
A second group of quint prisoners, all men, were constant at with a further fivesome men following them at Honesty final group comprising of pentad men and the other doomed woman, Therese Brandl, went come close to the gallows at Again, they were hanged one by of a nature and were certified dead 15 minutes later.
After function, the 21 bodies were exchange blows taken to the at depiction for autopsy and as specimens for the students to exercise anatomy on.
A further wife to be hanged at was 46 year old Elizabeth Lupka. (Click here for photo show consideration for her) She was born knob in the town of lecture married in 1934. The consensus was childless and soon over in divorce.
From 1937 regard 1942, she worked in encumber the aircraft industry before seemly an SS Aufseherin in justness KZ Ravensbrück. From March 1943 until January 1945, she feigned in the KZ Auschwitz Birkenau. She beat her prisoners (women and children) and participated barge in the selections for the propellent chambers. She was arrested have a feeling and brought to trial be alongside at the district court relish where she was convicted claim war crimes and sentenced philosopher death by hanging.
She was executed on at in greatness Montelupich prison in . Prepare body was also taken return to the at the for apply for as an anatomical specimen moisten the medical students.
Margot Drexler (also given as Dreschel) was another SS Aufseherin of great consequence who was particularly feared coarse the women inmates, whom she beat and starved to stain.
She had last worked test the Ravensbruck subcamp of Neustadt-Glewe. After the war, she peaky to escape but was at bay in Pirma-Bautzen in in significance Russian zone in May 1945 and hanged in May reproach June of that year crush . Maria Mandel told need trial that Drexler had thought selections for the gas chambers.
Stutthof Concentration Camp.
Stutthof concentration camp, 34 km.
from Danzig , was the first concentration camp built by the Nazis outside Frg, in September 1939. From June 1944, Stutthof became a contract killing camp as part of Hitler's programme of exterminating European Jews. It expanded rapidly over cast down five year life and difficult many satellite camps. This burgeoning required a commensurate increase subordinate staff and local people add-on Nazi sympathies were recruited.
Altogether some 110,000 men, detachment and children were sent toady to Stutthof. It is estimated lose concentration as many as 65,000 time off these were put to dying in the gas chamber fetch by hanging or shooting, long forgotten many more died of stipulation and ill treatment.
The camp was liberated by the Russians forethought May 10th, 1945 and distinction Commandant, Johann Pauls, and harsh of his staff were set aside on trial by the Brighten Special Law Court at Danzig between April 25th and Could 31st, 1946.
All were token by counsel. Eleven of prestige defendants, five women and offend men, were found guilty loosen war crimes and sentenced disregard death. These were Johann Pauls, SS-Aufseherins Jenny Wanda Barkmann, Elisabeth Becker, Wanda Klaff, Ewa Paradies, Gerda Steinhoff and five conquer men who had been Kapo's in the camp. Click take for photo of them corner the dock.
They had label pleaded "not guilty" to position general charge of war crimes and the women did distant seem to take the test too seriously until the defeat.
After the sentence, they appealed for clemency but these appeals were rejected by the Flair president.
Thus all 11 were publicly hanged before a chunky crowd, estimated at several billion, at on at Biskupia Gorka hill near . A length of track of simple gallows had antediluvian set up in a big open area, four double slant with a triple gallows contain the middle.
A fleet spot open trucks brought the prisoners to the execution ground, their hands and legs tied criticize cords. The trucks were hardbound under the gallows and authority condemned made to stand be delivered the tailboards or on honourableness chairs on which they abstruse sat. A simple cord ambush was put round their necks and when the preparations were complete, each truck was crazed forward leaving them suspended.
They were not hooded and terrestrial only a short drop, esoteric as can be seen unfamiliar the photos, some of them struggled for some time rear 1 suspension. It is alleged stroll one man and two troop (un-named) struggled and fought clatter their guards prior to questionnaire hanged, although the others seemed to accept their fate simple.
The whole event was historical by official press photographers, consequently the clarity of the films. Click here for photo.
Twenty link year old Jenny Wanda Barkmann was thought to be escaping and was nicknamed "The Lovely Spectre" by the camp inmates who considered her to befall a ruthless killer.
She was arrested in May 1945 parallel with the ground a railway station near tiresome to escape. At her proof she is reported to have to one`s name flirted with her male guards and wore a different coiffure each day. She is known to have said after procedure condemned: "Life is a charge and pleasure as a need is a short distance".Click close to for photos.
Elizabeth Becker was whoop quite 23 years old topmost had been born locally letters at Nowy Staw near .
She had married in 1936 and had been a shareholder of the NSDAP and significance BDM from 1938 to 1940. She worked in agriculture differ 1941 to 1944 in Nowy Staw and joined the cudgel of Stutthof in September 1944 becoming an SS Aufseherin turn a profit SK-III Stutthof (the women’s camp) where she made selections seek out the gas chambers.
After she was condemned, she submitted distinction appeal for commutation of repel death sentence to the Flair president. The court recommended description commutation and substitution of far-out 15 year term of detention because she had committed long way fewer and less dreadful crimes than the others. The cicerone, Boleslaw Bierut, however, rejected that request and she was concluded with the rest of position women.
Click here for photos.
Wanda Klaff (nee Kalacinski) was attention to detail German origin but had archaic born in on .When she left school in 1938 she initially worked in a jelly factory, leaving in 1942 anticipation get married to one Willy Gapes and becoming a homemaker. In 1944 Wanda joined depiction staff at Stutthof satellite camp-ground at Praust, moving later command somebody to Russoschin sub-camp.
She contracted typhoid and was hospitalised in position she was arrested on excellence . It would appear genre the photos that Wanda, incompatible the other four, was consistent by a woman, rather elude a male former camp jailbird. Click here for photos.
Gerda Steinhoff was 24 and also . She worked on undiluted farm in Tygenhagen and following in a baker's shop problem until 1944.
She married display January 1944 and had adjourn child. She went to walk off with for the SS at Stutthof in October 1944 and was quickly promoted to Oberaufseherin unbendable KZ Danzig (a satellite robust Stutthof).In January 1945, she laid hold of to KZ Bydgoszcz (another lackey camp) where she remained unfinished it was liberated. She habitual the “Iron Cross” for other wartime efforts.Click here for photos.She was arrested by Polish the law on .
Ewa Paradies was clan at Lauenburg, (now Lebork) run to ground on and had various jobs after leaving school in 1935.She joined the staff of Stutthof SK-III in August 1944 soar was trained as an Aufseherin, being transferred to the Bromberg-Ost subcamp of Stutthof in Oct 1944 and returning to Stutthof in January 1945.She was cessation in custody in May 1945 at Lauenburg.
Click here for photos.
Other camps.
There are records of at bottom three other women who were executed.
Else Lieschen Frieda Ehrich had been the women's camp commandant at Majdanek reverie camp.She was arrested in crumble May 1945. Her trial took place in 1948 before description District Court of Lublin make a fuss over the second Majdanek Trials, veer she stood accused of committing war crimes and crimes accept humanity.
was hanged on high-mindedness 26th of October 1948 bring to fruition the prison at prison pressure .
Click here for photo.
Ruth Elfriede Hildner was tried hard the Extraordinary People's Court slot in on and hanged six midday later, presumably using the column hanging method.She had been topping guard at Zwodau, a subcamp of Flossenburg, in .
Sydonia Bayerwas born on the Twelfth of December 1903 at Kwiatkowicach.It seems that she got keen small amount of medical breeding, and was sent to a-one camp for Polish children position she was responsible for iatrical treatment and nursing. She was nicknamed "Frau Doctor" and wasvery cruel to the children.After confine she was tried by a-ok Polish Special Criminal Court, stall sentenced to death on distinction 6th of September 1945.
She was hanged at in wornout the 12th of November 1945.
In conclusion.
One can only wonder, look back from 50 years consequent what turned these women be converted into virtual monsters. Was it their total belief in the conformity of Hitler's policies or exact they possess a latent brutality or perhaps a mixture go rotten both?
It is terrifying blue blood the gentry acts that people can institute when they are out rob control and have no anxiety of the consequences. I distrust that these women thought ensure Germany would win the clash and that they would subject matter in the regime. Typically, they viewed their prisoners as "dreck," the German for rubbish avoid as sub-humans.
Therefore, the prisoners' lives and feelings were in toto irrelevant, and it was convincing a simple matter of principal them through fear and destructive repression. One wonders too like it they just became inured fulfil the continuous acts of verbal abuse. Many of the people enervated for war crimes insisted consider it they were just carrying tunnel orders from above but that doesn't really ring true, either now or to the book at their tribunals, when horn looks at the acts corporeal sadism that they visited salvo their prisoners.
It practical easy to have sympathy partner the young women from Stutthof, whose unnecessarily cruel executions were so well documented, but way of being must remember what they outspoken. As a young soldier voiced articulate to Pierrepoint on the application of the hangings of nobleness Belsen women, "if you challenging been in Belsen under that lot, you wouldn't be crowded to feel sorry for them."(Pierrepoint had expressed some sympathy ask the prisoners.)
Had it remote been for the war, twofold suspects that these women would most probably have lived run-of-the-mill lives with jobs, husbands tube children.
It is notable drift in many cases it was quite junior people who were caught, tried and in awful cases executed.
A lot pointer the more senior ones were able to escape justice. In spite of that, the Commandants of many mention the concentration camps were beguiled and in most cases susceptible the death penalty.
Back to subject pageIrma GreseJuana Borman