SS command of Auschwitz concentration camp
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The SS command of Auschwitz concentration camp refers to those units, commands, and agencies of the German SS which operated and administered the
Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Due to its large size and key role in the Nazi genocide program, the Auschwitz Concentration Camp encompassed personnel from several different branches of the SS, some of which held overlapping and shared areas of responsibility. There were over 7,000 SS personnel who served at Auschwitz from the time of the camp's construction in 1940 to the camp's liberation by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
in January 1945. Fewer than 800 were ever tried for war crimes, the most notable of which were the trials of camp commanders
Rudolf Höss Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß, or Hoess; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947) was a German SS officer during the Nazi era who, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, was convicted for war crimes. Höss was the longest-serving comm ...
and Robert Mulka, as well as several others tried between 1946 and 1948


Senior chain of command

The commander of the SS, ''
Reichsführer-SS (, ) was a special title and rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 for the commander of the (SS). ''Reichsführer-SS'' was a title from 1925 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1945 it was the highest rank of the SS. The longest-servi ...
''
Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
, was the highest SS official with knowledge of Auschwitz and the function which the camp served. Himmler was known to issue direct orders to the camp commander, bypassing all other
chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...
, in response to his own directives. Himmler would also occasionally receive broad instructions from
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, which he would then interpret as he saw fit and transmit to the Auschwitz Camp Commander. Below Himmler, the most senior operational SS commander involved with Auschwitz was ''SS-
Obergruppenführer ' (, "senior group leader") was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissio ...
''
Oswald Pohl Oswald Ludwig Pohl (; 30 June 1892 – 7 June 1951) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era. As the head of the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office and the head administrator of the Nazi concentration camps, he was a key figure in ...
, who served as head of the SS-Economics Main Office, known as the ''
SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt The SS Main Economic and Administrative Office (german: SS-Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungshauptamt; SS-WVHA) was a Nazi organization responsible for managing the finances, supply systems and business projects of the (a main branch of the ; SS). It ...
'' or SS-WVHA. Pohl's subordinate, SS-''
Gruppenführer __NOTOC__ ''Gruppenführer'' (, ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. Since then, the term ''Gruppenführer'' is also used for leaders of groups/teams of the police, fire de ...
'' Richard Glücks, served as the ''Amtschef'' (Department Chief) of the Concentration Camps Inspectorate which was known as "Department D" within the WVHA. It was Glücks who may be seen as the direct superior to the camp commandant of Auschwitz, SS-''
Obersturmbannführer __NOTOC__ ''Obersturmbannführer'' (Senior Assault-unit Leader; ; short: ''Ostubaf'') was a paramilitary rank in the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) which was used by the SA (''Sturmabteilung'') and the SS (''Schutzstaffel''). The rank of ''Obersturm ...
'' Rudolf Höss. In addition to this direct chain of command, the geographical location of Auschwitz placed some of its supply and wartime functions under the authority of Regional SS and
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
leaders. When the camp was first constructed, Auschwitz was located within the borders of the newly established
General Government The General Government (german: Generalgouvernement, pl, Generalne Gubernatorstwo, uk, Генеральна губернія), also referred to as the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (german: Generalgouvernement für die be ...
, under the control of '' Reichsleiter''
Hans Frank Hans Michael Frank (23 May 1900 – 16 October 1946) was a German politician and lawyer who served as head of the General Government in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. Frank was an early member of the German Workers' Party ...
. Before Auschwitz was a death camp, Frank left the running of the camp mostly to the SS, although he did know of the camp's existence since the early Auschwitz fell under his geographical authority. Simultaneously, all SS activities at Auschwitz were under the authority of the Higher SS and Police Leader "Ost" (east) who, during most of Auschwitz's existence, was
Friedrich-Wilhelm Krüger Friedrich-Wilhelm Krüger (8 May 1894 – 10 May 1945) was a German war criminal and paramilitary commander acting as a high-ranking member of the SA and the SS. Between 1939 and 1943 he was the Higher SS and Police Leader in the General Govern ...
(
Wilhelm Koppe Karl Heinrich Wilhelm Koppe (15 June 1896 – 2 July 1975) was a German Nazi commander ('' Höhere SS und Polizeiführer (HSSPF), SS-Obergruppenführer''). He was responsible for numerous atrocities against Poles and Jews in Reichsgau Warthelan ...
also held this position from late 1943 to early 1945). Krüger's subordinate, the SS and Police Leader of
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
was also technically senior to the Commander of Auschwitz and could issue orders concerning wartime needs. By 1942, the territory in which Auschwitz lay had been absorbed into the German state of
Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located ...
and thereafter was under geographical control of the corresponding ''
Gauleiter A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...
''. For most of the camp's later half of existence, this person was
Karl Hanke Karl August Hanke (24 August 1903 – 8 June 1945) was an official of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) during its rule over Germany and served as the fifth and last '' Reichsführer'' of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). He also served as ''Gauleiter'' of ...
, who both visited Auschwitz and had full knowledge of the camp's operation. During Hanke's tenure, the SS command of the region stayed the same, with the addition of Auschwitz now falling under the administrative realm of the ''Allgemeine-SS'' division ''
SS-Oberabschnitt Südost Units and commands of the ''Schutzstaffel'' were organizational titles used by the SS to describe the many groups, forces, and formations that existed within the SS from its inception in 1923 to the eventual fall of Nazi Germany in 1945. The SS ...
''. The 23rd SS-Standarte also was a General-SS counterpart to the Waffen-SS personnel of the region, many of whom were stationed at Auschwitz. As well as falling under a direct and geographical chain of command, the nature of the work at Auschwitz also had the camp coming under the sphere of the ''
Reichssicherheitshauptamt The Reich Security Main Office (german: Reichssicherheitshauptamt or RSHA) was an organization under Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacity as ''Chef der Deutschen Polizei'' (Chief of German Police) and ''Reichsführer-SS'', the head of the Nazi ...
'', or RSHA. Both
Reinhard Heydrich Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( ; ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a high-ranking German SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust. He was chief of the Reich Security Main Office (inclu ...
and later
Ernst Kaltenbrunner Ernst Kaltenbrunner (4 October 190316 October 1946) was a high-ranking Austrian SS official during the Nazi era and a major perpetrator of the Holocaust. After the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942, and a brief period under Heinrich ...
routinely were briefed on activities at Auschwitz through
Adolf Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ,"Eichmann"
''
Nuremberg trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945 ...
, heavy emphasis was placed on the knowledge which the civil government of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
had of Auschwitz, which was a primary source of labor for such major firms as
IG Farben Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG (), commonly known as IG Farben (German for 'IG Dyestuffs'), was a German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate (company), conglomerate. Formed in 1925 from a merger of six chemical companies—BASF, ...
. Both
Fritz Sauckel Ernst Friedrich Christoph "Fritz" Sauckel (27 October 1894 – 16 October 1946) was a German Nazi politician, ''Gauleiter'' of Gau Thuringia from 1927 and the General Plenipotentiary for Labour Deployment (''Arbeitseinsatz'') from March 1942 unti ...
and
Albert Speer Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of World War II. A close ally of Adolf Hitler, he ...
were directly accused of having knowledge of Auschwitz, although both denied knowing the scope of the genocide program in place there. Senior chain of command ''
Reichsführer-SS (, ) was a special title and rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 for the commander of the (SS). ''Reichsführer-SS'' was a title from 1925 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1945 it was the highest rank of the SS. The longest-servi ...
''
Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
(Supreme Commander of the SS)
SS-''
Obergruppenführer ' (, "senior group leader") was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissio ...
''
Oswald Pohl Oswald Ludwig Pohl (; 30 June 1892 – 7 June 1951) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era. As the head of the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office and the head administrator of the Nazi concentration camps, he was a key figure in ...
(Commander, ''
SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt The SS Main Economic and Administrative Office (german: SS-Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungshauptamt; SS-WVHA) was a Nazi organization responsible for managing the finances, supply systems and business projects of the (a main branch of the ; SS). It ...
'')
SS-''
Gruppenführer __NOTOC__ ''Gruppenführer'' (, ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. Since then, the term ''Gruppenführer'' is also used for leaders of groups/teams of the police, fire de ...
'' Richard Glücks ( Concentration Camps Inspectorate) Lateral senior commands SS-''Obergruppenführer''
Friedrich-Wilhelm Krüger Friedrich-Wilhelm Krüger (8 May 1894 – 10 May 1945) was a German war criminal and paramilitary commander acting as a high-ranking member of the SA and the SS. Between 1939 and 1943 he was the Higher SS and Police Leader in the General Govern ...

SS-''Obergruppenführer''
Wilhelm Koppe Karl Heinrich Wilhelm Koppe (15 June 1896 – 2 July 1975) was a German Nazi commander ('' Höhere SS und Polizeiführer (HSSPF), SS-Obergruppenführer''). He was responsible for numerous atrocities against Poles and Jews in Reichsgau Warthelan ...

SS-''
Oberführer __NOTOC__ ''Oberführer'' (short: ''Oberf'', , ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) dating back to 1921. An ''Oberführer'' was typically a NSDAP member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographic ...
''
Julian Scherner Julian Scherner (September 23, 1895 – April 28, 1945) was a Nazi Party official and a high-ranking member in the SS of Nazi Germany. During World War II, he served as the SS and Police Leader of Kraków, Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), Ger ...


Camp leadership and personnel

The camp commander of Auschwitz, as well as the senior camp officers and non-commissioned officers, were all members of the ''
SS-Totenkopfverbände ''SS-Totenkopfverbände'' (SS-TV; ) was the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organization responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps for Nazi Germany, among similar duties. While the ''Totenkopf'' was the univer ...
'', or SS-TV. Due to a 1941 personnel directive from the '' SS Personalhauptamt'', members of the SS-TV were also considered full members of the
Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...
. Such personnel were further authorized to display the Death's Head Collar Patch, indicating full membership in both the SS-TV and Waffen-SS. The Auschwitz Commandant was assigned a full-time administrative staff to which answered a primary
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
as well as several other SS officers in charge of supply, finance, and other administrative needs. Auschwitz also maintained a motor pool as well as an arsenal from which all the SS personnel would draw weapons and ammunition, although several of the SS were known to purchase their own handguns and other weapons. Administrative and supply SS personnel were assigned mostly to the camp headquarters at the Auschwitz I camp. Such personnel, many of whom were Waffen-SS members but not members of the SS-TV camp service, were usually "out of the way" of the more horrific activities of the camp. Oskar Gröning is one such well known Auschwitz clerk, who has appeared on several documentaries speaking about life in Auschwitz for the SS, and how living in the camp was in fact an enjoyable experience. Garrison commanders SS-''
Obersturmbannführer __NOTOC__ ''Obersturmbannführer'' (Senior Assault-unit Leader; ; short: ''Ostubaf'') was a paramilitary rank in the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) which was used by the SA (''Sturmabteilung'') and the SS (''Schutzstaffel''). The rank of ''Obersturm ...
''
Rudolf Höss Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß, or Hoess; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947) was a German SS officer during the Nazi era who, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, was convicted for war crimes. Höss was the longest-serving comm ...
(1940–1943/1944)
SS-''Obersturmbannführer''
Arthur Liebehenschel Arthur Liebehenschel (; 25 November 1901 – 24 January 1948) was a commandant at the Auschwitz and Majdanek concentration camps during the Holocaust. After the war, he was convicted of war crimes by the Polish government and executed in 1948. ...
(1943–1944)
SS-''
Sturmbannführer __NOTOC__ ''Sturmbannführer'' (; ) was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank equivalent to major that was used in several Nazi organizations, such as the SA, SS, and the NSFK. The rank originated from German shock troop units of the First World War ...
'' Richard Baer (1944–1945) Senior adjutant officers SS-''
Hauptsturmführer __NOTOC__ (, ; short: ''Hstuf'') was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organizations such as the SS, NSKK and the NSFK. The rank of ''Hauptsturmführer'' was a mid-level commander and had equivalent seniority to a ...
''
Josef Kramer Josef Kramer (10 November 1906 – 13 December 1945) was Hauptsturmführer and the Commandant of Auschwitz-Birkenau (from 8 May 1944 to 25 November 1944) and of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (from December 1944 to its liberation on 15 Ap ...
(Auschwitz I)
SS-''Hauptsturmführer'' Robert Mulka (Auschwitz I and II) Junior adjutant officers SS-''
Obersturmführer __NOTOC__ (, ; short: ''Ostuf'') was a Nazi Germany paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organisations, such as the SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK. The rank of ''Obersturmführer'' was first created in 1932 as the result of an expa ...
''
Karl-Friedrich Höcker Karl-Friedrich Höcker (11 December 1911 – 30 January 2000) was a Nazi war criminal, German commander in the SS and the adjutant to Richard Baer, who was a commandant of Auschwitz I concentration camp from May 1944 to December 1944. In 2006 ...
(Auschwitz I) Headquarters staff SS-''
Hauptscharführer __NOTOC__ ''Hauptscharführer'' ( ) was a Nazi paramilitary rank which was used by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank was the highest enlisted rank of the SS, with the exception of the special Waffen-SS rank ...
''
Detlef Nebbe Detlef Nebbe (also Detleff; 20 June 1912 – 17 April 1972) was an SS-''Hauptscharführer'' and member of staff at Auschwitz concentration camp. He was prosecuted at the Auschwitz Trial. Born in Husum, German Empire in June 1912, Nebbe completed ...
(Head NCO, Commandant's Staff) Pay office SS-''
Unterscharführer ''Unterscharführer'' (, ) was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party used by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) between 1934 and 1945. The SS rank was created after the Night of the Long Knives. That event caused an SS reorganisation and the creation o ...
'' Oskar Gröning (Currency Exchange Clerk) Post office SS-'' Sturmscharführer'' Robert Heider (Post Office NCO) Legal office SS-''Obersturmführer'' Wilhelm Bayer
SS-''Obersturmführer'' Heinrich Ganninger Directors of administration SS-''Obersturmbannführer'' Lukas Möckel Camp administration main office SS-''Unterscharführer''
Franz Romeikat Franz Romeikat (born October 7, 1904, date of death unknown) was an SS-'' Unterscharführer'' and staff member at Auschwitz concentration camp. He was prosecuted in the Auschwitz Trial. Romeikat was born in Iwenberg (then in East Prussia). A wat ...
(Administrative assistant) Prisoner property office SS-''Obersturmführer'' Theodor Kratzer (Property director) Camp personnel department SS-''Hauptscharführer'' Friedrich Schimpf (Personnel accommodation)
SS-''Oberscharführer'' Hans Zobisch (Personnel NCO) Camp technical section SS-''
Scharführer ''Scharführer'' (, ) was a title or rank used in early 20th Century German military terminology. In German, ''Schar'' was one term for the smallest sub-unit, equivalent to (for example) a "troop" , " squad", or "section". The word ''führer'' ...
'' Georg Engelschall (Technical section NCO) Camp motor pool SS-''
Rottenführer ''Rottenführer'' (, ) was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1932. The rank of ''Rottenführer'' was used by several Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA), the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) an ...
'' Richard Böch


Internal camp order

Internal camp order was under the authority of SS-TV members answering directly to the Camp Commander through officers known as ''
Lagerführer ''Lagerführer'' (Camp Leader) was a paramilitary title of the SS, specific to the '' Totenkopfverbände'' (Concentration Camp Service). A ''Lagerführer'' was the head SS officer assigned to a particular concentration camp Internment is t ...
s''. Each of the three main camps at Auschwitz was assigned a ''Lagerführer'' to which answered several SS-non-commissioned officers known as ''
Rapportführer ''Rapportführer'' (Report Leader; feminine: ''Rapportführerin'') was a paramilitary title of the SS, specific to the '' Totenkopfverbände'' (Concentration Camp Service). An ''SS-Rapportführer'' was usually a mid-level SS-non-commissioned off ...
s''. The ''Rapportführer'' commanded several '' Blockführer'' who oversaw order within individual prisoner barracks. Assisting the SS with this task was a large collection of
Kapo A kapo or prisoner functionary (german: Funktionshäftling) was a prisoner in a Nazi camp who was assigned by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks. Also called "prisoner self-administrat ...
s, who were trustee prisoners. Camp labor section SS-''Unterscharführer'' Heinrich Oppelt (Director of camp labor)
SS-''Unterscharführer'' Heinrich Schoppe (Labor service NCO) Women's camp sub-section SS-''Unterscharführer'' Richard Perschel (Women's camp labor director)
SS-''Unterscharführer'' Johann Ruiters (Women's camp labor administration)


Camp guards

External camp security was under the authority of an SS unit known as the "Guard Battalion", or ''Wachbattalion''. These guards manned watchtowers and patrolled the perimeter fences of the camp. During an emergency, such as a prisoner uprising, the Guard Battalion could be deployed within the camp. The Guard battalion was organized on military lines with a Battalion Commander, Company and Platoon Leaders, as well as
non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
s and enlisted SS soldiers. Camp guards were either members of the SS-TV or Waffen-SS veterans rotated into the concentration camp system due to wounds in action or for some other administrative reason. Ironically, contrary to the stereotypical image of the "Concentration Camp Guard", members of the Guard Battalion seldom, if ever, had direct contact with prisoners. Exceptions occurred due to prisoner escapes or uprisings, of which the 1944 Crematorium Revolt (depicted in the film ''
The Grey Zone ''The Grey Zone'' is a 2001 movie written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson and starring David Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, and Daniel Benzali. It is based on the book ''Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account'' w ...
'' where the Guard Battalion enters and
machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
s a crematorium) is one such example. On June 17, 2016, one of the last of the Auschwitz Guards,
Reinhold Hanning Reinhold Hanning (28 December 1921 – 30 May 2017Arthur Plorin Guard Company Commanders SS-''Sturmbannführer'' Otto Stoppel Guard Platoon Leaders SS-''Obersturmführer''
Josef Kollmer Josef Kollmer (26 February 1901 – 24 January 1948) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era who committed mass murder at Auschwitz. He was prosecuted at the Auschwitz Trial. Born in Händlern, Bavaria, Kollmer was a farmer by trade. He ...
Guard Battalion NCOs SS-''Hauptscharführer'' Adolf Becker
SS-''Hauptscharführer'' Matthias Tannhausen
SS-''Oberscharführer'' Emanuel Glumbik
SS-''Oberscharführer'' Vinzent Klose SS-''Unterscharführer'' Otto Wolnek Guard Battalion Sentries SS-''Unterscharführer''
Reinhold Hanning Reinhold Hanning (28 December 1921 – 30 May 2017Erich Dinges Erich Adam Oskar Dinges (20 November 1911 – 23 April 1953) was an SS-'' Sturmmann'' and member of staff at Auschwitz concentration camp. He was prosecuted at the Auschwitz Trial. Dinges was born in Frankfurt am Main. He worked as a drivin ...
''The "rank and file" of the Guard Battalion consisted primarily of junior SS soldiers holding the rank of ''
Schütze ''Schütze'' in German means "rifleman" or "shooter", or in older terms originally connoted "archer" before the advent of the rifle. It also occasionally occurs as a surname, or as Schütz, as in the opera ''Der Freischütz''. The word itself is ...
'', ''
Oberschütze Oberschütze (, ) was a German military rank first used in the Bavarian Army of the late 19th century. Usage The rank and its equivalents (''Oberkanonier, Oberpionier'' etc.) was in generally introduced into the German ''Reichswehr'' from ci ...
'', and '' Sturmmann''. Auschwitz Dog Squad SS-''Obersturmführer''
Hans Merbach Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
(Dog Squad Commander)


Camp medical personnel

Auschwitz maintained its own medical corps, led by
Eduard Wirths Eduard Wirths (4 September 1909 – 20 September 1945) was the chief SS doctor (''SS-Standortarzt'') at the Auschwitz concentration camp from September 1942 to January 1945. Thus, Wirths had formal responsibility for everything undertaken by the ...
, whose doctors and medical personnel were from various backgrounds in the SS. The infamous
Josef Mengele , allegiance = , branch = Schutzstaffel , serviceyears = 1938–1945 , rank = ''Schutzstaffel, SS''-''Hauptsturmführer'' (Captain) , servicenumber = , battles = , unit = , awards = , command ...
, for example, was a combat field doctor in the Waffen-SS before transferring to Auschwitz after being wounded in combat. Office of the Garrison Physician SS-''Sturmbannführer''
Eduard Wirths Eduard Wirths (4 September 1909 – 20 September 1945) was the chief SS doctor (''SS-Standortarzt'') at the Auschwitz concentration camp from September 1942 to January 1945. Thus, Wirths had formal responsibility for everything undertaken by the ...

SS-''Obersturmführer''
Franz von Bodmann Franz Hermann Johann Maria Freiherr von Bodmann, sometimes written as Bodman (born 23 March 1908 in Zwiefaltendorf – died 25 May 1945 in Altenmarkt im Pongau) was a German SS-Obersturmführer who served as a camp physician in several Nazi conce ...
Medical administration section SS-''Sturmbannführer''
Eduard Krebsbach Eduard Krebsbach (8 August 1894 – 28 May 1947) was a former German physician and SS doctor in the Nazi concentration camp in Mauthausen from July 1941 to August 1943. He was executed for atrocities committed at the Mauthausen camp. Concentra ...
(temporary assignment – served less than 2 months) Medical staff officers SS-''Hauptsturmführer''
Josef Mengele , allegiance = , branch = Schutzstaffel , serviceyears = 1938–1945 , rank = ''Schutzstaffel, SS''-''Hauptsturmführer'' (Captain) , servicenumber = , battles = , unit = , awards = , command ...

SS-''Hauptsturmführer''
Alfred Trzebinski Alfred Trzebinski (29 August 1902 – 8 October 1946) was an SS-physician at the Auschwitz, Majdanek and Neuengamme concentration camps in Nazi Germany. He was sentenced to death and executed for his involvement in war crimes committed at the ...

SS-''Obersturmführer'' Franz Lucas
SS-''Untersturmführer''
Hans Wilhelm König Hans Wilhelm König (13 May 1912 – c. 1991) was a German Schutzstaffel ''Obersturmführer'' and a Lagerarzt (camp doctor) at the Auschwitz and Neuengamme concentration camps. Life and career After completing primary schooling, König began s ...
Civilian medical personnel
Carl Clauberg Carl Clauberg (28 September 1898 – 9 August 1957) was a German gynecologist who conducted medical experiments on human subjects (mainly Jewish) at Auschwitz concentration camp. He worked with Horst Schumann in X-ray sterilization experiment ...
(civilian physician)
SS-''Untersturmführer'' Walter Goebel (assistant to Clauberg) Medical service staff SS-''Oberscharführer''
Josef Klehr Josef Klehr (17 October 1904 – 23 August 1988) was an SS-'' Oberscharführer'' (master sergeant), supervisor in several Nazi concentration camps and head of the SS disinfection commando at Auschwitz concentration camp. Life Klehr was born as ...
(senior medical staff NCO)
SS-''Unterscharführer'' Adolf Theuer (sanitary orderly) Office of the Garrison Dentist SS-''Sturmbannführer'' Raimond Ehrenberger Staff Dentists SS-''Obersturmführer'' Willi Schatz Dental service staff SS-''Untersturmführer''
Josef Simon Josef Simon (1 August 1930 – 28 March 2016) was a contemporary German philosopher and professor of the University of Bonn, born in Hupperath. He wrote extensively on metaphysics, epistemology, the philosophy of German idealism and various ph ...
(dental technician) Camp Pharmacists SS-''Sturmbannführer'' Victor Capesius Pharmacy staff SS-''Obersturmführer'' Gerhard Guber (pharmacist's assistant) Camp Veterinarians SS-''Sturmbannführer'' Ludwig Boehne
SS-''Hauptsturmführer'' Armand Langermann Auschwitz Hygiene Institute SS-''Untersturmführer''
Hans Münch Hans Wilhelm Münch (14 May 1911 – 6 December 2001), also known as The Good Man of Auschwitz, was a German Nazi Party member who worked as an SS doctor during World War II at the Auschwitz concentration camp from 1943 to 1945 in German occup ...
(deputy hygiene director)


Camp Gestapo command

The
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
maintained a large office at Auschwitz, staffed by uniformed Gestapo officers and personnel. Political office directors SS-''
Untersturmführer (, ; short: ''Ustuf'') was a paramilitary rank of the German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of ''Sturmführer'' which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921. ...
''
Maximilian Grabner Maximilian Grabner (2 October 1905 – 24 January 1948) was an Austrian Gestapo chief in Auschwitz. At Auschwitz, the infamous torture chamber Block 11 was Grabner's own empire. He was executed for crimes against humanity. Early life Born ...
Political office directorate SS-''Hauptscharführer'' Helmut Westphal
SS-''Oberscharführer'' Josef Wietschorek
SS-''Unterscharführer'' Hermann Kirschner Political records office SS-''Untersturmführer''
Hans Stark Hans Stark (14 June 1921 – 29 March 1991) was an SS-''Untersturmführer'' and head of the admissions detail at Auschwitz-II Birkenau of Auschwitz concentration camp. Life and SS career Stark attended the Volksschule in Darmstadt from 1927 unt ...
(Death register) Camp identification department SS-''Hauptscharführer'' Bernhard Walter (ID Department NCO)
SS-''
Rottenführer ''Rottenführer'' (, ) was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1932. The rank of ''Rottenführer'' was used by several Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA), the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) an ...
'' Ludwig Pach (Identification checks) Camp interrogation department SS-''Oberscharführer'' Klaus Dylewski (Lead interrogator) Camp escape department SS-''Oberscharführer''
Wilhelm Boger Wilhelm Friedrich Boger (19 December 1906  – 3 April 1977) known as "The Tiger of Auschwitz" was a German police commissioner and concentration camp wikt:overseer, overseer. He was infamous for the appalling crimes which he had committed ...
(Escape department NCO) Camp Gestapo agents SS-''Oberscharführer''
Josef Erber Josef Erber (birth name: Josef Houstek) (16 October 1897 in Ottendorf — 1987) was an '' SS-Oberscharführer'' at Auschwitz concentration camp. He was in charge of the crematoria. Erber is mentioned several times in the account of Sonderk ...

SS-''Unterscharführer''
Perry Broad Pery Broad, also Perry Broad (25 April 1921 – 28 November 1993) was a Brazilian non-commissioned officer in the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) active at Auschwitz concentration camp from April 1942 to 1945. He reached the rank of ''SS-Unterscharführe ...

SS-''Rottenführer'' Hans Hoffmann


Personnel involved in genocide

SS personnel assigned to the gas chambers were technically under the same chain of command as other internal camp SS personnel, but in practice were segregated and worked and lived locally on site at the crematorium. In all, there were usually four SS personnel per gas chamber, led by a non-commissioned officer, who oversaw around one hundred Jewish prisoners (known as the '' Sonderkommando'') forced to assist in the extermination process. The actual delivery of the gas to the victims was always handled by the SS. This was accomplished by a special SS unit known as the "Hygiene Division" which would drive
Zyklon B Zyklon B (; translated Cyclone B) was the trade name of a cyanide-based pesticide invented in Germany in the early 1920s. It consisted of hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid), as well as a cautionary eye irritant and one of several adsorbents such ...
to the crematorium in an ambulance and then empty the canister into the gas chamber. The Hygiene Division was under the control of the Auschwitz Medical Corps, with the Zyklon B ordered and delivered through the camp supply system.
Miklós Nyiszli Miklós Nyiszli (17 June 1901 – 5 May 1956) was a Hungarian prisoner of Jewish heritage at Auschwitz concentration camp. Nyiszli, his wife, and young daughter, were transported to Auschwitz in June 1944. Upon his arrival, Nyiszli vo ...
. ''Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account''.
SS Crematoria Personnel SS-''Hauptscharführer''
Erich Muhsfeldt Erich Mußfeldt also spelled Erich Muhsfeldt (18 February 1913 – 24 January 1948) was a German war criminal. He served as an SS NCO in three extermination camps during World War II in occupied Poland and Germany: Auschwitz, Majdanek and F ...

SS-''Rottenführer'' Karl Hölblinger


Female camp personnel

Female personnel assigned to Auschwitz were considered members of the SS Women's Auxiliary and were known as ''SS-Helferin''. Such women served in a variety of roles from
secretaries A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...
, nurses, and (most notoriously) guards of female compounds within Auschwitz.


References

{{reflist * ''Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State'', PBS (2004–2005) *