Albert Hoffmann (Nazi)
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Adolf Johann Albert Hoffmann (24 October 1907 – 26 August 1972) was a German entrepreneur, who during the
Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
served as the
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
''
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 ...
'' of Westphalia-South. He was also an 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 d ...
''. Tried for
war crimes A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hos ...
, he was
acquitted In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal means that the criminal prosecution has failed to prove that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the charge presented. It certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an o ...
for lack of evidence, but was sentenced to prison as a result of
denazification Denazification () was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of the Nazi ideology following the Second World War. It was carried out by removing those who had been Nazi Par ...
proceedings.


Early life

Hoffmann was born in
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
, the son of an innkeeper. After attending ''
Volksschule The German term ''Volksschule'' () generally refers to compulsory education, denoting an educational institution every person (i.e. the people, ''Volk'') is required to attend. In Germany and Switzerland it is equivalent to a combined primar ...
'', ''
Realschule Real school (, ) is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), F ...
'' and a trade school, Hoffmann was
apprenticed Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulate ...
and took up a job as a raw
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
sales Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...
man. In 1925 Hoffmann joined the National Socialist Worker Youth (''Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterjugend''), the forerunner of the
Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...
. He was among the founding members of both the SA and the local
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
organization in Bremen, becoming the ''
Ortsgruppenleiter ''Ortsgruppenleiter'' (Local Group Leader) was a Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, Nazi Party political rank and title which existed between 1930 and 1945. The term first came into being during the German elections of 1930, and was held by t ...
'' (Local Group Leader), a position he would hold until 1933. He officially joined the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
on 27 July 1926 (membership number 41,165) with membership backdated to February 1925. As an early Party member, he would later be awarded the
Golden Party Badge __NOTOC__ The Golden Party Badge () was an award authorised by Adolf Hitler in a decree in October 1933. It was a special award given to all Nazi Party members who had, as of 9 November 1933, registered numbers from 1 to 100,000 (issued on 1 Oc ...
. He also served as the propaganda leader in the
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places * Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony * Ol ...
area between 1927 and 1928, at the same time working as a commercial tobacco trader in Amsterdam. For the next several years, he traveled throughout Germany as the representative of various tobacco houses.


Pre-war career in Nazi Germany

Following the
Nazi seizure of power The rise to power of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919, when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He quickly rose t ...
in January 1933, Hoffmann's career began a rapid rise. He became the propaganda leader in the Bremen '' Kreis'' (county) on 1 April 1933. On 1 July 1933, he left his occupation as a raw tobacco merchant to become a full-time Party functionary, assuming the management of the organization, press and personnel offices in the Bremen ''Kreis''. On 20 August 1934, he moved into the Party's ''Reichsleitung'' (national leadership) as the leader of the department for organizational issues. This was on the staff of Deputy
Führer ( , spelled ''Fuehrer'' when the umlaut is unavailable) is a German word meaning "leader" or " guide". As a political title, it is strongly associated with Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. Hitler officially cal ...
,
Rudolf Hess Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician, Nuremberg trials, convicted war criminal and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer ( ...
at the Brown House in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. From 5 September 1935 until January 1941, Hoffmann held the position of ''Amtsleiter'' (Office Leader) for Office IIA (General Organizational Matters). Here he was involved with social, economic, transport and agricultural policy, as well as ethnic policy. On 9 November 1936, Hoffmann, who had terminated his active membership in the SA in the summer of 1934, joined the
Allgemeine-SS The ''Allgemeine SS'' (; "General SS") was a major branch of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany; it was managed by the SS Main Office (''SS-Hauptamt''). The ''Allgemeine SS'' was officially established in the autum ...
(membership number 278,225) as an SS-'' Obersturmfuhrer'' assigned to the
SS Main Office The SS Main Office (; SS-HA) was the central command office of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) in Nazi Germany until 1940. Formation The office traces its origins to 1931 when the SS created the SS-Amt to serve as an SS Headquarters staff overseeing ...
. After the ''
Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...
'' of Austria in March 1938, Hoffmann became a "stoppage commissioner for associations and organizations" in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
on the staff of
Josef Bürckel Joseph Bürckel (30 March 1895 – 28 September 1944) was a German Nazi politician and a member of the German parliament (the ''Reichstag''). He was an early member of the Nazi Party and was influential in the rise of the National Socialist mov ...
, the Reich Commissioner for the Reunification of Austria with the German Reich. This position mainly involved taking care of property law matters. At the same time, he was responsible for building up the Party in the newly acquired territory. From 1 October 1938 to 31 March 1939, he served in the same capacity in the
Sudetenland The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and ) is a German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the border districts of Bohe ...
on the staff of ''Reichskommissar'' and ''
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 ...
''
Konrad Henlein Konrad Ernst Eduard Henlein (6 May 1898 – 10 May 1945) was a Sudeten German politician in Czechoslovakia before World War II. After Germany invaded Czechoslovakia he became the and of Reichsgau Sudetenland under the occupation of Nazi Germa ...
. From May to September 1939, he was given the same assignment for the newly formed
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexation, annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945), German occupation of the Czech lands. The protector ...
. On 15 March 1939 Hoffmann was transferred from the SS Main Office to the SD Main Office (later the
RSHA The Reich Security Main Office ( , RSHA) was an organization under Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacity as ''Chef der Deutschen Polizei'' (Chief of German Police) and , the head of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). The organization's stat ...
) where he served until 21 September 1942.


Wartime service and Holocaust involvement

Hoffmann had undergone military reserve training in the summers of 1936, 1937 and 1939. From the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
on 1 September 1939 to 25 November, he took part in battles in the Lemberg (today,
Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
) area, during the
Nazi invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet ...
. He served as an ''
Unteroffizier () is a junior non-commissioned officer rank used by the . It is also the collective name for all non-commissioned officers in Austria and Germany. It was formerly a rank in the Imperial Russian Army. Austria , also , is the collective name to ...
'' in a ''Kradschützen'' (motorcycle) squadron of the 1st Mountain Division, was promoted to ''
Wachtmeister (Wm; German for 'master-sentinel' or 'watch-master') is a military rank of non-commissioned officers (NCO) in Austria and Switzerland. It is also used in civil authorities in German-speaking countries (police, judiciary, customs service, bord ...
'' and was awarded the
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
, 2nd class. On 10 February 1941, while retaining his other Party offices, he became the first Deputy ''Gauleiter'' of the recently established
Gau Upper Silesia The Gau Upper Silesia (German: ''Gau Oberschlesien'') was an administrative division of Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1945 in the Upper Silesia part of the Prussian Province of Silesia. The Gau was created when the Gau Silesia was split into Upper Si ...
where he also served as Gau chairman (''Gauobmann'') for the
German Labour Front The German Labour Front (, ; DAF) was the national labour organization of the Nazi Party, which replaced the various independent trade unions in Germany during the process of ''Gleichschaltung'' or Nazification. History As early as March 1933, ...
administration. On 3 June 1941, he also secured a seat in the '' Reichstag'' representing electoral constituency 7 ( Breslau), where he replaced a deceased deputy. From 5 May to 20 September 1942 Hoffmann was detailed to serve as ''
Reichsleiter (, ) was the second-highest political rank in the Nazi Party (NSDAP), subordinate only to the office of . also functioned as a paramilitary rank within the NSDAP and was the highest rank attainable in any Nazi organisation. Each reported d ...
''
Martin Bormann Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, and a war criminal. Bormann gained immense power by using his position as Hitler ...
's representative on the commission headed by ''
Generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...
'' Walter von Unruh, seeking to mobilize the population for total war and replenish losses of manpower. In this capacity, Hoffmann traveled widely through the occupied eastern territories, including the
General Government The General Government (, ; ; ), formally the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (), was a German zone of occupation established after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Slovak Republic (1939–1945), Slovakia and the Soviet ...
, Ostland and
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. On 17-18 July 1942, Hoffmann, accompanied by ''
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 Uniforms and insignia of the Schut ...
''
Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...
and ''Gauleiter''
Fritz Bracht Fritz Bracht (18 January 1899 – 9 May 1945) was the Nazi ''Gauleiter'' of Gau Upper Silesia. Career After training as a gardener, Bracht entered military service in 1917, and was deployed at the front until the end of World War I. Thereafte ...
, attended a gassing operation of Jews in the
Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...
, which was located in his Gau. He gained insights into the actions of the ''
Einsatzgruppen (, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the imp ...
'' murders, the death camps of
Operation Reinhard Operation Reinhard or Operation Reinhardt ( or ; also or ) was the codename of the secret Nazi Germany, German plan in World War II to exterminate History of the Jews in Poland, Polish Jews in the General Government district of German-occupied ...
, the
Germanization Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, German people, people, and German culture, culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nati ...
process and the brutal measures used to recruit ''
Ostarbeiter ' (, "Eastern worker") was a Nazi German designation for foreign slave workers gathered from occupied Central and Eastern Europe to perform forced labor in Germany during World War II. The Germans started deporting civilians at the beginning ...
'' (Eastern workers), and he made suggestions for improvement (''Verbesserungsvorschlägen'') from the
Party Chancellery The Party Chancellery (), was the name of the head office for the German Nazi Party (NSDAP), designated as such on 12 May 1941. The office existed previously as the Staff of the Deputy Führer (''Stab des Stellvertreters des Führers'') but was ...
as well as Hitler and
Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...
. After completing his detail to the Unruh commission, Hoffmann was transferred from the RSHA to the personal staff of the ''Reichsführer-SS'' on 21 September 1942. He also returned to his post as Deputy ''Gauleiter'' in Kattowitz (today,
Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...
) where he also served as Gau economics adviser.


Gauleiter in South Westphalia

On 26 January 1943 Hoffmann was appointed Acting ''Gauleiter'' of
Gau Westphalia-South The Gau Westphalia-South (German: ''Gau Westfalen-Süd'') was an administrative division of Nazi Germany encompassing the Arnsberg Region in the southern part of the Prussian province of Westphalia between 1933 and 1945. From 1931 to 1933, it was ...
, succeeding Paul Giesler who had been transferred to
Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria The Gau Munich–Upper Bavaria () was an administrative division of Nazi Germany in Upper Bavaria from 1933 to 1945. From 1930 to 1933, it was the regional subdivision of the Nazi Party in that area. History Establishment of the within the party ...
. At the same time, Hoffmann also was made
Reich Defense Commissioner Reich Defense Commissioner (German: ''Reichsverteidigungskommissar'', RVK) was a governmental position created in Nazi Germany at the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939. Charged with overall defense of the territory of the German Reich, th ...
for his Gau. On 1 August he was named to the
Prussian State Council The Prussian State Council ( German: ''Preußischer Staatsrat'') was the second chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Free State of Prussia between 1921 and 1933; the first chamber was the Prussian Landtag (). The members of the State Cou ...
by Prussian Minister President
Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
, becoming the last known appointee to that body. On 9 November he received his final promotion to 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 d ...
''. In December of the same year, Hitler appointed Hoffmann as Goebbels' deputy in his capacity as Reich Inspector for Civil Aerial Warfare Measures, despite the fact that Goebbels favored another candidate for the post. On 17 April 1944, Hofmann was made permanent ''Gauleiter'' of Westphalia-South. On 25 September 1944 he was placed in command of the ''
Volksturm The (, ) was a ''levée en masse'' national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was set up by the Nazi Party on the orders of Adolf Hitler and established on 25 September 1944. It was staffed by conscri ...
'' units in his jurisdiction. In October he was named Reich Defense Commissioner for the entire
Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...
and
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/km2 and a populati ...
regions. On 26 February 1945, Hoffmann issued to the police, Party and civil officials in his jurisdiction the following order, sanctioning the
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
lynching of downed Allied
fighter-bomber A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...
pilots:
''Jagtbomber'' pilots who are shot down are in principle not to be protected against the fury of the people. I expect from all police officers that they will refure to lend their protection to these gangster types. Authorities acting in contradiction to the popular sentiment will have to account to me.
Hoffmann, who did not enjoy widespread popularity even within the Nazi Party's top ranks owing to his arrogance and bossy manner, was said to have been a staunch Nazi right through to the war's end. Shortly before the war ended, as
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
troops were invading his jurisdiction, he ordered the destruction of numerous bridges and other infrastructure in accordance with Hitler's Nero Decree. Leaving
Bochum Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...
on 10 April 1945, he retreated first to Harkortberg near Wetter and then to Haßlinghausen (today, part of
Sprockhövel Sprockhövel is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Sprockhövel is located in the southern suburban part of the Ruhr area. It is 6 km southeast of Hattingen, 8 km northwest of Gevelsb ...
). Finally, on 13 April 1945, Hoffmann discussed setting up a ''
Werwolf ''Werwolf'' (, German for "werewolf") was a Nazi plan which began development in 1944, to create a resistance force which would operate behind enemy lines as the Allies advanced through Germany in parallel with the ''Wehrmacht'' fighting in ...
'' operation before dissolving his Gau staff and the ''Volkssturm'' organization in Westphalia-South. He and his staff went into hiding with false papers and civilian clothes.


Post-war trial, conviction, and sentence

After fleeing and hiding out for several months, Hoffmann was finally discovered and arrested by
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
troops on 4 October 1945 in the village of Marienau, where he was posing as a farm worker. He was first imprisoned and interrogated in
Iserlohn Iserlohn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region. Geogr ...
and then interned in a camp in
Recklinghausen Recklinghausen (; ) is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and industry in the south. Recklinghaus ...
. He testified as a witness to atrocities in the
Nuremberg Trials #REDIRECT Nuremberg trials {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from move ...
against the main Nazi war criminals. He later was himself charged in two British military criminal cases in Recklinghausen (October 1946) and
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
(December 1948) in connection with the
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...
s of Allied airmen and foreign forced laborers. However, he was acquitted for lack of evidence. He was then tried by a German
denazification Denazification () was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of the Nazi ideology following the Second World War. It was carried out by removing those who had been Nazi Par ...
tribunal at Benefeld-Bomlitz and received a prison sentence of 4 years and 9 months in December 1948. He only served part of his sentence, in consideration of
time served In typical criminal law, time served is an informal term that describes the duration of pretrial detention (remand), the time period between when a defendant is arrested and when they are convicted. Time served does not include time served ...
and was pardoned by the Minister President of Lower Saxony.


Later life and family

After his release from prison at
Esterwegen Esterwegen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography Esterwegen lies in northwest Germany, less than from the Dutch border and about from the sea. Demographics In 2015 the population was 5,280. Government ...
in April 1950, Hoffmann earned considerable assets as an entrepreneur in Bremen until his death in Heiligenrode on 26 August 1972. Hoffmann was married, and his son Bolko Hoffmann was likewise a successful entrepreneur and the founder of the ''Pro DM'' Party, a right-wing, conservative
fringe party A minor party is a political party that plays a smaller (in some cases much smaller, even insignificant in comparison) role than a major party in a country's politics and elections. The difference between minor and major parties can be so great t ...
in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
whose main policy is to campaign for the reintroduction of the
Deutsche Mark The Deutsche Mark (; "German mark (currency), mark"), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later of unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it ...
.


SS ranks


References


Sources

*Blank, Ralf: Albert Hoffmann, in: Westfälische Lebensbilder 17, Münster 2005 Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Westfalen XXVII A, 17 *Blank, Ralf: Albert Hoffmann als Reichsverteidigungskommissar im Gau Westfalen-Süd, 1943-1945. Eine biografische Skizze, in: Beiträge zur Geschichte des Nationalsozialismus 17 (2001), S. 189-210. *Blank, Ralf: "... der Volksempörung nicht zu entziehen". Gauleiter Albert Hoffmann und der "Fliegerbefehl", in: Märkisches Jahrbuch 98 (1998), S. 255-296. * * * *


External links


Online-Biography of Albert Hoffmann
(in German)

(in German) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffmann, Albert 1907 births 1972 deaths Gauleiters German Army personnel of World War II German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom Holocaust perpetrators in Germany Holocaust perpetrators in Poland Members of the Prussian State Council (Nazi Germany) Members of the Reichstag 1938–1945 Military personnel from Bremen (city) German Nazi propagandists People indicted for war crimes Prisoners and detainees of Germany Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 2nd class Recipients of the War Merit Cross SS-Gruppenführer Volkssturm personnel Witnesses to the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg