Elisabeth Volkenrath (née Mühlau; 5 September 1919 – 13 December 1945) was a German supervisor at several

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

during

World War II 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 ...

. Volkenrath, née Mühlau, was an ''ungelernte Hilfskraft'' (unskilled worker) when she volunteered for service in a concentration camp. In October 1941 she began working at

Ravensbrück concentration camp Ravensbrück () was a Nazi concentration camp exclusively for women from 1939 to 1945, located in northern Germany, north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück (part of Fürstenberg/Havel). The camp memorial's estimated figure of 1 ...

as a guard. In March 1942, she was sent to

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 ...

where she worked in the same function as at Ravensbrück. At Auschwitz, she met ''SS-Rottenführer'' Heinz Volkenrath, who had worked there since 1941 as '' SS''-''

Blockführer ''Blockführer'' (Block Leader; female rank name: ''Blockführerin'') was a paramilitary title specific to the SS-Totenkopfverbände, SS-Death's Head Units in Concentration Camp Service. An SS-Block Leader was typically in charge of prisoner ba ...

''. The couple married in 1943. She participated in the selection of prisoners for the gas chambers and, in November 1944, was promoted to ''Oberaufseherin'' for all camp sections for female prisoners at Auschwitz. Volkenrath was transferred to

Bergen-Belsen Bergen-Belsen (), or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in Northern Germany, northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen, Lower Saxony, Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, ...

when Auschwitz was closed. From February 1945, she was ''Oberaufseherin'' (supervising wardress) at Bergen-Belsen.

Belsen trial and execution

In April 1945, Volkenrath was arrested by the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, and was tried in the Belsen trials, at which she was convicted of war crimes. She claimed during her testimony that "it was really awful in the camps, but it was awful for us too. We were punished just like the prisoners." Sentenced to death, she was the first woman to be executed by hanging at Hamelin Prison by British official executioner

Albert Pierrepoint Albert Pierrepoint ( ; 30 March 1905 – 10 July 1992) was an English Executioner, hangman who executed between 435 and 600 people in a 25-year career that ended in 1956. His father Henry Pierrepoint, Henry and uncle Thomas Pierrepoint, Th ...

on 13 December 1945 at 09:34.http://www.bergenbelsen.co.uk/pages/Database/Document.asp?DocumentID=207&Submit=View

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Volkenrath, Elisabeth 1919 births 1945 deaths Auschwitz concentration camp personnel Belsen trial executions Executed German mass murderers Executed German women Female guards in Nazi concentration camps Female mass murderers Holocaust perpetrators in Poland People from the Province of Silesia People from Złotoryja County Ravensbrück concentration camp personnel