Julian Scherner (23 September 1895 – 28 April 1945) was a
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 ...
official and a high-ranking member in the
SS of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. 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 ...
, he served as the
SS and Police Leader
The title of SS and Police Leader (') designated a senior Nazi Party official who commanded various components of the SS and the German uniformed police (''Ordnungspolizei''), before and during World War II in the German Reich proper and in the o ...
of
Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
,
Germany-occupied Poland.
Early life
Scherner was born on 23 September 1895, in the town of
Bagamoyo in
German East Africa
German East Africa (GEA; ) was a German colonial empire, German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, the Tanzania mainland, and the Kionga Triangle, a small region later incorporated into Portugu ...
, where he lived until the age of two. Scherner attended the cadet schools, ''Kadettenanstalt'', Karlsruhe between 1 October 1905 and 1911 and Berlin-Lichterfield between 1911 and 1914. Scherner was enlisted in the ''infantrie'' rgt. 114 between 15 March 1912 and 10 August 1914. During this time, Scherner earned the rank of ''
Fähnrich
Fähnrich () is an officer candidate rank in the Austrian Bundesheer and German Bundeswehr. The word comes from an older German military title, (flag bearer), and first became a distinct military rank in Germany on 1 January 1899. Howeve ...
'' in April 1914 and received officer rank on 5 August 1914.
[Emmett, Stuart (May 30, 2017). Strafvollzugslager der SS und Polizei: Himmler's Wartime Institutions for the Detention of Waffen-SS and Polizei Criminals. Fronthill Media. p. 11928. .] In 1914, he joined the ''Reichsheer'' or Imperial army. Scherner served in World War 1 as a
''Zugführer'', ''
Kompanieführer'', company commander and platoon leader. Scherner was injured by shell splinters and rifle fire in the ankle and head respectively and was hospitalized between 1914 and 1915. After Scherner was released from the hospital, in 1915, he returned to his military unit but was captured by the French in May 1915. Scherner was awarded the Iron Cross second class and the Wound Badge in black and subsequently discharged from the military on 30 March 1920, with the rank of
Oberleutnant
(English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
.
[Yerger, Mark (January 1997). Allgemeine-SS: The Commands, Units and Leaders of the General SS. ]Schiffer Publishing
Schiffer Publishing Ltd. (also known for its imprints Schiffer, Schiffer Craft, Schiffer Military History, Schiffer Kids, REDFeather MBS, Cornell Maritime Press, Tidewater Publishers, Thrums Books, and Geared Up Publications) is a family-owned p ...
. p. 52. .
After retiring from the military in 1920, he joined the ''
Freikorps Oberland.'' Following the war, Scherner worked as a bank clerk from 1920 until 1924, then as a shop assistant until 1930 and after that as a partner in a merchant’s business until 1934.
Scherner married Rosita S (born 1 May 1899) on 1 May 1924. Scherner and his wife had two children. In 1923, Scherner took part in the
Hitler-Ludendorff Putsch and was ultimately injured and arrested following the failure and ensuing chaos.
SS career
Scherner joined the SS on 28 December 1932, and became a salaried SS officer in June 1934. Scherner commanded the SS training camp at
Dachau
Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...
between October 1937 and March 1940. Scherner eventually relocated to the SS Officer School at
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz (; Bavarian: ''Däiz'') is a town in Bavaria, Germany and the administrative center of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district.
History
Archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz since the retreat of the gla ...
.
From September 1939 to 11 November 1939 he was regimental commander of the ''SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich"''. From summer to the winter of 1940, he was commander of the ''8 Totenkopf-Standarte''. As an SS garrison commander of
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, between January and September 1941, Scherner supervised preparations for the establishment of a Waffen-SS training camp at
Benešov
Benešov (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 17,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the Konopiště Castle.
Administrative division
Benešov consists of 15 municipal parts (in brackets population ...
,
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
. On 4 August 1941, Scherner was appointed
SS and Police Leader
The title of SS and Police Leader (') designated a senior Nazi Party official who commanded various components of the SS and the German uniformed police (''Ordnungspolizei''), before and during World War II in the German Reich proper and in the o ...
in German-occupied
Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
.
Early corruption
Scherner was a close acquaintance of
Oberscharführer
__NOTOC__
''Oberscharführer'' (, ) was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between 1932 and 1945. ''Oberscharführer'' was first used as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and was created due to an expansion of the enlisted positions ...
Heinz Klare, meeting with him on numerous occasions. Scherner aided Klare in receiving extended work leave and enabled Klare's entry into the
Waffen-SS
The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...
while also guaranteeing Klare sick leave for a heart problem. Klare joined Scherner’s staff as ordnance officer and on 15 December 1941, became Scherner's personal adjutant. Scherner borrowed money numerous times from Klare personally and from Klare’s expense account, in violation of standing orders, over the course of 1941–1942. Klare and Scherner were condemned for living indecently and for possession of illegal food and spirits. The following investigation resulted in Klare’s arrest for possible involvement in black market dealings. Klare alleged that Scherner owed him money and had embezzled food stuffs and inappropriately used his service vehicle. The investigation yielded little punishment for Scherner. However, Scherner was reprimanded by the
Reichsführer,
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 ...
, for his luxurious lifestyle. Himmler gave Scherner a serious warning and then tasked the court with investigating Scherner’s dealings.
SS-Obergruppenführer Fredrich- Wilhelm Krüger, an acquaintance of Scherner's since childhood, asserted confidence in Scherner saying "
cherneris very companionable and helpful towards everyone. He gets close very quickly to every person, but unfortunately does not possess the ability to recognise ''
ic' and comply with the prescribed boundaries that apply to him in his official position towards subordinates." The judge decided Scherner had inappropriately abused his resources as well as helped Klare avoid the draft. The judge further concluded that Scherner had not been a party to military corruption and did not find Scherner's actions worthy of a court punishment. Scherner was sentenced to 14 days of, ''Stubenarrest'', house arrest but this punishment was postponed until after the war and ultimately never imposed.
[Emmett, Stuart (May 30, 2017). Strafvollzugslager der SS und Polizei: Himmler's Wartime Institutions for the Detention of Waffen-SS and Polizei Criminals. Fronthill Media. p. 11941-11996. .]
Destruction of the Krakow ghetto
Scherner along with
Richard Wendler, were supportive of the murder and deporting of Jews as the "solution to the Jewish question". On 28–29 May 1942, Scherner began deportations from Krakow. Police battalions, commanded by Scherner, encircled the ghetto and announced all Jews were to required to register and would be killed if they did not comply.
[ Browning, Christopher (October 15, 2007). ''Every Day Lasts a Year: A Jewish Family's Correspondence from Poland''. Cambridge University Press. p. 729-730 .] After the initial deportation, in May 1942, Scherner began an extensive murder campaign against the Jews within his jurisdiction. The murder operation moved through Tarnow, Rzeszow, Debica, Przemysl, Jaroslaw, Jaslo, Krosno, Nowy Sacz, Nowy Targ, Sanok and Miechow.
[Browning, Christopher (October 15, 2007). ''Every Day Lasts a Year: A Jewish Family's Correspondence from Poland''. Cambridge University Press. p. 744 .] Tarnow became the location for numerous mass shootings, the victims of which number approximately 10,000. In June 1942, 6,000 Jews from the Tarnow ghetto including men, women, children and hundreds of orphan children were murdered.
Although, the exact date is unclear, the official agreement to build the
Płaszów concentration camp was likely in the autumn of 1942. Scherner gave orders regarding the construction of Płaszów, appointed the camp officers, was responsible for important camp matters and personally visited the camp. In November 1942, Scherner ordered all employed Jews to be congregated into forced labor camps. In 1943, Scherner gave orders to further isolate the working Jews. This was done as a preventative measure after Jewish rebellions.
Scherner was responsible for the deportations to the
Bełżec extermination camp, the mass shootings in
Tarnów
Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east– ...
and all 'evacuations' that took place during his time there - including
Aktion Krakau. He liquidated
Kraków Ghetto
The Kraków Ghetto was one of five major metropolitan Nazi ghettos created by Germany in the new General Government territory during the Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), German occupation of Poland in World War II. It was established for the p ...
by deporting its inhabitants to
Auschwitz
Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, 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 consisted of Auschw ...
.
His position afforded him a great deal of authority in many areas, as the title of
SS and Police Leader
The title of SS and Police Leader (') designated a senior Nazi Party official who commanded various components of the SS and the German uniformed police (''Ordnungspolizei''), before and during World War II in the German Reich proper and in the o ...
was conferred to high-ranking Nazi Party members, reporting directly to Himmler's deputy. Like
Amon Göth
Amon Leopold Göth (; 11 December 1908 – 13 September 1946) was an Austrian SS functionary and war criminal. He served as the commandant of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp in Płaszów in German-occupied Poland for most of th ...
, Scherner was far too interested in the confiscated goods from the Płaszów camp.
Scherner was transferred to
Dachau
Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...
in April 1944 and appeared before an SS Court (the dreaded ''
Hauptamt SS-Gericht
The SS Court Main Office () - one of the 12 SS main departments - was the legal department of the SS in Nazi Germany. It was responsible for formulating the laws and codes for the SS and various other groups of the police, conducting investigatio ...
'') on 16 October 1944. As a result, Scherner was demoted from SS-''
Oberführer
__NOTOC__
''Oberführer'' (short: ''Oberf'', , ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) dating back to 1921. An ''Oberführer'' was typically an NSDAP member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geograph ...
der Reserve'' (Senior Colonel or Brigadier) in the
Waffen-SS
The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...
(1937-1944) to 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 ...
der Reserve'' (Captain) and transferred to the
SS-Sonderregiment Dirlewanger under SS-''Oberführer'' Dr.
Oskar Dirlewanger
Oskar Paul Dirlewanger (26 September 1895 – ) was a German SS commander known for committing numerous war crimes and atrocities in German-occupied territories during World War II. Dirlewanger was the commander of the SS penal unit known a ...
.
He was found dead shortly before the war ended in a wooded area near
Heidesee
Heidesee is a municipality in the district of Dahme-Spreewald in Brandenburg, which is located in the eastern part of Germany.
Demography
File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung Heidesee.pdf, Development of Population since 1875 within the Current Bounda ...
between
Märkisch Buchholz
Märkisch Buchholz () is a small town in the Dahme-Spreewald district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Dahme (river), Dahme, 20 km northwest of Lübben (Spreewald) and resp. 50 km southeast of Berlin.
Overview
The to ...
and
Halbe.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scherner, Julian
1895 births
1945 deaths
20th-century Freikorps personnel
People from Bagamoyo District
Tanzanian people of German descent
Nazi Party politicians
Holocaust perpetrators in Poland
Nazi Party officials
Nazis who participated in the Beer Hall Putsch
SS and police leaders
SS-Oberführer
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 2nd class
German Army personnel of World War I
German people in German East Africa
German prisoners of war in World War I
World War I prisoners of war held by France
Waffen-SS personnel killed in action