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Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl

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SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme | Reproduktion nicht gestattet 2 SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl 3 Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Himmler, am 7. Oktober 1900 in München ge- boren, begann am 1. Januar 1918 eine Ausbildung zum Offiziersanwärter, die er jedoch bis Kriegsende nicht mehr beendete. Nach dem Notabitur in Landshut 1919 absolvier- te er eine landwirtschaftliche Ausbildung und schloss 1922 ein Studium an der Technischen Hochschule München ab. Bereits seit 1919 war er in verschiedenen völkischen Orga- nisationen wie dem Freikorps Lauterbach Mitglied. 1923 Heinrich Himmler, 1936. trat Himmler in die NSDAP ein und nahm am 9. November als Fahnenträger Ernst Röhms am Hitler-Ludendorff-Putsch Foto: unbekannt. (ANg, 1984-4036) teil. 1925, nach Neugründung der NSDAP, wurde Himmler stellvertretender Gauleiter von Niederbayern-Oberpfalz, 1926 stellvertretender Gauleiter von Oberbayern und Schwaben. Am 3. Juli 1928 heiratete Himmler Margarethe B., das Paar hatte eine Tochter. Von 1926 bis 1929 war Himmler stellvertretender Reich- spropagandaleiter der NSDAP. Am 6. Januar 1929 wurde er von Adolf Hitler zum „Reichsführer SS“ (RFSS) ernannt; unter seiner Führung stieg die SS zu einem Elitekorps der NSDAP auf. Himmler führte mit Genehmigung Hitlers „ras- sische“ Auslesebestimmungen für die SS ein. Von 280 Mit- gliedern im Jahr 1929 wuchs die SS bis Ende 1932 auf über 52 000 und bis Anfang 1934 auf über 200 000 Mitglieder. 4 SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl 1933–1945 Himmler wurde am 9. März 1933 für kurze Zeit Polizeiprä- sident von München und im April Chef der Bayerischen Politischen Polizei. Am 20. April 1934 übernahm er au- ßerdem die Leitung der Gestapo in Preußen (offiziell als Stellvertreter Görings). Mitte 1934 erhielt die SS den Status einer eigenständigen Gliederung der NSDAP. Im Juni 1936 wurde Himmler „Reichsführer SS und Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern“ und befehligte damit sämtliche Polizeikräfte in Deutschland. Bereits an der Besetzung des Sudetenlandes im Herbst 1938 waren Ein- satzgruppen des „Chefs der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD“ (SD: Sicherheitsdienst der SS) beteiligt. Himmler kultivierte einen Ahnen- und Germanenkult mit pseudoreligiösen Ritualen und Weihefeiern, der sich auch in der Anforderung an SS-Mitglieder niederschlug, aus der Kirche auszutreten und „gottgläubig“ zu werden. Er veranlasste persönlich den Aus- und Umbau des Renais- sance-Schlosses Wewelsburg bei Paderborn durch den Reichsarbeitsdienst und Häftlinge des KZ Niederhagen zur „SS-Schule Haus Wewelsburg“, einer Kultstätte der SS. Nach dem deutschen Überfall auf Polen 1939 erweiterte sich Himmlers Zuständigkeitsbereich durch seine Ernen- nung zum „Reichskommissar für die Festigung deutschen Volkstums“ auf die Ansiedlung von Deutschen in den er- oberten Ostgebieten, aus denen die ansässige Bevölkerung zuvor vertrieben worden war. SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl 5 Himmler waren die für den Aufbau des KZ-Systems zustän- digen Ämter direkt unterstellt. Im März 1941 einigte sich Himmler mit den Spitzen der Wehrmacht über die Auf- gabenverteilung beim deutschen Überfall auf die Sowjet- union. Die Vernichtungspolitik gegen die jüdische Bevöl- kerung in Europa führte allein zwischen Sommer 1941 und Frühjahr 1942 zur systematischen Ermordung von mehr als 500 000 Menschen in den besetzten Ländern durch die Himmler unterstellten Einsatzgruppen. Seit Ende 1941 führ- ten die Tötungszentren der „Aktion Reinhard“ im besetzten Polen den planmäßigen Massenmord an der dortigen jüdi- schen Bevölkerung durch. Im August 1943 übernahm Himmler das Amt des Reichs- innenministers. Nach der Niederschlagung des Aufstands- versuches vom 20. Juli 1944 fungierte er zudem innerhalb der Wehrmacht als Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres. Als die militärische Niederlage und das Ende des „Dritten Reiches“ abzusehen waren, versuchte Himmler, sich von Hitler abzusetzen, mit den Westalliierten einen Separat- frieden auszuhandeln und sie für eine gemeinsame Front gegen den „Bolschewismus“ zu gewinnen. Um sich eine Position für die Nachkriegszeit zu sichern, ging er im Früh- jahr 1945 auch auf die Bemühungen des Vizepräsidenten des Schwedischen Roten Kreuzes Graf Folke Bernadotte ein, norwegische und dänische Häftlinge aus den Konzen- trationslagern im Deutschen Reich im KZ Neuengamme zu- sammenzuführen und durch das Schwedische Rote Kreuz evakuieren zu lassen. 6 SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl Nach Kriegsende Bei Kriegsende tarnte Himmler sich als Angehöriger der Geheimen Feldpolizei. Am 20. Mai 1945 wurde er mit zwei Adjutanten bei Lüneburg aufgegriffen und den britischen Streitkräften übergeben, die sie in einem Lager bei Bre- mervörde internierten. Hier wurde Himmler erkannt und nach Lüneburg gebracht, wo er sich am 23. Mai 1945 durch Selbstmord seiner Verantwortung entzog. SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl 7 Himmler suchte Kontakt zu Wirt- Schmitt (Vorstandsvorsitzender schaftsführern, um Einfluss zu der Münchener Rückversiche- gewinnen und Mittel für seine rungsgesellschaft), Carl Vincent weit reichenden Ausbaupläne für Krogmann (Regierender Bürger- Stützpunkte und Betriebe der SS meister der Hansestadt Ham- zu erhalten. Ein Kreis von Indu- burg), Ewald Hecker (Präsident striellen gab zum Teil umfang- der Deutschen Industrie- und reiche Spenden an den „Freun- Handelskammer Hannover), deskreis Heinrich Himmler“; im Reinhard Heydrich (Chef der Si- Gegenzug wurden die Spender cherheitspolizei), Dr. Karl Rasche Ehrenmitglieder der SS. (Vorstandsmitglied der Dresdner Veranstaltung des „Freundeskrei- Bank), Heinrich Himmler, August ses Heinrich Himmler“ im Prinz- Rosterg (General-Direktor der Albrecht-Palais in Berlin, 1937. Wintershall A. G.). In der ersten Reihe von rechts: Reichsminister a. D. Dr. Kurt Foto: F. Bauer. (BPK, 30013407) 8 SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl Für Himmler hatte die Ausschaltung von politischen Gegne- rinnen und Gegnern und von Menschen, die aus nationalso- zialistischer Sicht als „minderwertig“ galten, herausragende politische Bedeutung. Dass für diesen Zweck die Einrichtung der Konzentrationslager notwendig sei, sagte er auch öffent- lich in einer Rundfunkrede zum Tag der deutschen Polizei. Der Text der Rede wurde am 29. Januar 1939 durch die gleichgeschaltete Nachrichtenagentur „Deutsches Nachrich- tenbüro GmbH“ verbreitet: Wir haben in den vergangenen Jahren alle die asozialen Ele- mente, die so und so oft mit dem Gesetz in Konflikt kamen, immer wieder dieselben Verbrechen begangen hatten, sich vor jeder Arbeit gewohnheitsmäßig drückten und in einem Staat, in dem jeder Arbeit haben kann, herumfaulenzen und betteln, aufgelesen und in die Konzentrationslager über- geführt. Ich darf bei dieser Gelegenheit in aller Offenheit über die Konzentrationslager ein Wort sagen. Ich weiß, wie verlogen und wie töricht gerade das Ausland über diese Einrichtungen schreibt, erzählt und lästert. Das Konzentrati- onslager ist sicherlich, wie jeder Freiheitsentzug, eine schar- fe und strenge Maßnahme. Harte, neue Werte schaffende Arbeit, geregelter Lebenslauf, unerhörte Sauberkeit im Wohnen und in der Körperpflege, tadelloses Essen, stren- ge, aber gerechte Behandlung, die Anleitung, Arbeit wieder zu erlernen und Fähigkeiten handwerklicher Art dazu zu gewinnen, sind die Methoden der Erziehung. Die Devise, die über diesen Lagern steht, lautet: Es gibt einen Weg in die Freiheit. Seine Meilensteine heißen: Gehorsam, Fleiß, Ehrlichkeit, Ordnung, Sauberkeit, Nüchternheit, Wahrhaf- tigkeit, Opfersinn und Liebe zum Vaterland. (Broschek-Archiv im Axel-Springer-Archiv, Hamburg) SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl 9 Theodor Eicke Theodor Eicke wurde am 17. Oktober 1892 in Hampont im Elsass als Sohn eines Deutschen und einer Französin gebo- ren. 1914 brach Theodor Eicke die Schule ab und diente an der Westfront als Zahlmeister. 1919 wurde er arbeitslos. Er war verheiratet und hatte ein Kind. 1920 arbeitete er als bezahl- Theodor Eicke, vor 1945. ter Informant für die Polizei in Ilmenau (Thüringen), wurde aber bereits im Juli 1920 wieder entlassen. 1923 wurde Foto: unbekannt. (BArch (Koblenz), Eicke Wachmann beim Betriebsschutz der I. G. Farben Bild 146-1992-130-09A) in Ludwigshafen. Diese Beschäftigung verlor er 1930, da er sich wiederholt an gewalttätigen politischen Auseinan- dersetzungen beteiligt hatte. Seit Dezember 1928 war er Mitglied der NSDAP und der SA, 1930 wechselte er zur SS. Eickes organisatorische Fähigkeiten und sein ideologischer Fanatismus beeindruckten Himmler. Er beförderte ihn 1931 zum SS-Standartenführer. Im Juli 1932 wurde Eicke wegen politischer Bombenanschläge zu zwei Jahren Haft verurteilt. Er floh nach Italien. Im Frühjahr 1933 zurückgekehrt, geriet er in Konflikt mit dem NSDAP-Gauleiter Joseph Bürckel, der für seine Einweisung in die psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Würzburg sorgte. Als „geistesgestört“ und „gefährlich“ wur- de Eicke vorübergehend aus der SS ausgeschlossen. 10 SS-Biografien: Heinrich Himmler, Theodor Eicke, Richard Glücks, Oswald Pohl 1933–1943 Von Mitte März bis Ende Juni 1933 war Eicke Patient der psychiatrischen Klinik Würzburg. Dort freundete er sich mit dem Psychiater Dr. Werner
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  • Forced Labour and Genocide: the Nazi Concentration Camp System During the War Jens-Christian Wagner

    Forced Labour and Genocide: the Nazi Concentration Camp System During the War Jens-Christian Wagner

    Forced Labour and Genocide: The Nazi Concentration Camp System during the War Jens-Christian Wagner In December 1943, the Hygiene Institute of the of a crematorium as soon as possible” (“in this Armed SS in Berlin sent the SS physician Dr Karl connection, sufficient incineration capacity is to Gross to inspect “Dora”, a Buchenwald subcamp be taken into consideration from the start”), and established a few months previously near the finally “the establishment of an alternative camp town of Nordhausen. The authorities in Berlin for inmates unable to work”. 2 were evidently alarmed by the unusually high death rate in the camp, whose inmates, in addi- Here the SS physician essentially summed up tion to performing forced labour underground, what had become decisive for the concentration also had their lodgings underground for the most camp system after its “economization” began part at that point in time. Gross had been as- in 1942: selection and segregation were key signed to get to the bottom of the problem. After interfaces between the two poles of labour and his visit, he wrote a detailed and presumably annihilation. Apart from positioning the inmates quite realistic report. “The severely and fatally on the racist ladder dictated by the SS, factors ill as well as the dying at their workplaces are of crucial importance in this context were the conspicuous”, Gross wrote, and on the whole inmates’ physical constitution and professional described the conditions in the underground con- qualifications as well as the nature of the work centration camp in the darkest colours. 1 they were assigned.