KL Sachsenhausen guards

[giselher]

Some of these people should probably get their own thread eventually in order to better sort the information. Just in order not to forget:

Re. Kurt Eccarius

He is prominently mentioned in the book "The Venlo Incident" by S. Payne Best. In contrast to Ettlinger who was also in charge of the prison in Sachsenhausen, Eccarius is characterised as rather good-hearted and civilised. This in contrast to the great importance he was given in the Sachsenhausen trial by the Soviets. They saw in him a very crucial figure of the camp, crucial also because of his brutality.

MAYBE upon closer inspection on will find that this applies to the Sachsenhausen prison in general and in particular in the first years, until early in the war, but not to such a great extent to Eccarius personally...

Tilman

[Max Williams]

Tilman,
Be a little wary over the book by Payne Best. It is not considered as the best study on the Venlo Incident and its aftermath. Both Stevens and Payne Best allegedly passed on important sensitive information under interrogation and in subsequent incarceration. I read a review of Payne Best's book many years ago where it was alleged that some scholars believed that some events in his book regarding the incident and his subsequent treatment were exagerrated or altered in order to play down his collaborative role and the way Schellenberg and his team easily fooled the British agents. Whether there is any substance in this, I do not know, but it has certainly clouded the academic value of his book which consequently should not be accepted on face value and requires alternative corroboration.
Max.

[giselher]

Hi Max, thank you for your reply and remarks. This Payne Best book might be good for a separate thread if other people have also read it. My very recent edition that I just bought in the US has a foreword written by Nigel Jones in 2009 which states that the capture of Best and Stevens in Venlo was a big blow for British intelligence, that the SD found a list of British spies in Stevens' pocket and that both Best and Stevens (the latter to a greater degree) must have (probably under pressure, maybe torture) given info about Bitish intelligence to the Germans. The foreword also mentions that the respective files in the British National Archives in Kew are still closed until 2015 and after that one may maybe know more.

Again, interesting, and possibly good for another thread.

But really, the least important thing of this book is the Venlo Incident itself but much more the very interesting to read story-telling about Best's captivity firstly in the Gestapo HQ in Berlin, then about 5 years in Sachsenhausen and then towards liberation short stays in Buchenwald, Dachau, etc.

These stories about his life as a priviledged prisoner in Sachsenhausen especially, were very interesting to me and he is telling them in a way that I am quite convinced that he is really telling his experiences. He is mentioning the names of the people employed in the camp prison and characterises them nicely. Of even the lesser guards he is mentioning what they looked like and where they came from. Eccarius is prominently mentioned, and so is Franz Xaver Ettlinger, another leading character there. I don't think that these stories are made up. Also the fact that he mentions Güssow the dentist by name (he does not mention any of the other doctors by name) who does not show up in any other literature because his position (despite of his rather high rank as Hstuf. and later Stubaf.) was of so little importance.

In short, I think that until proven wrong, his stories about Sachsenhausen are of considerable value. But you are certainly right, his tales about the Venlo incident maybe another story....Also the author of the foreword points out that Best was misled concerning Elser's role in the Bürgerbräu attempt to kill Hitler by means of a bomb on Nov. 8, 1939.

Anyway, for those who are interested, I can really recommend the book. Tilman

[Max Williams]

Many years ago the book had mixed reviews. It was certainly clouded by the author attempting to recover his prestige after the circumstances became known of the debacle which culminated in the incident at Venlo, plus his willingness to give sensitive information to his captors. I doubt he made up the stories of his incarceration in various camps and at Gestapo HQ, but I'd be extremely surprised if his version of events was not tainted by his attempt to regain an element of respect which both he and Stevens had lost. It has been alleged that Best and Stevens gave information that cost the lives of British agents and in these circumstances it is strongly suspected that Best twisted events to make himself appear in a better light. For this reason, his book should be treated with caution and although it may make a good read, it should not be considered as a primary source without other corroboration.
Max.

[Björn]

Old thread but here comes 2 pics of Sorge in uniform and Sorge/Schubert at trial -58





/Björn

[ansata1976]

Arnold Zöllner
SS-Unterscharführer in Sachsenhausen November 1944 - April 1945
24.08.1904 in Ramelow
Sentenced 03.06.1966 by the District court Rostock to life imprisonment

Karl Helmuth Theiner
19.05.1914 in Waldenburg
SS-Unterscharführer in Dachau, Sachsenhausen, Vaivara, Gusen
Death sentence 04.02.1955 by a court in Berlin
executed 10.06.1955 in Berlin

Roland Puhr
21.01.1914 in Alt-Ehrenberg
SS-Unterscharführer in Sachsenhausen
Death sentence 17.01.1964 by a court in Neubrandenburg
executed 15.04.1964

Alfred Driemel
24.08.1907 in Küstrin
NSDAP-No. 121168
SS-No. 1848
01.08.1933 - 1935 KZ Dachau
20.04.1934 SS-Sturmführer der Waffen-SS
1937 – 1940 KZ Buchenwald
1937 KZ Bad Sulza
20.04.1939 SS-Obersturmführer der Waffen-SS
12.05.1942 – 01.05.1943 Kommandanturstab Stutthof
1943 SS-Kav. Aus. U. Ers. Abt. Warschau
1943 8th SS-Division Florian Geyer
Deputy commander Sachsenhausen
sentenced to death and executed ??.12.1946


I am interested in more information(date of birth and death) about:

SS-Hauptscharführer Oskar Klüngel
SS-Rottenführer Max Schumacher
Gustav Wegner
Herbert Lauer
Emil Sauter
Wachmann Georg Howe executed 1947

[giselher]

Could Herbert Lauer be Stubaf. Hubert Lauer (head of administration at KL Sachsenhausen) instead?

[giselher]

Stubaf. Gustav Wegner was the commander of the guard troops at KL Sachsenhausen. What questions do you have about him?

[ansata1976]

Johann Nowacki
SS-Hauptscharführer, KZ Sachsenhausen
Sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in Moskau

[Researcher]

Anyone know the full dates that these men died?

Otto Böhm 1964 (clinic in Landeck)
August Höhn 1982
Otto Kaiser 1996
Alfred Klein 1972 (Berlin)
August Kolb 1962
Gerhard Wegner 1983 (Wolfenbüttel)

(above dates from wall pictures at KZ Sachsenhausen memorial)

Regards
Researcher

[giselher]

Hi Researcher,

I am afraid I can't help with the dates, but the last man's name should most probably be Gustav Wegner, commander of the guard units, right?

Best Tilman

[Researcher]

Yes you're correct it shoud be Gustav Wegner.

Regards
Researcher

[giselher]

DOD Alfred Klein: 18.09.1972. Source: Andrea Riedle: Die Angehörigen des Kommandanturstabs im KZ Sachsenhausen, page 234.

What do you need the exact dates for?

Best Tilman

[Researcher]

Hi Tilman,

There are so many examples of books published on SS men where the writer claims the fate is "unknown".
I just think that if you write a biography if should be as complete as possible (although I am not an author).

In the past 3 weeks I have visited Ravensbruck and Sachsenhausen. I collect information and experience.

Regards
Researcher

[Researcher]

PS: I love German Pils, Bratwurst and Kalbsleber. (Sorry I know its off topic but its sooo Deutsch)