SS-Totenkopfverbände

[coburg22]

Hello,

I asked Phil if I could create a sticky concerning the "History of the SS-Totenkopfverbände" from 1933 to 1945. I looked throught the SS / Polizei forum and found several interesting and exciting topics that covered this organization. Since The SS-T.V. seems to interest many of us, myself included, I thought it would be refreshing to start a sticky regarding the SS-T.V. and include as much information as possible both old and new with the goal in mind of making it as complete as possible, however long this might take all in one place. To start with, it would be nice if we could begin at it's earlier history and work our way foward. Such topics could include the pre-war KL, Guards, pre-war SS-T.V. Insp., SS-T.V. Standarten I, II, III and IV, war time Totenkopfsturmbanne, Auxiliaries and Cloth Insignia / Uniforms ect... I will start with the following below and please help by adding whatever you can since this is meant to be fun, something different and of course historic.

Best,
James

Pre-War KL: 1933 (Held Political Prisoners):
KL Oranienburg / North of Berlin
KL Esterwegen / Near Hamburg
KL Dachau / North of Munich
KL Lichtenburg / Saxony
KL Columbia Haus / Berlin


KL Organization (Set up by Eicke):
Abt. I : Kommandanteur is responsible for everything in the Camp and Sub-Camps.
Abt. II: Politische (Gestapo) deals with political aspects of the inmates.
Abt.III: Schutzhaftlagerführung is protective custody responsible for all camp inmates.
Abt. IIIc: Arbeitseinsatz is responsible for work details comprised of camp inmates.
Abt. IV: Verwaltung deals with administration of the camp.
Abt. V: Lagerarzt comprises of the camp doctor and medical staff of the camp.
Abt. VI: Wachtruppe is comprised of the camp guards.

Inspekteur K.L.: (1935 SS-DAL Listing)
SS-Gruppenführer Theodor Eicke / Inspekteur.
SS-Obersturmbannführer Günther Tamaschke.
SS-Obesturmführer Albert Kraschinsky.
SS-Untersturmführer Hans Weibrecht.
SS-Untersturmführer Alfons Zeitler.

Stab SS-T.V. / K.L.: (1937 SS-DAL LIsting)
SS-Gruppenführer Theodor Eicke / Fuhrer SS-T.V. u. K.L.
SS-Oberführer Richard Glücks.
SS-Standartenführer Guenther Tamaschke.
SS-Obersturmbannführer Paul Geisler.
SS-Sturmbannführer (kdrt.) Alex Piorkowski.
SS-Sturmbannführer Arthur Liebehenschel.
SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Mickeleit.
SS-Sturmbannfährer Dr. Wilhelm Fuhrländer.
SS-Hautsturmführer Richard Sansoni.
SS-Hautsturmführer Ernst Piefke.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Anton Kaindl.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Walter Weinhoebel.
SS-Obesturmführer Franz Berger.
SS-Obersturmführer Gneomar Graf von Hoym.
SS-Untersturmführer Hans Schoeffel.
SS-Untersturmführer Andreas Unsein.
SS-Untersturmführer Karl Hagen.
SS-Untersturmführer Robert Riedl.

Stab SS-T.V. / K.L.: (1938 SS-DAL)
SS-Gruppenführer Theodor Eicke / Fuhrer SS-T.V. u. K.L.
SS-Oberfuhrer Richard Glücks.
SS-Standartenführer (kdrt.) Erich Tschimpke.
SS-Sturmbannführer Arthur Liebehenschel.
SS-Sturmbannführer Dr. Wilhelm Fuhrländer.
SS-Sturmbannführer Richard Sansoni.
SS-Sturmbannführer Anton Kaindl.
SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Hildebrandt.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Ernst Pieske.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Richard Müller.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Walter Meyer.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Wilhelm Burger.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Walter Weinhoebel.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Nadolnz.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Aton Blaser.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Franz Berger.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Robert Riedl.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Paul Werner Hoppe.
SS-Obersturmführer Kurt Pietzsch.
SS-Obersturmführer Oswald Wittig.
SS-Obersturmführer Franz Bertling.
SS-Obersturmführer Hans Schoeffel.
SS-Obersturmführer Andreas Unsin.
SS-Obersturmführer Karl Heinz Hagen.
SS-Obersturmführer Paul Weiss.
SS-Obersturmführer Armin Beilhack.
SS-Obersturmführer Ernst Biesemeyer.
SS-Obersturmführer Karl Krueger.
SS-Obersturmführer Franz Josef Weber.
SS-Untersturmführer Karl Gross.
SS-Untersturmführer Fritz Hammer.
SS-Untersturmführer Oswald Schneider.
SS-Untersturmführer Edmund Eisenhut.
SS-Untersturmführer Ludwig Mann.
SS-Untersturmführer Heinz Witschel.
SS-Untersturmführer Alfred Haeusser.
SS-Untersturmführer Helmut Haupt.
SS-Untersturmführer Hellmuth Kiener.
SS-Untersturmführer Helmut Fricke.

Pre-War K.L.:
KL Buchenwald
Columbia Haus
KL Dachau
KL Esterwegen
KL Flossenbürg
KL Lichtenburg
KL Mauthausen
KL Neuengamme
KL Papenburg
KL Ravensbrück
KL Sachsenburg

[coburg22]

Hi,

Thanks for making this into a sticky. I will be adding more in a few days and hope the readers with respond as well since I know it can become a very informative topic regarding the SS-Totenkopfverbande, anything will help.

Best Regards,

James

[John P. Moore]

Brilliant idea James. I hope that this topic receives a lot of participation and contributions from others. The officers who staffed this organization were certainly an interesting group ranging from those with mental issues to others who appeared to be normal professional people. I personally knew a number of Totenkopf Division veterans who held pre-war positions in the KL guard units or in the headquarters. I always felt that the KL period was something that they had compartmented in their lives and was not a subject for discussion.

John
\

[coburg22]

Hello John,

Thank you for your kind words of support. The next phase will be to list Officers that served in the above mentioned KL before the war. This will be followed by Officers from the four SS-Totenkopfverbände Standarten, many of whom had rising careers in the W-SS, like those from the LSSAH and SS-VT Standarten. I will include as much on the pre -war era before going into the war-time era of the SS-TV. Any participation would be much appreciated.

Best Regards,

James

[coburg22]

K.L. Buchenwald: (1937 SS-DAL Listing)

SS-Standartenführer Karl Otto Koch / Kdt.
SS-Obersturmbannführer Arthur Roedl
SS-Hauptsturmführer Hartwig Block
SS-Hauptsturmführer Jakob Weiseborn
SS-Hauptsturmführer Christian Mohr
SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinz Reitzheimer
SS-Hauptsturmführer Gerhard Weigel
SS-Obersturmführer Karl Marg
SS-Untersturmführer Alfred Driemel
SS-Untersturmführer Karl Dumboeck

K.L. Buchenwald: (1938 SS-DAL Listing)
SS-Standartenführer Karl Otto Koch / Kdt.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Weichfelsdorfer
SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Huettig
SS-Obersturmführer Walter Eisfeld
SS-Obersturmführer Karl Marg
SS-Obersturmführer Heinrich Krone
SS-Obersturmführer Fritz Wedell
SS-Untersturmführer Alfred Driemel
SS-Untersturmführer Karl Dumboeck
SS-Untersturmführer Hermann Hackmann
SS-Untersturmführer Wolfgang Grosch

Best,
James

[Mikedc]

Hello James,
Here some links that might be helpfull or are interesting, they're all dealing with 'Totenkopf':
http://www.dws.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=84&t=11666
http://www.waffen-ss-combattants.fr/div ... ENKOPF.htm
http://www.waffen-ss-combattants.fr/div ... ENKOPF.htm

Greetings,
Mike

[coburg22]

Hello Mike,
thank you for you add on. I know that many good threads exist regarding the Totenkopf (especially those by fellow member "Schmauser" who lists KL Personnel). I am just trying a different approach by attempting to put them all under one roof, so the threads you posted and highlighted are a good start, thank you.
Best Regards,
James

[Mikedc]

Hello James,
I didn't know if these links could be of any help but since they dealt with the 'Totenkopf' I thought it couldn't harm to post them here. And as you can see in the thread about Walter Reder, started by Giorgio, it's never easy to get all the correct info together. But, speaking for myself, that is what makes this forum so damned interesting.....
Mike

[bogo]

Hello all,
SS-Totenkopfverbaende is a very interesting subject, indeed.
As a matter of fact, I am currently in the process of putting the dots on the i's and crossing the t's of my 500+ page study on the "History of the SS-Wachtruppen and SS-Totenkopfverbaende 1933 - 1939". In this study the results of more than 20 years of extensive research have been brought together.
During my research I noticed that official contemporaneous photo-material is rare. For the greater part scholars therefore have to rely on photomaterial/photoalbums coming from former Totenkopfmembers.

I know there are readers/members of this forum who hold this kind of historical photomaterial.
Therefore, maybe it is an idea to make an inventory of this kind of photomaterial by inviting owners of original photomaterial/photoalbums dealing with the SS-Wachtruppen and SS-Totenkopfverbaende during 1933 - 1939 to list their treasures in this forum.

By the way, I am still looking for a publisher. References to possible interested parties are welcome per email.
I need to mention, however, that due to the subject and the citing of numerous german documents, I choose to write my manuscript in the german language.

Gr.
Bogo

[windermcconnell]

Dear Bogo,
you might ask Eric Kaden of Buchdienst Kaden in Dresden whether he knows of a publisher who would be interested in your manuscript (you can find the address on the web). He might be able to forward your inquiry to Rolf Michaelis, who has written several works on Waffen-SS units, as well as the Dirlewanger Brigade.
Schiffer Military Publishing in the USA also did a work a while back on "The Camp Men" and may also be interested in your project.
Alles Gute!
WM

[coburg22]

Columbia Haus: (1935 SS-DAL Listing)
SS-Obersturmbannführer Michael Lippert
SS-Haupsturmführer Karl Otto Koch
SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann Schmorell
SS-Obersturmführer Eduard Deisenhofer
SS-Obersturmführer Albert Saur
SS-Obersturmführer Wilhelm Seydel
SS-Obersturmführer Anton Waldmann
SS-Obersturmführer Karl Kuenstler
SS-Untersturmführer Erich Calebow
SS-Untersturmführer Werner Thate
SS-Untersturmführer Hans Mickeleit
SS-Untersturmführer Georg Koerber
SS-Untersturmführer Christian Mohr
SS-Untersturmführer Willy Noetzel

Best,
James

[coburg22]

Hello,

Pre-War K.L. Kommandants will be listed after Camp Officers are listed for each camp since the Kdt. did not always show up on the SS-DAL as being actual Kdt. of a particular camp at the time the DAL was issued.
Best,
James

[coburg22]

Hello,
can someone please tell me what was the purpose of "Hilfswerk Dachau"? Thanks in advance.
Best,
James

[Derek]

James,
I suspect Hilfswerk Dachau was the first name used for the collecting point for expatriate Austrians after the failed coup. It was later to be known as Hilfswerk Schleissheim.
Derek

[coburg22]

Hello Derek,
thank you for your answer.
Best,
James