What REALLY happened to Gauleiter Paul Giesler and his family

[Geoff Walden]

I know this has been discussed before, but with conflicting info. I have read different dates for Paul Giesler's death, different circumstances, and different places of burial. I'm wondering if anyone has the definitive answers? I'm not so much interested in Giesler himself, as in the reported locations of his death and burial in the Berchtesgaden area.

I have read, basically, that Giesler and members of his family attempted suicide (maybe more than once?) in the Berchtesgaden area, starting 1 May 1945. I have then read that he died in Ramsau on 2 May 1945, or 4 May, or died in a military hospital in Bischofswiesen/Stanggass on 8 May 1945 (would this be the Dietrick Eckart Krankenhaus?). I have read that Giesler shot his wife on 2 May 1945 in a wooded area near the Hintersee. I have read that the suicide attempt was as late as 8 May 1945, when both Giesler and his wife died. I have also read that this suicide attempt failed, and that they were then shot by an Adjutant. I have read that Giesler was buried in Ramsau, and also Berchtesgaden itself. I have read that Giesler and his wife are buried in an unmarked grave in Berchtesgaden, and I have also read that Giesler's body was later removed to Munich.

Obviously, not all of these dates, locations, and circumstances can be true!

The only thing I know for sure is that there is a grave marker in Ramsau for Margret Giesler, 13+8+1896 - 2+5+1945. Was this Paul Giesler's wife?

Anyone know for sure if Paul Giesler was (or still is) buried in the Berchtesgaden area, and where?

Thanks for any insight!

[Helge]

Nazi Bavarian Gauleiter exhumed for investigation.
The body of Nazi Bavarian Gauleiter Paul Giesler, who died May 5, 1945, and was secretly buried in an unmarked grave May 8, is shown as it was being exhumed for positive identification and investigation by Seventh U.S. Army authorities June 6, 1945, at Berchtesgaden, Germany. Left to right are Captain [Stabsarzt] Günther Albrecht, German civilian doctor; and U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Wilson Colberg, legal officer in charge of the investigation. Giessler was taken to the Reserve Lazarett Military Hospital May 3, suffering from poisoning which was allegedly self-administered. He recovered, and was taken a day later with a head wound which caused his death.
His wife was discovered dead of bullet wounds a few days later.


[Photos removed as they are not in compliance with forum rules / Mike Miller, Moderator]

[Geoff Walden]

This is great, Helge, thanks! I wish they had said where the grave was. I can't read the watermark on the photos - what was the source?

[Max Williams]

It's BeeldbankWO2 in Amsterdam.
Wasn't the cemetery at the church in the centre of town the only burial ground until the main cemetery opened post-war?
Max.

[Geoff Walden]

Thanks, Max. That was the only municipal cemetery for Berchtesgaden, but there were lots of church cemeteries around there. His wife was buried in the church cemetery at Ramsau. One webpage (the link escapes me now) purports to show the unmarked grave in the Altfriedhof (the cemetery you mentioned), but this page doesn't give the source of this info. Too bad these photos don't show more of the background, but next time I'm there I will look for that chain and iron railing.

Surprising that the Luftwaffe doctor was still in uniform, although maybe the swastika was cut off his breast eagle? Anyone know who he was?
Geoff

[Halfdan S.]

I hate these kind of photos! Anyway Helge gives the name of the Stabsarzt above: Hauptmann Günther Albrecht … I have a third photo of the exhumation somewhere - you don't see the body, only the "diging-party"; some six-seven-eight men or so.

Halfdan S.

[Geoff Walden]

Oh, duh, his name is right there.

There is a third photo on the site that Max named, I think this is the one you mean. It shows the beginning of the digging, with that chain and supports.

[Michael Miller]

I have removed the photos of the late Gauleiter Giesler. Although not "atrocity photos", the section of AHF rules bearing that title is the closest one to addressing this matter, specifically item "(c)":

3. Atrocity photographs

Atrocity photographs are not specifically covered in the forum rules. The policy here is, if the photos are "graphic," the contributor should post a link to the photographs, rather than the photographs themselves, so that the other viewers have a choice as to whether or not to take a look.

That leaves us with the question of what is "graphic." This is apparently discretionary with the moderator/host. Here's my view on it:

I don't care who is supposed to have committed the atrocities in the photographs. Whether the subject matter is Nazi, communist, ethnic, regional, racial, religious or any other type of atrocity, links and descriptions should be posted for the following classes of photographs and illustrations:

(a) Mutilated persons, alive or dead;

(b) Severed body parts, insufficient in themselves to constitute a person; and

(c) Dead persons who are not only dead, but who clearly appear to be the worse for wear.


There are specialty sites which cater to necro-voyeurs, but this isn't one of them. In case of doubt, ask first via private message.

Noncomplying posts will be deleted without warning.

Apologies for the tardiness of this action.

Sincerely,
~ Mike Miller

[Helge]

For a better view of the place of burial is the movie here:

http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot/30 ... chtesgaden

[Geoff Walden]

Thanks, Helge, another great find! If that is indeed the Altfriedhof in Berchtesgaden, it has changed a lot since 1945!

[Oberhessin]

Would it be possible to get the deleted pictures per mail?

[Geoff Walden]

Sent to your e-mail.

Geoff

[Oberhessin]

Thank you very much!

[Geoff Walden]

A couple weeks ago I verified that the film does show the Altfriedhof in Berchtesgaden. Some of the grave markers there at the time, are still there.

Here is a screen grab from the film, and comparison photos taken recently.

GieslerGrabAltfriedhof1945film.jpg (55.08 KiB) Viewed 2572 times

GieslerGrabAltfriedhofn2.jpg (77.34 KiB) Viewed 2572 times

GieslerGrabAltfriedhofn1.jpg (70.99 KiB) Viewed 2572 times

So, Giesler was buried somewhere in the background of this view. No marker is there now, and no way (that I know of) to verify if his body is still there.

GieslerGrabAltfriedhofn6.jpg (64.84 KiB) Viewed 2572 times

[Eschenbach]

Here is an image that purports to be Giesler’s location:


http://ww2gravestone.com/people/giesler-paul/