SS-Brigadeführer Otto Steinbrinck

[Max Williams]

This PLM holder and retired naval officer died in Landsberg Prison in August 1949. Can anyone enlighten me as to the reason he was being held in prison please? Maybe a short bio would tell the story?
Thanks,
Max.

[Dieter Zinke]

Max,

according to Bodo Herzog; Günter Schomaekers "Ritter der Tiefe - Graue Wölfe", Verlag Welsermühl, Wels und München, 1965

Until December 1948 in The "Zeugenflügel" in Nuremberg.
By reason of malnutrition he suffered on cardiovascular complaints and had problems with his gall-bladder.
In November 1948 operation of a hernia in Städtisches Krankenhaus Nuremberg.
05.12.1948 a request to spare the imprisonment was not answered in spite of illness.
In January (February ?) 1949 he was transfered to the Gefängnislazarett Landsberg am Lech. There "normale Haft" with two jailbirds in one cell. He had to work in the locksmith' s workshop.
A breakdown by bilious attacks induced another commitment in the Gefängnislazarett.
The proposed operation was refused two times, another two requests were not answered.
At last the surgical operation was not before August 1949, but his physis was to bad and weakened.
He died four days after the emergency intervention on 16.08.1949.

Dieter

[Max Williams]

Thanks Dieter. So basically he was not a convicted prisoner? What did he do during the war?
Max.

[Michael Miller]

He was convicted, in "United States of America v. Friedrich Flick, et al", but I don't recall the specifics (charges [presumably involvement in slave labor as an official of Flick's industrial empire], sentence--- 3 years comes to mind, but I'm nowhere close to certain).

~ Mike

[Michael Miller]

This thread should be of help to you: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... teinbrinck . Several other threads featuring Steinbrinck also exist throughout AHF.

As "right-hand man" to the [in my unsolicited opinion, odious] Friedrich Flick, Steinbrinck was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment.

~ Mike

[Max Williams]

Thanks Mike. I did a search prior to posting my question, but this particular thread did not feature in my results.
Max.

[Dieter Zinke]

Thanks Dieter. So basically he was not a convicted prisoner? What did he do during the war?
Max.

Max,

Steinbrinck was appointed after the "Frankreich-Feldzug" 1940 to "Generalbeauftragter der Eisen- und Stahlindustrie in Belgien, Nordfrankreich und Luxemburg";
1942 appointed to "Reichsbeauftragter für Kohle in den besetzten Westgebieten".
In the last weeks of the war Verbindungsmann der Industrie (today: a lobbyist) bei Feldmarschall Model (Ruhrkessel).

accused in the "Flick-Prozess" in February 1947: crimes against humanity
(# 1 slave labour; # 2: pillage; # 3: aryanization; # 4 & 5: membership with "Freundeskreis Himmler" and honorary membership in the SS).

22.12.1947 judgement: acquitted for # 1 - 3; condemned to five years jailhouse for # 4 - 5.


Dieter

[Max Williams]

Marvelous....thanks.
Anyone have a photo of him?
Max.

[Peter]

Steinbrinck, Otto

Naval Academy Class 1907

born 19 Dec 1888 Lippstadt i W

Freg.Kpt.z.V (Kriegsmarine) during WW2
Sonderkommandos ausserhalb der KM 1940-43

[Max Williams]

Thank you Peter. For a PLM holder, I'm surprised photos of him are rare.
Max.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Steinbrinck must have been really treated badly while in prison. I can't understand why he wasn't released from prison because of poor health. Why didn't he recieve proper medical treatment in 1949. This is one example of unfair imprisonment just because Steinbrinck was a member of the SS.

Sincerely,

Edward

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen!

So Steinbrinck was sentenced to five years in prison just because he was an honorary member of the SS and "Freundeskreis Himmler". That wasn't fair to Steinbrinck! He proved that he didn't committed any crimes against humanity when he was tried. While a blanket judgment was passed in the major postwar trial condemning the SS as a criminal organization,it was however stated the membership alone didn't constitute guilt of any crime. That facet of the verdict was ignored. I wonder how many Germans end up being in prison for many years after when they were tried by the Western Allies just for being a member of the SS without committing a crime against humanity. By the way, what was "Freundskreis Himmler"? Unfortunately Otto Steinbrinck didn't survive imprisonment.

Sincerely,

Edward

[Max Williams]

Himmler's "circle of friends." A group of important industrialists and economists who could help the SS and the State.
Max.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your reply. By the way, sometimes my anger gets to me when harsh treatment,malnutrition,etc. had been lay upon the Germans who were prisoners of the Eastern and Western Allies after World War II was over in Europe. On page 11 of the introduction of the book "Waffen-SS Commanders" (Augsberger to Kreutz) by Mark C. Yerger, it mentioned that a study of the legal proceedings,to include persons or groups punished as well as those excluded from indictment,shows the post-war trial system against Germans accused of war crimes to be flawed in numerous instances. This is especially true when punishment was handed down only due to membership in a group despite no crimes having been committed by that individual. That angers me too. The Germans who were unconnected and innocent of such horrible acts that has to do mass murder of people shouldn't be made the emotional substitute for others who were guilty. My conculsion was that Otto Steinbrinck shouldn't have been in prison at all! He was one of the many Germans that were in prison because of membership in a group or two and committed no crimes. R.I.P. for Otto Steinbrinck! He was one successful U-boat ace of World War I! I just hope my anger would simmer down after I write this statement.

Sincerely,

Edward

[Michael Miller]

Edward~

He doesn't appear so innocent to me. Here is David Thompson's information on the man, who was convicted and handed a modest 5-year sentence not for mere membership in the Allgemeine-SS but for a fairly important role in the Nazi slave labor program.

Steinbrinck, Otto (1888-?) [SS-Brigadefűhrer] -- "right-hand man" of German industrialist Friedrich Flick 1925-1939; Reich Plenipotentiary for Coal - West (later the Occupied Western Territories) (Beauftragter Kohle-West - Bekowest) Sept 1939-Apr 1945; member of the Presidium of the Reich Iron Industry (Reichsvereinigung Eisen - RVE) 1941-1945; Plenipotentiary-General for the Steel Industry (General-Beauftragter fuer die Stahlindustrie) in northern France, Belgium and Luxembourg; Reich Military Economy Leader (Wehrwirtschaftführer); member of the "Circle of Friends of the Reichsfuehrer SS" {indicted 8 Feb 1947 by American military tribunal by an American military tribunal on charges of of being an executive in the industrial empire of Friedrich Flick, and of using slave labor in wartime production (NYT 9 Feb 1947:1:2); arraigned 15 Mar 1947 (NYT 16 Mar 1947:30:3); judges named 12 Apr 1947 (NYT 13 Apr 1947:46:4); convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison 22 Dec 1947 (NYT 23 Dec 1947:11:1; NYT 16 Mar 1948:35:2; NYT 20 Apr 1948:12:5; LT 23 Dec 1947:3d). (Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals vol. VI, pps. 12, 1194-1223; Holo Ency 1790).}

Best wishes,
~ Mike