HERBERT SCHERPE

Herbert Scherpe (SS-OberscharfŸhrer) was born on May 20, 1907 in Gleiwitz as the son of a plumber. After primary school, he became a butcher, but worked in his father's firm until 1930. Then he was unemployed, but joined the NSDAP and the SS in 1931. Between May 1933 and December 1935, he worked as assistant police officer, as market controllor for the "Kreisbauernschaft" (NS-organisation of farmers in his area) and as assistant customs controller. In 1936, Scherpe was assigned to an SS-guard detail as "SS-UnterscharfŸhrer". His division controlled airports and petrol-tanks. At the beginning of the war, he was sent to Dachau concentration camp and joined the "SS-Totenkopfstandarte". His unit participated in the expedition to France. Due to his short-sightedness, he then was transferred to Oranienburg, to the department of the "Inspekteur der Konzentrationslager".

After a training of only 10 weeks, he became a first aid man in Auschwitz concentration camp in summer 1940. First he worked in the "SS-Revier" (hospital), between 1941 and 1943 in the prisoner's hospital in Auschwitz I. After he had murdered some children by phenol injections, he refused to go on killing kids. Thus, he was transferred to Golleschau subcamp. After the end of the war, Scherpe suceeded in being released out of an internment camp unrecognized and lived in Mannheim till his apprehension in 1961. In Frankfurt he was sentenced to four and a half year imprisonment and lost his civil rights for four years.