DHE PERPETRATORS

Since the "Röhm-Putsch" of summer 1934, the KZ's were completely controlled by the SS ("Schutz-Staffel", "Security Staff"), a paramilitary armed force of the NSDAP. Originally, it was founded to protect Adolf Hitler and high NS-party officials, but it developed into a special formation with its own elitist ideology under Heinrich Himmler.

Since 1933, the SS became the most important political security- and terror-instrument within NS-Germany. When Heinrich Himmler was nominated as Chief of the German police in 1936, the state's security police was completely integrated into the SS. A reorganisation of the SS stated in early 1939, that the KZs were subordinated under the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA), since February 16, 1942 under the Wirtschaftsverwaltungshauptamt (WVHA) of the SS.

The SS became its own militarily trained and armed division since 1933, the "SS- Verfügungstruppe" (SS-disposition troup) and the "SS-Totenkopfverbände" ("skull divisions") - responsible for guarding the KZ's - were quartered into barracks. After the outbreak of the war, the "Waffen-SS" ("Weapon SS") came into existence, which the "Verfügungstruppe" and the "Totenkopfverbände" became part of. In the year 1944, the "Waffen-SS" counted some 910.000 men, about 40.000 among them were used for the concentration camps.

The SS was an order and an organisation which pursued the purpose of educating "new Germanic" heroes after the strict leadership principle. For the SS-man, being a "warrior" was his meaning of life; he obeyed without calling any order into question.

The SS-man showed toughness towards all human emotions, towards himself and others, he showed an elitist conscience and despised all "inferior". This mentality contrasted with the mass of "Parteigenossen" (party members). The service in the KZ's was seen as a frontier service against "inner enemies".

The core of the SS-guards in Auschwitz were those SS-men who had served in other KZ's for years. The "Lagerkommandant" (camp commander) was assisted by "Schutzhaftlagerführer" (Protective Custody Commander) who were in charge of the camp administration, the "Rapportführer", "Blockführer", "Postenführer" and "Kommandoführer".
Die The commanders of Auschwitz were:

• Rudolf Höss May 4, 1940 until November 1943
• Arthur Liebehenschel November 11, 1943 until May 1944
• Richard Baer May 11, 1944 until January 17, 1945

The SS-doctors formed a special group, which was responsible for the health care of the SS, the medical treatment of the prisoners and the sanitary installations. The "SS-Standortarzt" stood at the top of that hierarchy. Many SS-doctors, such as DDr. Mengele, Prof. Clauberg and Dr. Schumann, used prisoners in order to make"scientific" experiments with them. Most of their victims died of the consequences of those "tests". The doctors also had to select people at the ramp as well as in the camp.

Also those prisoners in prominent positions - mostly criminals - who worked as SS-instruments and committed crimes against other inmates, can be seen as perpetrators.