The Brutal Executions of the Female Guards at Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

PART 2:

name including some of the most notorious Nazi war criminals Pier Point was no ordinary man he came from a family of executioners following in the footsteps of his father Henry and his uncle Thomas who had also worked in this profession in Britain from a young age Pier pant showed an interest in his family’s work at the age of 27 in 193 2 he was hired as an assistant executioner and carried out his first execution in December of that year under the supervision of his uncle in 1941 he assumed the role of Chief executioner

and began to build his reputation before the bson trials he was already known for carrying out high-profile executions in Britain such as those of Gordon cumins known as the blackout Ripper and John Haye the Acid Bath murderer his method was meticulous Pier Point calculated the exact length of the Rope based on the height and weight of the prisoner ensuring the fall would be precise enough to cause an instant death by neck fracture he tested each Gallows with weight sacks to ensure everything functioned correctly this professional

approach allowed him to carry out multiple executions in a single day often with clinical Precision in the Bellen trials Pier Point was selected to carry out the executions of The Condemned both men and women on December 13th 19 45 at Hamlin prison he oversaw the execution of 13 war criminals including members of the SS responsible for crimes at the Bergen bellson concentration camp among them were three women Irma graser Johanna Borman and Elizabeth Vulcan WTH Pier Point began with the women executing them one by one

before proceeding with the men in pairs using the specially designed double Gallows for the purpose Pierre point also played a role in the execution of German spies during the war including Carol RoR who had been captured after parachuting into England however his most intensive work occurred after the war when he repeatedly traveled to Germany and Austria to carry out Mass executions sometimes hanging as many as 17 people in two days despite his prolific career Pier Point retired in 1956 after a dispute with the British government over the

payment for a last minute canel execution he later ran a pub with his wife and led a quiet life until his death in 1992 at the age of 87 his legacy though controversial positions him as a key figure in the implementation of Justice after the war crimes of the Third Reich the bloody liberation of Bergen bellson on April 15th 1945 soldiers of the 63rd anti-tank Regiment of the British 11th armed division entered Bergen bson a concentration camp located in Northern Germany the the operation was not a planned assault but a tactical decision

made after a German Emissary alerted the Allies about a typhus outbreak in the camp the situation however was far more critical than they had anticipated upon entering the soldiers found a scene that defied any notion of Victory 13,000 unburied bodies and 60,000 prisoners on the brink of death Liberation did not bring an immediate end to the suffering severe malnutrition and disease caused the death of hundreds of people per day for weeks many survivors weakened by months of starvation and abuse succumbed even

after receiving Medical Care the initial rations provided by the soldiers meant to restore strength proved too heavy for the prisoners weakened bodies further aggravating the crisis Bergen bellson although lacking gas Chambers had been transformed into a place of mass death under the command of ss Captain ysep Kramer known as the Beast of bellson originally intended as a Transit camp and prisoner of war facility it became a receiving point for detainees evacuated from other camps in the East resulting in extreme overcrowding and a total

collapse of sanitary conditions the spread of diseases such as typhus combined with a lack of food and Medical Care had caused the deaths of tens of thousands before the arrival of the Allies The Liberation operation faced Monumental challenges British soldiers initially trained for combat were forced to take on humanitarian to tasks under extreme conditions Mass disinfection of the camp the burial of bodies in Mass Graves and medical assistance to survivers were carried out under constant risk of contagion the typhus

outbreak which had already devastated the camp population continued to claim lives even after The Rescuer arrival the figures speak to the scale of the tragedy of the 50,000 people who died at Bean bellson 35,000 had died in the months before Liberation and thousands more in the weeks that followed for the prisoners Liberation was just the beginning of a struggle for survival that many would not overcome the liberation of Bergen bson although a turning point in the Allied campaign highlighted the devastation caused by

the Camp’s conditions the images captured by British soldiers became a graphic testimony to the crimes committed and one of the first direct pieces of evidence of the atrocities of the Holocaust revenge and Chaos the first executions after the fall of Bergen bellson in the final days of World War II Bergen bellson became a sight of Vengeance and Chaos after the British forces arrived on April 15th 1945 before The Liberation many SS members had abandoned the camp leaving a small group headed by Captain Joseph

Kramer in charge of internal control however Hungarian and regular German troops remained in the vicinity maintaining surveillance around the camp the situation became critical when the British with insufficient Personnel allowed the Hungarian guards to continue performing security duties the confusion for the prisoners was immediate as the same supervisors who had exercised control under the Nazi regime were now acting under Allied command this scenario led to acts of violence such as when the guards shot at starving

prisoners attempting to access food storage these incidents marked a chaotic beginning to the British administration of the camp in the nearby satellite Camp of hona the arrival of prison transferred from mbora triggered an unprecedented Act of reprisal the capos former prisoners who had served as supervisors under the Nazi regime became the target of a massive attack defenseless the prisoners organized in shifts to beat and stomp on the Kos until they were unrecognizable when British authorities inspected the barracks they found a

scene that testified to the intensity of the Unleashed violence pools of blood and mutilated bodies were the only remnants of the supervisors the confusion at the camp did not end there on April 20th four German planes attacked Bergen bson possibly alerted by soldiers authorized to return to the German lines after The Liberation this attack damaged the facilities including the water supply worsening the Public Health crisis at the camp three members of the British medical staff were killed in the bombing further complicating efforts to

stabilize the situation the British attempted to restore order through symbolic and practical actions they ordered the remaining SS Personnel in the camp to bury the corpses in Mass Graves without gloves or protective clothing and under strict supervision the SS guards carried out this task under extreme conditions some contracted typhus and at least 17 died due to exposure others tried to escape but were captured and executed by British forces in the following weeks the surviving prisoners were transferred to a

displaced person’s camp and Bergen bellson became marked as a place where Liberation brought with it a wave of Retribution and disorder that prolonged suffering and Chaos after the collapse of the Nazi regime Elizabeth Vulcan Roth the architect of Fates in the concentration camps Elizabeth vrath one of the key figures among the female guards of the Nazi concentration camps played a decisive role in managing and selecting prisoners during her career at aitz and Bergen Bellon born in 1919 her trajectory within the Nazi structure

began in October 1941 when she was assigned as a guard at ravensbrook there she became familiar with the system of repression and supervision coinciding with ilma gresa who would later hold higher ranks at aitz in 1942 Vulcan rth was transferred to aitz where her role gained greater importance along with her husband Hines Vulcan a block leader of the SS she actively participated in the selection that determined who would be sent to work and who would go to the gas Chambers during her time at aitz she Rose to become the chief supervisor of

the women’s sections of the camp solidifying her role as a central figure in the daily operation of this control Machinery subsequent testimonies revealed that in addition to supervising she participated in Acts of physical violence against prisoners although she was not known for the extreme sadism of other guards fulcon Roat imposed physical punishments on prisoners who disobeyed or failed to comply with orders she carried a pistol as a symbol of authority using it to enforce order within the barracks and during

marches in February 1945 She was transferred to Bergen bson where she assumed the role of Chief supervisor despite her brief period at this Camp her leadership was marked by harsh treatment of the prisoners according to Witnesses during mandatory baths she physically punished those who did not comply quickly with orders even knocking them unconscious by beating them it was also reported that she threw prisoners down the stairs and smashed them against walls contributing to the extreme conditions that characterized Bergen

bellson during its final months of operation after the liberation of Bergen bson by British forces in April 1945 fulcon rat was arrested and later tried in the bson trials during the trial she admitted to having inflicted physical punishments on prisoners but claimed she was acting under higher orders and had no other choice she also attempted to justify her actions by stating that she had made efforts to improve conditions in the camp a claim that was refuted by multiple Witnesses who described her involvement in acts of violence and

mistreatment on December 13th 1945 fulcon rat was executed at Hamlin prison after being found guilty of war crimes her role in the concentration camps positioned her as one of the key figures among the Nazi G Gods Whose actions and decisions were documented as part of the testimonies of the system that defined the fates of thousands of people Irma GRE from the hyena of aitz to the angel of death Irma GRE known by a series of nicknames that reflected both her appearance and her brutality left an indelible mark on the history of

the Nazi concentration camps from the hyena of aitz to the [ __ ] of bson gresa was feared by both prisoners and fellow guards alike Al although she was only 19 years old when she began her career as a concentration campg guard her cruelty and sadism set her apart from the approximately 2,500 women who worked as guards in the Nazi system upon her death in 1945 the newspapers dubbed her the angel of death a title she shared with the notorious yoseph mangala grea was born in 1923 into a German farming family at the age of 15 she left school

after her mother’s suicide and with a deep affinity for Nazi ideology she joined the SS in 1941 she volunteered to receive training at the ravensbrook camp a center dedicated to training future concentration camp guards her rise through the ranks was Swift and by 1943 She was transferred to aitz where she was assigned to supervise 18,000 female prisoners gresa stood out for her sadistic Behavior regularly using a whip a pistol and trained dogs to terrorize the female prisoners according to testimonies from survivors graie

punished women severely for minor infractions her attacks with a reinforced cellophane whip caused wounds that often became infected leading to prolonged suffering for many prisoners additionally it was reported that gresa forced a medical prisoner to perform surgical procedures without anesthesia on women with severe infections intensifying their suffering in aitz graa also became notorious for her forced marches often riding a bicycle and accompanied by trained dogs she supervised the prisoners as they marched

for miles to work SES those who could not keep up with the pace were attacked by her dogs under her orders this Behavior though extreme even by Nazi concentration camp standards was part of the reputation that cemented her name in history in 1945 Grace was transferred to Bergen bson where she assumed a similar leadership role there her behavior did not soften and she continued to use intimidation tactics and violence to assert her Authority she was captured after the liberation of the camp by British troops and tried during the bson

trials during the trial numerous survivors provided detailed testimonies of her crimes on December 13th 1945 Irma grese was executed at Hamlin prison by Albert Piero becoming the youngest woman to be hanged under British law in the 20th century her life and actions remain a disturbing reminder of the capacity for cruelty within a system that stripped people of their Humanity Johanna Borman the terror of the camps with teeth and chains Johanna Borman born on September 10th 1893 in biren Felder East Prussia played a brutal role in the Nazi

concentration camps her career as a guard was marked by her constant use of violence and the control she exerted through her dog an instrument she repeatedly used to punish the prisoners under her supervision despite her denials during the trial multiple Survivor testimonies confirmed her involvement in Acts of torture before joining the SS Borman worked in a mental Asylum where she earned only 20 marks a month her entry into the Nazi system in 1938 as a civilian employee represented not only a significant economic

improvement with a salary of 150 marks per month but also a shift in her social position initially assigned to ravensbrook as a kitchen assistant she steadily Rose to positions of Greater responsibility in this Camp she became notorious for her severity and cruelty towards the prisoners in 1943 Borman was transferred to aitz where she is suspected of participating in selections carried out by Yosef mangela although she denied this accusation at her trial she was later sent to the subcamp of birkenau and eventually to Bergen

bellson in Bergen bellson her role included overseeing the area designated for caring for pigs a task she used to severely punish prisoners who attempted to access Food meant for the animals the use of her dog as a tool for control and torture was one of the most notable characteristics of her behavior Survivor testimonies described how Borman would release the dog to attack prisoners causing serious injuries and in some cases death during her trial Borman attempted to justify her relationship with the dog claiming it was just a pet

and that she never used it as a weapon how however witness accounts indicated otherwise in one specific case she was accused of ordering her dog to attack a prisoner while she was menstruating an action that resulted in severe injuries Borman also resorted to traditional methods of physical punishment such as whipping and beatings female prisoners recounted how she would often strike the inmates with clubs and subject them to torture for minor offenses solidifying her reputation as a feared figure within the camps after the liberation of

bellson Borman was captured and put on trial at the bellson trials although she tried to minimize her involvement statements from numerous Witnesses and survivors presented a clear picture of her role in the crimes committed on December 13th 1945 she was executed at the Hamlin prison Johanna Borman went down in history as an example of the active role women played in the Nazi repression system using both physical force and psychological control to maintain order in the concent ation camps herter boter the guard who evaded

full Justice herter boter born on January 8th 1921 in Teto mecklinburg was one of the many women who actively participated in the structure of the Nazi concentration camps known for her time at Bergen bellson boa became an example of how some individuals managed to evade harsher sentences despite being involved in crimes committed in the final years of the war before joining the concentration camps she worked as a domestic servant and briefly trained as a nurse in 1942 she was recruited by the SS and sent to ravensbrook where she

received training as a supervisor however she stayed there for only a week before being transferred to stof near Danzig during her 2 years at this Camp She supervised prisoners and learned the Dynamics of control within the Nazi system in 1944 She was transferred to Bromberg where she worked until January 1945 when she began an evacuation with other staff members to Bergen bson at Bergen bson boa assumed different roles she initially worked in the Camp’s bath house but was later assigned to the wood Commando where she oversaw about 60

prisoners both men and women tasked with collecting and distributing wood within the camp Survivor testimonies recounted how boa resorted to beatings with wooden sticks and used her fists to punish prisoners for minor infractions such as stealing food or firewood there were also reports of cases where she allegedly shot prisoners for fun though during her trial she denied carrying a weapon one of the most shocking accounts attributed to boa was of a beating that led to the death of a prisoner who had been caught stealing turnip peels

according to Witnesses Botha later ordered other prisoners to dispose of the body despite these accusations boa claimed that she only imposed light punishments such as slapping prisoners caught in Acts of theft during the bson trial her defense focused on minimizing her role in the camp and arguing that she was merely following orders she claimed that the conditions at Beren bellson in the final months of the war were completely out of her control additionally her lawyer emphasized her age of 24 at the time of her capture and

argued that she had arrived at the camp when the Nazi infrastructure was already collapsing the court determined that BOA was guilty of war crimes and sentenced her to 10 years in prison how however her sentence was reduced and she was released on December 21st 1951 having served less than half of her sentence despite numerous testimonies pointing to her involvement in violent acts her defense strategy and the political circumstances after the war allowed her to live as a free woman for the rest of her life Hera remains a prominent case in

history as an example of how some individuals involved in Nazi crimes managed to avoid harsher sentences leaving a legacy of questions regarding responsibility and Justice after the collapse of the regime Irene hushka the cook of Bergen bellson who spread Terror Irene hasher born in 1921 was a young textile factory worker before her life took a radical turn in 1944 at just 23 years old she was recruited by the SS to work as a guard in the Nazi concentration camps although her time at Bergen bson was brief her

name repeatedly appeared in Survivor testimonies marking her as a violent and feared figure within the camp unlike many other guards hashar did not have a formal role related to the direct supervision of prisoners her primary position was in kitchens 2 and three of the camp where she oversaw the preparation and distribution of food however reports indicate that she used this position to subject the prisoners to acts of Cruelty that appeared to be arbitrary she was accused of deliberately spilling prisoners soup

denying them a second Ving forcing them to wait until the next meal her violence was not limited to the kitchens it is known that she would often walk around the camp with a rubber club beating girls and women for no apparent reason one of the most disturbing testimonies recounts how just days before The Liberation she pushed a prisoner into a water system causing her death by Drowning hashar then ordered two other prisoners to retrieve the body and bury it near the camp at her trial haska tried to minimize her responsibility

claiming that that her actions were provoked by minor incidents such as prisoners spilling soup or dirtying the kitchen floor She also attempted to shift the blame onto her male supervisors kyl francio and Nicholas Jenner who had primary roles in the kitchens however multiple testimonies indicated that her acts of violence were carried out on her own initiative and her behavior was feared due to its unpredictability although she admitted to hitting prisoners on certain occasions she denied committing the more

serious crimes she was accused of however the court found enough evidence to convict her of war crimes sentencing her to 10 years in prison she was released in 1951 having served less than half of her sentence little is known about Irene hash’s life after her release she had no known family and no fixed Residence at that time and no further details about her whereabouts later on were recorded her case illustrates how some individuals initially unconnected to the structures of repression integrated and actively

participated in the Nazi system committing horrific acts without showing remorse or empathy towards their victims haska remains a minor figure in the Machinery of Bergen bellson but her individual actions contributed to the suffering of those under her supervision herter aot from Baker to guard the common face of horror herter OT born in 1905 is a clear example of how an apparently ordinary life can become an active part of a system of Oppression and death before joining the Nazi concentration camp system she

worked as a bakery assistant in Berlin a job she left in 1939 when she was recruited by the employment office to work as a civil servant in the SS although women could not officially be part of the organization AER began to operate within its structure receiving a uniform and a salary significantly higher than her previous job her first assignment was in ravensbrook a concentration camp dedicated to training female guards according to her testimony her initial role was minor limited to separating civilian workers from

prisoners however over time her responsibilities grew and in 1942 She was transferred to midanik in this Camp she began supervising work groups and carrying out orders for punishment marking the beginning of her direct participation in the Dynamics of control and repression in 1944 aot was sent back to ravensbrook to undergo Advanced Training under the direction of dorothia bins a supervisor known for instructing guards in harsh disciplinary methods during this period aot underwent a noticeable transformation adopting the

violent practices that would later Define her behavior in aitz and Bergen bellson at aitz aot supervised the work of the female Commandos carrying out orders from higher ups in the camp hierarchy later she was transferred to the sub Camp of rajco Poland where she continued in her role as a supervisor her transfer to Bergen bson in the final months of the war solidified her position within the Nazi structure assuming the role of deputy chief guard under the direction of Elizabeth Vulcan rat and Irma graer unlike graser aot was

not known for her physical appearance or Charisma she was described as an obese clumsy woman but highly cunning and malicious in Bergen bellson she used the whip as her primary tool of control inflicting severe punishments on the prisoners testimonies against her indicated that she forced women to strip under the pretext of inspections and subjected them to thorough searches looking for valuables it was also reported that she constantly spied on the kitchen workers ensuring they complied with their duties under threats

and beatings after the liberation of Bergen bellson by British troops in April 1945 aot was arrested and tried in the bson trials during the trial she denied all accusations claiming she had never participated in Acts of torture or murder however numerous Survivor testimonies described physical and psychological violence perpetrated by her ultimately she was found guilty of crimes at Bergen bellson but acquitted for lack of evidence related to the krackow camp aot was sentenced to 15 years in prison though her sentence was

reduced and she was released in 1953 after serving less than half of her sentence she lived the rest of her life as a free woman leaving behind a legacy of complicity in a system that transformed ordinary civilians into key pieces of its Machinery of repression and death from Irma known for her brutality in aitz and Bergen bson to figures like Elizabeth venat and Johanna Borman all of them participated directly or indirectly in a system that inflicted suffering on tens of thousands of people despite their attempts to minimize their

responsibility during the bellson trials the testimonies of survivors and the evidence presented exposed the extent of their crimes the sentences reflected the severity of their actions prison terms for those with less prominent roles and The Gallows for those who embodied the cruestv 1945 the prison of haml became the final setting for gresa Vulcan rat Borman and other convicts these executions and sentences not only marked the end of their lives but also left an imprint on the collective memory reminding us how

individual responsibility can be used within oppressive systems to perpetuate suffering although their names are primarily remembered for their crimes the lessons drawn from their trials serve as a testament to the importance of Seeking Justice even in the darkest Shadows Of History