KZ GUSEN MEMORIAL COMMITTEE

within ARBEITSKREIS FUER HEIMAT-, DENKMAL- UND GESCHICHTSPFLEGE (AHDG)
and Local-International Platform ST. GEORGEN/GUSEN, Austria

KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN Info-Pages

The SS at KZ Gusen

The following list gives a general overview about the leading SS-men that were resposible for the KZ Gusen I, II & III camps.

KZ Mauthausen Central Administration

KZ Gusen I Concentration Camp

The leading SS-command staff of KZ Gusen camp (Kommandantur-Stab) comprised some 60 higher-ranking SS-men. Only this members of the staff were allowed to enter the general-command building and the KZ Gusen camp. Ordinary SS-guards were not allowed to enter the KZ Gusen camps to prevent any personal contact to the inmates. Some of the members of the KZ Gusen command staff had been:
1. Schutzhaftlagerfuehrer:


SS-HStuf Carl Walter Chmielewski (until December 1942)
(Deputies: Dammbach, Redwitz & Ernstberger)


SS-HStuf Fritz Seidler (May 1943 to Mai 1945)
He committed suicide at the end of the war


2. Schutzhaftlagerfuehrer:


SS-HStuf Redwitz (1941/1942); he came to Ravensbrueck in 1942


SS-OStuf Ernstberger (until 1942/43); he was removed to Gross-Rosen at the end of the war


SS-HStuf d R Johann (Jann) (Armin?) Beck (1943-45; surrendered KZ Gusen I to American troops on May 5, 1945)


SS-Rapportfuehrer:


1. Rapportfuehrer (until 1941) SS-OScha Anton Streitwieser (with October 1942 KZ Mauthausen)
1. Rapportfuehrer (since 1943) SS-OScha Gangstaetter
1. Rapportfuehrer (since 1943) SS-Oscha Michael Killermann
2. Rapportfuehrer (since 1943) SS-OScha Damaschke
SS-UScha Richard Bendel
Isenberg
SS-OScha Kurt Kirchner ... prosecuted by US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947


SS-Arbeitsdienstfuehrer:


1. Arbeitsdienstfuehrer (early 1940) SS-OScha Kirschner (removed to Auschwitz)
1. Arbeitsdienstfuehrer (1940 to 42) SS-OScha Helmuth Kluge (Flensburg), 8 years imprisonment, Hagen 1968
1. Arbeitsdienstfuehrer (since 1943) SS-OScha Fuessl ... prosecuted by US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947
2. Arbeitsdienstfuehrer (since 1943) SS-Oscha Alfons (Rudolf) Gross (Endersdorf), 6 years imprisonment, Hagen 1968
Arbeitseinsatzführer (1940 to 42) SS-HScha Franz Gottfried Schulz, Nuremberg ... he later became 2. Schutzhaflagerfuehrer at KZ Gusen II (1943/1945)


Command Company:


SS-OStuf Baecker
SS-UStuf Mueller
SS-Stbf Obermeier
SS-OStuf Riemer (Bad Fulda)
SS-OStuf Schuetthauf Erich (see also Wachkompanie)


Further members of the command-staff (SS-Blockfuehrer, etc.):


SS-OScha Bach (Stolp)
SS-UScha Baecker (Saarland)
Brust
SS-OScha Willy Bast (Assenheim)
SS-OScha Dennoth (Innsbruck)
Fassler
SS-HScha Grill
SS-UScha Heisig (Neustadt/Silesia)
SS-UScha Hojer (Cheb)
SS-HScha Heinz (Gottfried) Jentzsch (Zwickau), adjutant (Spiess im Kdo-Stab Gusen), life-long imprisonment, Hagen 1968
SS-UScha Kinzig (Trier) (Punishment Company)
SS-UScha Klein (Koestlin)
SS-UScha Georg Klinger (Brieg)
SS-HScha Kuerschner
SS-OScha Kuehtreiber (Gmunden)
SS-UScha Kunzler
SS-UScha Meisgeier
SS-UScha Panhans
SS-UScha Poweleit
SS-Uscha Priesterberger (Vienna)
SS-HScha Purkert
SS-UScha Retschesegger (Linz)
SS-UScha Reuter
SS-UScha Riedl (Rosenau)
SS-UScha Sauer
SS-SchaF Josef Schiller (St. Poelten) ... was also at Ternberg, Ebensee and Grossraming
SS-OScha Teo Schmidt ... prosecuted by US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947
SS-OStuf Schoepperle ... was commandant of 18th SS-company at Gusen
SS-OScha Schulz (Nuremberg) ... became 2.Schutzhaftlagerfuehrer of KZ Gusen II in 1944
SS-OScha Maximilian Seidel ... prosecuted by US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947
SS-UScha Stahl (Heidelberg) ... sentenced to 12 year imprisonment by court of Heidelberg in 1957
Stiegele, Blockfuehrer, not guilty, Hagen 1968
SS-UScha Strobl
SS-OScha Tandler (Saxony) ... prosecuted by US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947
SS-OScha Anton Walter
SS-OScha Karl Wassner ... Kommandofuehrer of KZ Gusen Crematorium
SS-OScha Willi Wirth (Frankfurt/Main) ... 1940-42 chief of barrack for invalids
SS-OScha Werner (Teplic-Sanova)

SS-Doctors:


SS-HStuf Dr. Abraham Karl (Zahnarzt)
SS-HStuf Dr. Adolph Benno (?)
SS-HStuf Dr. Boehmichen Karl Gustav (Lagerarzt 1943; experimented with substance "No. 101" at Gusen and Neuengamme)
SS-HStuf Dr. Entress Karl Hermann (Lagerarzt Oktober 1943 to July 1944. He was one of the organizeers of the pathological unit at Gusen, made selections and sent inmates to Hartheim for gazations. He was sentenced to death by US military court at Dachau in 1946)
SS-HStuf Dr. Friedl Joseph (Standortarzt at Gusen)
SS-UStuf Dr. Haas (Revierarzt)
SS-UStuf SS-SDG Dr. (Heschl) Herschel Erwin (Vienna) (Revierarzt; started chirugical experiments at Gusen)
SS-UStuf Dr. Jung (Revierarzt 1940; started first medical experiments at Gusen with Dr. Saitschik and Dr. Ramsauer)
SS-UStuf Dr. Kiesewetter Hermann (Lagerarzt 1941/1943), Olbersdorf/Silesia
SS-OStuf Dr. Konrad Ladislaus (Lagerarzt October 1941 to Mai 1942), Siegendorf
SS-HStuf Dr. Krebsbach Eduard (SS-Standortarzt Mauthausen/Gusen, Juli 1941 to August 1943. Sentenced to death by US military court at Dachau in 1946)
SS-HStuf Dr. Krieger Richard (SS-Standortarzt Mauthausen/Gusen; organized the "Hospital" at Gusen
SS-UStuf Dr. Lindel
Dr. Luccas
SS-UStuf Dr. Piffarator
SS-HStuf Dr. Ramsauer Siegbert (Lagerarzt 1941; started first medical experiments at Gusen with Dr. Jung and Dr. Saitschik)
SS-UStuf Dr. Reiter
SS-OStuf Dr. Renault (Linzer-Arzt)
SS-OStuf Rögel Arthur
SS-HStuf Dr. Richter Hermann (Lagerarzt 1941/1942)
SS-UStuf Dr. (Sajczyk) Saitschik (Revierarzt 1940; started first medical experiments at Gusen with Dr. Jung and Dr. Ramsauer)
SS-OStuf Dr. Schildbach (Revierarzt)
Trüber
SS-OStuf Dr. Von dem Hoff Erik (Dentist 1940/1941)
SS-HStuf Dr. Vetter Helmut (Lagerarzt 1944/1945; experimented with substances No. 3582, No. 8582 and B-1034 at Gusen and Auschwitz)
SS-UStuf Dr. Wolter Waldemar (SS-Standortarzt Mauthausen/Gusen, August 1944 to Mai 1945. Sentenced to death by US military court at Dachau in 1946)
Zechter (SS-Arzt)


Guard Company (Wachkompanie):


SS-OStuf Gaedecke (Wachkompaniefuehrer)
SS-OStuf Schmutzler (Wachkompaniefuehrer)
SS-OStuf Erich Schuetthauf (Wachkompaniefuehrer)
SS-OStuf Vaessen (Wachkompaniefuehrer)


The Guards:


up to 1944


11 to 13 companies totalling some 1.650 to 1.900 SS-guards (subdivided to 2-3 SS-Wachsturmbanne; one Wachsturmbann comprised up to 4 SS-companies; the guards were regularly exchanged to other camps - just the members of the command staff remained)


in 1945


up to 3000 guards (SS-men & Air Force)


SS-Baustab Gusen:


SS-OStuf Wilhelm Seidler (Bauleitung Gusen)


The GeStaPo "Politische Abteilung"


Chief: Kriminalsekretaer Mayerhofer
SS-OScha Habenichts


Internal Prisioner´s Administration:


Lager-Aelteste (camp elder):


Helmut Becker, Block 20


Martin Gerken


Heinrich Heil


Johann (Hans) Kammerer (he was also Block-Aeltester of Block 16 and was sentenced to life-long imprisonment in 1948)


Karl Rohrbacher


Lager-Schreiber (camp secretary)


Adolf Jahnke (nicknamed "Bismark"); he was Lager-Schreiber I


Rudolf Meixner; he was Lager-Schreiber I


Block-Aelteste (barrack elder):


Hermann Amelung; he was Block-Aeltester of Block 3 and carried out the gassing of ill inmates at the end of the war at KZ Gusen I


Karl Donecker


Adolph Jahnke


Franz Lisberg; he was Block-Aeltester of Block 14 and had to assist Amelung in the gassings of April 1945.


Bruno Ott


Max Peters


Franz Saebl (nicknamed "General")


"Aczi" Schibowski


Otto Schneiderreit


Heinz Steyrer


Stuben-Aelteste (room elder)


Walter Junge; he was "Stuben-Aeltester" in Block 12 and Kapo of "Maurer-Kommando" (the mason´s ot plasterer´s command)


Gustaw Krutzky (nicknamed "Tiger" ); he was Stuben-Aeltester of Block 19 and Chief-Kapo of the KZ Gusen stone-quarries


Other Kapos


August Adam


Johann Apitz


Franz Baerwolf


Joseph Bobrowski (Volksdeutscher) (nicknamed "Kassandra"); as 3rd Chief-Kapo of the "Revier" he carried out medical experiments on his own responsibility. Being homosexual he abused many young inmates. One day he comitted suicide to prevent an end in the punishment company because of stealing alcohol from the "Revier".


Rudolf Fiegl; in 1941 he was Kapo at the Gusen quarry and of the desinfection of Gusen 1 since February 1942. He had to assist Amelung in the gassings of April 1945. He was sentenced to death by US military court at Dachau in 1946.


Karl Fleicher; ... prosecuted by the US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947.


Karl Fortauer (nicknamed "Zehe", "Frosch"), Oberkapo at Steyrerwerke Gusen


Karl Froschauer


Indalazio Gonzales; ... prosecuted by the US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947.


Otto Heidemann (nicknamed "der Wuerger", "der Lange", "Langinus", "Giraffe" )


Karl Horcicka; ... prosecuted by the US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947.


Willy Jacob; he was a wittness in the trial against Liesberg at Koeln.


Heinrich Kaeferbeck was Kapo at "Revier"


Aleksander Keleberc


Jozef Koleczko (Poland)


Richard Martick


Karl Pastewka


Reinkober


Kapo Heinrich Roth (Sudetenland) (nicknamed "Red Phantom"); as Chief-Kapo of the "Revier" he was a very brutal man and murdered sick inmates in many different ways. One day he was killed by other Kapos with heart-injection when he wanted to kill a Polish prisoners doctor.


Karol Schmidt (Poland)


Karl Schroegler; ... murdered at Block 32 (the barracks for invalides) and was prosecuted by the US War Crimes Branch at Dachau in 1947.


Schwindemann; ... was Kapo of Crematorium and was executed by SS-men on May 3, 1945 together with four other members of this command


Aleksander Jan Skibice; ... Gestapo-Spitzel ?


Emil Sommer (Sudetenland)


Boleslaw Stroinski (Poland)


Rudolf Tomanek (Sudetenland)


Franz Zach (Vienna); at first he was Kapo of the "Revier" and later on Kapo of the "Quarantain for Soviets" where he gave heart injections as ordered by Dr. Krebsach. Furthermore he was homosexual and abused many young inmates.


Zygmunt Zapart (Poland)


KZ Gusen II Concentration Camp

Commander


Max Pausch


2. Schutzhaftlagerfuehrer


SS-HScha Franz Gottfried Schulz (1943/1945), Nuremberg ... he was a former member of the Gusen 1 command-staff (Arbeitsdiensfuehrer 1940/1942)


Other Officials


Alexander Perutka ... prosecuted at US War Crimes Branch at Dachau 1947
Mr. Siclaff ... prosecuted at US War Crimes Branch at Dachau 1947


Internal Prisioners Administration:


Lager-Aelteste:


Kapo Van Loosen; as one of the most brutal Kapos, he conceived himself as a physician in the "Revier" of Gusen 2. There he killed people who had to queue up for this procedure in line by smashing their head with an ordinary hammer. He fled with the SS at the end of the war and was one of the most wanted criminals of Gusen after the war.


KZ Gusen III Concentration Camp

Commander


SS-OStuf Maack, Hamburg


Other


Hundefuehrer Hans Ziegler (Hunds-Hans), a guard with a dog
Mr. Canko, one of the few friendly Kapos
Information credit:

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For additional information, comments or suggestions, please contact:

KZ GUSEN Memorial Committee
Most recent updates of this page were made on
2006-03-07 by Rudolf A. HAUNSCHMIED,
Martha GAMMER, Siegi WITZANY-DURDA and
Jan-Ruth MILLS