Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski
SS commander who oversaw mass atrocities and suppressed the Warsaw Uprising.
August Ahrens · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Erich Julius Eberhard von dem Bach-Zelewski was a German SS commander and politician of Polish-Kashubian descent. During World War II, he directed Nazi security warfare in occupied Eastern Europe, overseeing mass atrocities against civilians and leading the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944.
Quick Facts
- Office
- Higher SS and Police Leader Central Russia (mainly Western Russia and Belarus)
- Term Start
- 22 June 1941
- Term End
- 21 June 1944
- Preceded
- Position established
- Birth Name
- Erich Julius Eberhard von Zelewski
- Birth Date
- 1 March 1899
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski was born into a Polish-Kashubian family of landed gentry. He enlisted in the Prussian Army at age fifteen during World War I, was wounded, and received the Iron Cross, First Class. After the war, he joined the Nazi Party and the SS, rising rapidly. He added 'von dem Bach' to his surname in 1925 and later dropped 'Zelewski' due to its Polish sound. During the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, he had a staff officer killed, for which he was later convicted of manslaughter.
Reader's Guide
Bach-Zelewski's significance lies in his central role in Nazi genocidal policies in Eastern Europe. As Higher SS and Police Leader for central Russia, he oversaw the murder of tens of thousands of Jews, reporting progress to headquarters. He also provided the initial impetus for building Auschwitz concentration camp. Despite his responsibility for numerous war crimes, he was not tried at Nuremberg and instead testified for the prosecution. He was later convicted for pre-war murders and died in prison in 1972. His legacy is that of a high-ranking perpetrator who escaped full accountability for his wartime actions.
Did You Know?
- He was the youngest volunteer in the Prussian Army in 1914, enlisting at age fifteen.
- One of his sisters married a Jewish man, which he claimed ruined his reputation in the army.
- He was hospitalized in 1942 for hallucinations connected with the shooting of Jews.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski?
He was a German SS officer and politician of Polish-Kashubian origin, born in 1899 in Lębork, who rose to command Nazi security forces across occupied Eastern Europe during the Second World War.
What was Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski's primary role in the war?
He headed the SS and police apparatus responsible for anti-partisan operations and the systematic mass killing of Jews, Poles, and Soviet civilians in occupied territories of the former USSR.
What did Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski do during the Warsaw Uprising?
In August 1944 he was placed in charge of suppressing the Polish resistance revolt in Warsaw, ordering the deliberate destruction of neighborhoods and the mass execution of civilians who refused to surrender.
How did Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski's life end?
After being captured and convicted by a Polish court, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he died behind bars on 8 March 1972.
Why is Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski considered one of the most notorious figures of the Nazi era?
He is remembered as a central architect of the security-warfare terror in the East, directly accountable for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and for the brutal annihilation of Warsaw in 1944.
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