Irma Grese
Nazi guard convicted of war crimes; executed at age 22.
Irma Ilse Ida Grese was born on 7 October 1923 in a rural village, the third of five children. Her father worked as a senior milker on a small dairy farm, providing a modest income, while her mother cared for the home and animals. Her mother, described as a troubled woman struggling with financial instability, attempted suicide by ingesting hydrochloric acid in late 1935 after discovering her husband’s affair, and died in January 1936. Grese, then twelve, discovered her mother’s body. Accounts of her father differ: Grese later described him as religious, conservative, and opposed to Nazism, though he joined the Nazi Party in 1937. She joined a Nazi youth organization around 1937 or 1938, feeling proud of its Aryan exclusivity, which created a rift with her father. Her personality shifted; she became withdrawn, would whistle like a boy, and showed little interest in peers who allegedly bullied her. Leaving school at fourteen, she worked at a dairy factory, then as a retail clerk, and later as an apprentice aide at a sanatorium treating SS personnel, mentored by a director she called a Nazi “saint.” She was let go in 1941 for not meeting expectations, though she later claimed the organization prevented her nursing career. The director pitied her and gave her contact information for a colleague at Ravensbrück concentration camp. Initially denied entry due to her age, she returned after turning eighteen, completed a three-week training program in July 1942, and became a guard. During her service, she was known for severe brutality, overseeing punishment details and work squads. Transferred to Auschwitz II-Birkenau in March 1943, she worked as a telephone operator before being reassigned to a punishment detail, where she was allegedly responsible for numerous deaths. She later oversaw a section holding approximately 30,000 Jewish women, though survivors noted she was insufficiently qualified for the role.
- died
- 13 December 1945
- field
- Nazi concentration camp guard
- nationality
- German
- known_for
- Atrocities as guard at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen; youngest woman executed unde
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1923-10-07
- Death Date
- df=y · 1945 · 12 · 13 · 1923 · 10 · 07
- Birth Place
- Wrechen · de, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany
- Death Place
- Hamelin, Schaumburg-Lippe, Germany
- Other Names
- Beast of Belsen / Bitch of Belsen / Hyena of Auschwitz / The Beautiful Beast / Angel of Auschwitz
- Conviction
- War crimes
- Conviction Status
- Executed by hanging
- Criminal Penalty
- Death
- Motive
- Nazism / Sadism
- Trial
- Belsen trial
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Irma Grese was born in Wrechen, a rural village, to Alfred Anton Albert Grese and Berta Wilhelmine Winter. She was the third of five children. She left school at fourteen, worked at a dairy factory and as a retail clerk, then became an apprentice aide at the Hohenlychen Sanatorium, where she was mentored by Karl Gebhardt. She was let go in 1941 for not meeting expectations, and Gebhardt gave her contact information for a colleague at Ravensbrück concentration camp. At Birkenau, she worked as a telephone operator before being assigned to oversee a Strafkommando. Survivors testified that she committed violent acts including using a rubber truncheon, pistol, and whip, sending prisoners to gas chambers during selections, and ordering strenuous punitive exercises. Claims about her sexual relations with SS personnel and prisoners were made by survivors, including that she had affairs with Josef Mengele and Josef Kramer, and that her interactions with imprisoned Jewish women were sadistic. She remained at Birkenau until January 1945, then transferred briefly back to Ravensbrück before her final assignment to Bergen-Belsen in early March 1945. At Bergen-Belsen, Grese served as Arbeitsdienstführerin and Rapportführerin for three-and-a-half weeks. She opposed a planned transfer because she wanted to stay with her lover, Oberscharführer Franz Wolfgang Hatzinger. She repeated torturous acts at Bergen-Belsen, including forcing prisoners to perform strenuous exercises. She was captured after the Allied occupation and tried at the Belsen trial, where she was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death. She was hanged on 13 December 1945.
Reader's Guide
Irma Grese's significance lies in her role as a female Nazi concentration camp guard who committed extreme atrocities, and in her status as the youngest woman judicially executed under British law in the twentieth century. Her case illustrates the participation of women in the Nazi camp system and the brutality that could be inflicted by individuals in positions of authority. The conflicting accounts of her upbringing—her father's religious conservatism versus her own embrace of Nazi ideology—highlight the complex personal motivations behind such service. Survivor testimonies, though disputed in some details (such as the duration of her command of a punishment detail), consistently describe her as sadistic and violent. Her execution at age 22 underscores the severity of her crimes as judged by the Allied tribunal. The legacy of Irma Grese remains a subject of historical study, particularly regarding the psychology of perpetrators and the role of gender in the Holocaust. Her notoriety as the 'Hyena of Auschwitz' and 'Beast of Belsen' persists in popular memory, though historians caution against sensationalism, focusing instead on the documented evidence of her actions and the legal proceedings that followed.
Did You Know?
- Irma Grese was the youngest woman judicially executed under British law in the twentieth century, at age 22.
- She was hanged on 13 December 1945.
- Survivors testified that she used a rubber truncheon, pistol, and whip, and sent prisoners to gas chambers during selections.
- She worked as a telephone operator at Birkenau before being assigned to oversee a Strafkommando.
- She opposed a planned transfer from Bergen-Belsen because she wanted to stay with her lover, Oberscharführer Franz Wolfgang Hatzinger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Irma Grese?
Irma Grese was a German woman born in 1923 who served as a guard in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. She is remembered for the extreme brutality she showed toward prisoners and was ultimately convicted of war crimes.
What is Irma Grese known for?
She earned the nicknames 'Hyena of Auschwitz' and 'Beast of Belsen' because of the savage cruelty and violence she directed at Jewish prisoners. Her notoriety rests on acts of torture and murder committed while working as a camp guard.
How did Irma Grese's story end?
After Allied forces occupied Germany in April 1945, she was tried at the Belsen trial and found guilty of war crimes. She was sentenced to death by hanging and executed on 13 December 1945 at the age of 22.
Why is Irma Grese historically significant?
At just 22, she became the youngest woman judicially executed under British law in the twentieth century. Her case stands as a stark example of how an ordinary young person participated in industrialized genocide.
Which concentration camps did Irma Grese work at?
She served at three major camps: Ravensbrück, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Bergen-Belsen. Her most infamous acts of cruelty are tied to her stints at Auschwitz and Belsen.
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