Alois Weiss
Encyclopedia
Alois Weiss (* 16 October 1906 in Ruma
/Serbia, † 1986 in Straubing
/Germany) was executioner at the Gestapo
Pankrác prison
in Prague during the Second World War.
The former storehouse helper from Munich and assistant to the Munich executioner Reichhart
was the chief executioner of the Pankrác prison from March 1943 on. Until 1945, 1,079 persons were executed in the so-called Sekyrárna (axe room). His assistants were the Czechs Alfred Engel, Robert Týfa, and Jan Křížek who changed his name to Johann Kreuz. Later the Gestapo exchanged the assistants, newly added were Antonín Nerad from Prague-Braník, and Otto Schweiger, brother-in-law of Weiss. After the war, Weiss lived in the Federal Republic of Germany. He died in Straubing, 80 years old.
During the executions, the executioners mostly followed this procedure: One held the hands of the condemned to prevent him from moving when the guillotine
blade swished down. The second stood at the feet of the prisoner and untied his hands after the beheading. The two additional assistants pulled the body to a trunk to the right of the place of execution, took the head out of the basket and laid it next to the body. After that, Weiss wrote down in the execution book the names of his victims. As can be gathered from the notes, an execution took three minutes. The victims were cremated in the Prague-Staschkau crematorium.
Contains the testimony of the Prague executioner {Notes from the years 1945-1946} and information from the Archive of the Prison Administration of the Czech Republic
Ruma
Ruma is a town and municipality located in Vojvodina, Serbia at . In 2002 the town had a total population of 34,229, while Ruma municipality had a population of 60,006.-History:...
/Serbia, † 1986 in Straubing
Straubing
Straubing is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held....
/Germany) was executioner at the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
Pankrác prison
Pankrác Prison
Pankrác Prison, officially Prague Pankrác Remand Prison , is a prison in Prague, Czech Republic...
in Prague during the Second World War.
The former storehouse helper from Munich and assistant to the Munich executioner Reichhart
Johann Reichhart
Johann Reichhart was a German executioner. He kept detailed records of his work which amounted to 3,165 executions....
was the chief executioner of the Pankrác prison from March 1943 on. Until 1945, 1,079 persons were executed in the so-called Sekyrárna (axe room). His assistants were the Czechs Alfred Engel, Robert Týfa, and Jan Křížek who changed his name to Johann Kreuz. Later the Gestapo exchanged the assistants, newly added were Antonín Nerad from Prague-Braník, and Otto Schweiger, brother-in-law of Weiss. After the war, Weiss lived in the Federal Republic of Germany. He died in Straubing, 80 years old.
During the executions, the executioners mostly followed this procedure: One held the hands of the condemned to prevent him from moving when the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
blade swished down. The second stood at the feet of the prisoner and untied his hands after the beheading. The two additional assistants pulled the body to a trunk to the right of the place of execution, took the head out of the basket and laid it next to the body. After that, Weiss wrote down in the execution book the names of his victims. As can be gathered from the notes, an execution took three minutes. The victims were cremated in the Prague-Staschkau crematorium.
Sources
- Marek Mahdal, Pankrácká sekyrárna, 30 November 2004 http://www.sporilov.info/rservice.php?akce=tisk&cisloclanku=2004113001 (in Czech)
Contains the testimony of the Prague executioner {Notes from the years 1945-1946} and information from the Archive of the Prison Administration of the Czech Republic