Hans Jüttner
Encyclopedia
Hans Jüttner was head of the SS
's Main Leadership Office and also an SS Obergruppenführer
.
in the Province of Posen
. After finishing Gymnasium
, Jüttner joined the army as a volunteer and took part in World War I
. By 1915 he had been promoted to lieutenant
, and he was discharged from the army in 1920 with the rank of first lieutenant
. To keep his head above water financially, he worked as a sales
man, from 1928 as a freelancer.
and was installed in the SA Collegiate Office. In 1934, Jüttner also became leader of the SA training body in Munich
. In May 1935, he switched to the SS combat support force (SS-Verfügungstruppe
or SS-VT), which later became the Waffen-SS
. Jüttner was promoted on 1 September 1936 to SS Sturmbannführer
and appointed to the SS-VT inspection department in Berlin
. By 1939, he had become the Inspector of Reserve Troops of the SS-VT-Division. From early 1940, Jüttner was leading the SS-VT command office.
, the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office (SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt
), and from the SS Reich Security Main Office (SS-Reichssicherheitshauptamt) which administered the Gestapo
and SD. Shortly after taking office, Jüttner was instrumental in wresting control of the militarized Death's-Head regiments (Totenkopfstandarten) from Inspector of Concentration Camps Theodor Eicke
and amalgamating them into the Waffen-SS. In June 1942, after having been promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer
, Jüttner was also given the military rank of General
der Waffen-SS.
appointed Jüttner Chief of "Army Armament and Commander of the Reserve Army". Hereafter, Jüttner was Himmler's deputy in this area of command. Jüttner was one of those responsible for building the many prisoner of war camps in which Soviet
prisoners of war
were held.
. Later Jüttner was the proprietor of a sanatorium in Bad Tölz
, where he died.
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
's Main Leadership Office and also an SS Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
.
Early life and career
Jüttner was born in Schmiegel (Śmigiel)Smigiel
Śmigiel is a town in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 5,420 inhabitants .While part of the Prussian Province of Posen, the town was administered within Kreis Schmiegel.-People:...
in the Province of Posen
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen was a province of Prussia from 1848–1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The area was about 29,000 km2....
. After finishing Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
, Jüttner joined the army as a volunteer and took part in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. By 1915 he had been promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and he was discharged from the army in 1920 with the rank of first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
. To keep his head above water financially, he worked as a sales
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
man, from 1928 as a freelancer.
Career in the Nazi party
In 1933 Jüttner became a university sport teacher in Breslau (Wrocław). At this time he also joined the SASturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
and was installed in the SA Collegiate Office. In 1934, Jüttner also became leader of the SA training body in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. In May 1935, he switched to the SS combat support force (SS-Verfügungstruppe
SS-Verfügungstruppe
The SS-Verfügungstruppe was formed in 1934 as combat troops for the NSDAP. By 1940 these military SS units had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS....
or SS-VT), which later became the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. Jüttner was promoted on 1 September 1936 to SS Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
and appointed to the SS-VT inspection department in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. By 1939, he had become the Inspector of Reserve Troops of the SS-VT-Division. From early 1940, Jüttner was leading the SS-VT command office.
Chief of Staff for the Waffen-SS
In the summer of the same year, Jüttner was promoted to chief of staff of the newly created SS Leadership Main Office (SS-Führungshauptamt), which was responsible for the Waffen-SS's organizational and administrative leadership. This was separate from the administration of Nazi concentration campsNazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
, the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office (SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt
SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt
The SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt was responsible for managing the finances, supply systems and business projects for the Allgemeine-SS...
), and from the SS Reich Security Main Office (SS-Reichssicherheitshauptamt) which administered 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...
and SD. Shortly after taking office, Jüttner was instrumental in wresting control of the militarized Death's-Head regiments (Totenkopfstandarten) from Inspector of Concentration Camps Theodor Eicke
Theodor Eicke
Theodor Eicke was a SS Obergruppenführer , commander of the SS-Division Totenkopf of the Waffen-SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. His Nazi Party number was 114,901 and his SS number was 2,921...
and amalgamating them into the Waffen-SS. In June 1942, after having been promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
, Jüttner was also given the military rank of General
General (Germany)
General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
der Waffen-SS.
High command within SS
On 30 January 1943, Jüttner reached the high point of his career when he became Leader of the SS Main Leadership Office. Heinrich HimmlerHeinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
appointed Jüttner Chief of "Army Armament and Commander of the Reserve Army". Hereafter, Jüttner was Himmler's deputy in this area of command. Jüttner was one of those responsible for building the many prisoner of war camps in which Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
were held.
Post war conviction and later years
On May 17, 1945 Jüttner was taken prisoner by British forces. In 1948 he was condemned to 10 years service in a labour camp. In appeal proceedings 1949 the punishment was lowered to 4 years. In 1961 Jüttner testified for the prosecution in the trial of Holocaust architect Adolf EichmannAdolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
. Later Jüttner was the proprietor of a sanatorium in Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
, where he died.