Josef Schwammberger
Encyclopedia
Josef Franz Leo Schwammberger (February 14, 1912 in Brixen
, in what was the Austro-Hungarian
county of Tyrol
– December 3, 2004 in Hohenasperg prison hospital in Ludwigsburg
) was a member of the SS (Schutzstaffel
, military protection unit) during the Nazi era
.
During the Second World War, Schwammberger was a commander of various SS Arbeitslager
(forced-labor camps) in the Kraków
district (late August 1942 until spring 1944). From 1948 until 1987, Schwammberger lived in hiding in Argentina
. Finally, in 1987 he was extradited to Germany; his capture cost the German state of Baden-Württemberg
just under 500,000 Deutschmark
.
At his trial, which lasted nearly a year, (1991 until 1992) Schwammberger denied being guilty of the crimes of which he was charged; he simply admitted that "Ghetto A" was taken to the Przemyśl camp. On May 18, 1992, he was condemned by the Stuttgart
regional court (Landgericht) to life imprisonment, which he was to serve in Mannheim
. He was found guilty of seven counts of murder and 32 counts of accessory to murder.
In August 2002, the Mannheim regional court declined a parole request due to the unusual cruelty of his offenses; he had been found guilty of carrying out arbitrary murders based on Ethnic hatred
racial hatred against Jewish people.
His wife Käthe Schwammberger died in 2003 at the age of 87 in Argentina. Josef Schwammberger himself died in prison on December 3, 2004, aged 92.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center
was instrumental in bringing him to justice. Also contributing to the case against Schwammberger, including his extradition from Argentina, was Elliot Welles
.
Brixen
Brixen is the name of two cities in the Alps:*Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy*Brixen im Thale, Tyrol, AustriaBrixen may also refer to:*Bishopric of Brixen, the former north-Italian state....
, in what was the Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
county of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
– December 3, 2004 in Hohenasperg prison hospital in Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg urban district with about 87,000 inhabitants...
) was a member of the SS (Schutzstaffel
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...
, military protection unit) during the Nazi era
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
.
During the Second World War, Schwammberger was a commander of various SS Arbeitslager
Arbeitslager
Arbeitslager is a German language word which means labor camp.The German government under Nazism used forced labor extensively, starting in the 1930s but most especially during World War II....
(forced-labor camps) in the Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
district (late August 1942 until spring 1944). From 1948 until 1987, Schwammberger lived in hiding in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Finally, in 1987 he was extradited to Germany; his capture cost the German state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
just under 500,000 Deutschmark
German mark
The Deutsche Mark |mark]], abbreviated "DM") was the official currency of West Germany and Germany until the adoption of the euro in 2002. It is commonly called the "Deutschmark" in English but not in German. Germans often say "Mark" or "D-Mark"...
.
At his trial, which lasted nearly a year, (1991 until 1992) Schwammberger denied being guilty of the crimes of which he was charged; he simply admitted that "Ghetto A" was taken to the Przemyśl camp. On May 18, 1992, he was condemned by the Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
regional court (Landgericht) to life imprisonment, which he was to serve in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
. He was found guilty of seven counts of murder and 32 counts of accessory to murder.
In August 2002, the Mannheim regional court declined a parole request due to the unusual cruelty of his offenses; he had been found guilty of carrying out arbitrary murders based on Ethnic hatred
Ethnic hatred
Ethnic hatred, inter-ethnic hatred, racial hatred, or ethnic tension refers to feelings and acts of prejudice and hostility towards an ethnic group in various degrees. See list of anti-ethnic and anti-national terms for specific cases....
racial hatred against Jewish people.
His wife Käthe Schwammberger died in 2003 at the age of 87 in Argentina. Josef Schwammberger himself died in prison on December 3, 2004, aged 92.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
was instrumental in bringing him to justice. Also contributing to the case against Schwammberger, including his extradition from Argentina, was Elliot Welles
Elliot Welles
Elliot Welles whose original name was Kurt Sauerquell was a Holocaust survivor who for more than two decades until his retirement in 2003, directed the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League's task force on Nazi war criminals...
.