Karl Bischoff
Encyclopedia
Karl Bischoff was a German
architect
, engineer
and SS
-Sturmbannführer
. Born near Kaiserslautern
, Germany. At the age of twenty he joined the German Air Force
. In 1935 he obtained a job at the Luftwaffe
Construction Bureau. During the early years of the Second World War
he was involved in the building of airports in France
. In this position he met SS-Gruppenführer
Hans Kammler
, who was responsible for the SS-Amt II (Building), which later became Amtsgruppe C
of the WVHA
. Kammler
offered Bischoff a leading post at Auschwitz.
In 1941 Bischoff arrived in Auschwitz, where he became chief of the special section that had to implement the planned enlargement of the concentration camp by the creation of a POW camp, which itself later became part of the Birkenau camp. He showed his effectiveness and ambition shortly after his arrival by claiming the enormous budget of 20 million Reichsmarks. Unlike his predecessor, Bischoff was an extremely competent and dynamic bureaucrat. Despite all of the difficulties caused by the war, the building activities deemed necessary during the next years were all carried out by Bischoff and his staff of the Zentralbauleitung der Waffen-SS und Polizei Auschwitz O/S , as the department was officially named. The giant Birkenau camp, the four big crematoria, the technically complicated central sauna
, the new reception building in the Stammlager and hundreds of other buildings, were planned and realized.
In 1943 the chief builder
of the crematoria was able to inform his superiors in Berlin
about the success of the operation: when the old crematorium in the Stammlager was included, 4,756 persons could be burned within 24 hours in five crematoria. Six months later Bischoff was honoured with the Cross for Special Contributions to Warfare, 1st class with Sword
, but shortly afterward was informed that further plans for Auschwitz had to be reduced to those facilities considered absolutely necessary. The position at the front did not favour further building in the area.
In April 1944 he left Auschwitz and became chief of the building bureau of the Waffen-SS
in Silesia
and Bohemia
. He remained there until the end of the war. Although almost all of the archives of the Auschwitz building office unknowingly fell into Soviets hands, Bischoff remained in the shadows after the war, his involvement at Auschwitz unrecognized until his death.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and SS
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...
-Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
. Born near Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
, Germany. At the age of twenty he joined the German Air Force
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. In 1935 he obtained a job at the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
Construction Bureau. During the early years of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was involved in the building of airports in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In this position he met SS-Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
Hans Kammler
Hans Kammler
General Dr Ing. Hans Friedrich Karl Franz Kammler was a civil engineer and high-ranking officer of the SS. He oversaw SS construction projects, and towards the end of World War II was put in charge of the V-2 missile programme.He is most commonly referred to as Heinz Kammler or Hans...
, who was responsible for the SS-Amt II (Building), which later became Amtsgruppe C
Einsatzkommando
During World War II, the Nazi German Einsatzkommandos were a sub-group of five Einsatzgruppen mobile killing squads—up to 3,000 men each—usually composed of 500-1,000 functionaries of the SS and Gestapo, whose mission was to kill Jews, Romani, communists and the NKVD collaborators in the captured...
of the WVHA
SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt
The SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt was responsible for managing the finances, supply systems and business projects for the Allgemeine-SS...
. Kammler
Hans Kammler
General Dr Ing. Hans Friedrich Karl Franz Kammler was a civil engineer and high-ranking officer of the SS. He oversaw SS construction projects, and towards the end of World War II was put in charge of the V-2 missile programme.He is most commonly referred to as Heinz Kammler or Hans...
offered Bischoff a leading post at Auschwitz.
In 1941 Bischoff arrived in Auschwitz, where he became chief of the special section that had to implement the planned enlargement of the concentration camp by the creation of a POW camp, which itself later became part of the Birkenau camp. He showed his effectiveness and ambition shortly after his arrival by claiming the enormous budget of 20 million Reichsmarks. Unlike his predecessor, Bischoff was an extremely competent and dynamic bureaucrat. Despite all of the difficulties caused by the war, the building activities deemed necessary during the next years were all carried out by Bischoff and his staff of the Zentralbauleitung der Waffen-SS und Polizei Auschwitz O/S , as the department was officially named. The giant Birkenau camp, the four big crematoria, the technically complicated central sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
, the new reception building in the Stammlager and hundreds of other buildings, were planned and realized.
In 1943 the chief builder
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
of the crematoria was able to inform his superiors 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...
about the success of the operation: when the old crematorium in the Stammlager was included, 4,756 persons could be burned within 24 hours in five crematoria. Six months later Bischoff was honoured with the Cross for Special Contributions to Warfare, 1st class with Sword
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, but shortly afterward was informed that further plans for Auschwitz had to be reduced to those facilities considered absolutely necessary. The position at the front did not favour further building in the area.
In April 1944 he left Auschwitz and became chief of the building bureau of 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...
in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
and Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. He remained there until the end of the war. Although almost all of the archives of the Auschwitz building office unknowingly fell into Soviets hands, Bischoff remained in the shadows after the war, his involvement at Auschwitz unrecognized until his death.