Otto Rasch
Encyclopedia
SS
-Brigadeführer
Otto Rasch (7 December 1891 — 1 November 1948) was a high-ranking Nazi
official in the occupied Eastern territories
, commanding Einsatzgruppe C (northern and central Ukraine
) until October 1941. As a commanding officer, he was a Holocaust perpetrator and mass murderer.
, northern Germany. He fought in the First World War as a naval lieutenant. He studied philosophy, law, political science, and received doctorates in law and political economy. With two university doctorates, Rasch was known as "Dr. Dr. Rasch", in accordance with German academic tradition. He became a lawyer
in 1931 in Dresden
and practiced law in the private sector. In 1933 he became mayor of Radeberg
and in 1935 lord mayor of Wittenberg
.
Rasch joined the NSDAP on 1 October 1931 with membership number 620,976. He joined the SA
in 1933 and the SS on 10 March 1933; with membership number 107,100. Beginning in 1936 he was employed full-time by the Sicherheitsdienst
(SD). On 1 October 1937, as commissioner, Rasch assumed leadership of the State Police (Stapo) in Frankfurt am Main. In March 1938, again as commissioner, Rasch became director of security (based in Linz
) for Upper Austria
. In June 1938, Rasch was assigned various responsibilities within the RSHA
and was appointed chief of the Security Police (Sipo) and SD in Prague
.
In 1940, as inspector of the Sipo and SD, Rasch was transferred to Königsberg
. In June 1941, shortly before the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa
), Rasch took command of Einsatzgruppe C. In this capacity, he perpetrated extermination actions against Jews.
According to the post-war affidavit
of Erwin Schulz, commander of Einsatzkommando 5 (part of Einsatzgruppe C):
In August 1941, Hitler gave the Fundamental Order (Führerbefehl) for the extermination of entire populations in the Eastern territories. The commando leaders subordinate to Rasch met with him to discuss this order. Paul Blobel
later testified that Rasch basically quoted what had been stated by Friedrich Jeckeln
, that "the measures against the Jewish population had to be sharper and that he disapproved of the manner in which they had been carried out until now because it was too mild". In other words, the order was to shoot more Jews.
Rasch organized the creation of the Soldau concentration camp
. Rasch was discharged from his position in October 1941, and at the beginning of 1942, he became the director of Continental Oil, Inc. in Berlin
.
Rasch was indicted at the Einsatzgruppen Trial
at the end of September 1947 but the case against Rasch was discontinued on 5 February 1948 due to his battle with Parkinson's Disease
and associated dementia
. Otto Rasch died later that year in Wehrstedt.
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...
-Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
Otto Rasch (7 December 1891 — 1 November 1948) was a high-ranking Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
official in the occupied Eastern territories
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, commanding Einsatzgruppe C (northern and central Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) until October 1941. As a commanding officer, he was a Holocaust perpetrator and mass murderer.
Biography
Rasch was born in FriedrichsruhFriedrichsruh
Friedrichsruh is a district in the municipality of Aumühle, Herzogtum Lauenburg district, Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany.- History :After the victory over France and the establishment, in 1871, of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck received the Sachsenwald as a present from Emperor William I...
, northern Germany. He fought in the First World War as a naval lieutenant. He studied philosophy, law, political science, and received doctorates in law and political economy. With two university doctorates, Rasch was known as "Dr. Dr. Rasch", in accordance with German academic tradition. He became a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in 1931 in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
and practiced law in the private sector. In 1933 he became mayor of Radeberg
Radeberg
Radeberg is a small town located approximately 20 kilometres north-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. The company Elektronik Radeberg GmbH, formerly well known in East Germany for the production of portable television sets, is located there....
and in 1935 lord mayor of Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
.
Rasch joined the NSDAP on 1 October 1931 with membership number 620,976. He joined the SA
Sturmabteilung
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...
in 1933 and the SS on 10 March 1933; with membership number 107,100. Beginning in 1936 he was employed full-time by the Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
(SD). On 1 October 1937, as commissioner, Rasch assumed leadership of the State Police (Stapo) in Frankfurt am Main. In March 1938, again as commissioner, Rasch became director of security (based in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
) for Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
. In June 1938, Rasch was assigned various responsibilities within the RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
and was appointed chief of the Security Police (Sipo) and SD in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
In 1940, as inspector of the Sipo and SD, Rasch was transferred to Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
. In June 1941, shortly before the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
), Rasch took command of Einsatzgruppe C. In this capacity, he perpetrated extermination actions against Jews.
According to the post-war affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
of Erwin Schulz, commander of Einsatzkommando 5 (part of Einsatzgruppe C):
In August 1941, Hitler gave the Fundamental Order (Führerbefehl) for the extermination of entire populations in the Eastern territories. The commando leaders subordinate to Rasch met with him to discuss this order. Paul Blobel
Paul Blobel
Paul Blobel was a German Nazi war criminal, an SS-Standartenführer and a member of the SD. Born in the city of Potsdam, he participated in the First World War, where by all accounts he served well and was decorated with the Iron Cross first class...
later testified that Rasch basically quoted what had been stated by Friedrich Jeckeln
Friedrich Jeckeln
Friedrich Jeckeln was an SS-Obergruppenführer who served as an SS and Police Leader in the occupied Soviet Union during World War II...
, that "the measures against the Jewish population had to be sharper and that he disapproved of the manner in which they had been carried out until now because it was too mild". In other words, the order was to shoot more Jews.
Rasch organized the creation of the Soldau concentration camp
Soldau concentration camp
The Soldau concentration camp was a concentration camp established by Nazi Germany during World War II in Działdowo , which after the occupation of Poland was part of East Prussia....
. Rasch was discharged from his position in October 1941, and at the beginning of 1942, he became the director of Continental Oil, Inc. 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...
.
Rasch was indicted at the Einsatzgruppen Trial
Einsatzgruppen Trial
The Einsatzgruppen Trial was the ninth of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany in Nuremberg after the end of World War II. These twelve trials were all held before U.S...
at the end of September 1947 but the case against Rasch was discontinued on 5 February 1948 due to his battle with Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and associated dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
. Otto Rasch died later that year in Wehrstedt.
In fiction
- Dr. Dr. Rasch appears in Jonathan LittellJonathan LittellJonathan Littell is a bilingual writer living in Barcelona. He grew up in France and United States and is a dual citizen of both countries. After acquiring his bachelor degree he worked for a humanitarian organisation for nine years, leaving his job in 2001 in order to concentrate on writing...
's novel "Les BienveillantesLes BienveillantesThe Kindly Ones is a historical novel written in French by American-born author Jonathan Littell. The 900-page book became a bestseller in France and was widely discussed in newspapers, magazines, academic journals, books and seminars...
". He files a record that the military should concentrate on fighting bolshevism which should not be identified with Jews.