Rudolf Batz
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Batz was an SS
Sturmbannführer
. From 1 July to 4 November, 1941 he was the leader of Einsatzkommando 2
and as such was responsible, along with others, for the mass murder of Jews in the Baltic states.
in Thuringia
. After a course of studies in jurisprudence
at the University of Göttingen, he joined the Nazi party on 1 May 1933. On 10 December 1935 he joined the Nazi SS
. By 1938, he was a high ranking government official, and was promoted in 1940 to the rank of Sturmbannführer
, roughly equivalent to major
.
At the beginning of the German invasion of the Soviet Union
he was the leader of a unit of about 40 men known as Einsatzkommando 2
and thus became responsible for overseeing the mass murder of the Jews of the Baltic states
.
In 1943, Batz became KdS (Kommandeur der Sicherheitspolizei
) in Cracow and shortly after that became the head of the Gestapo
in Hannover.
After the war, Batz lived unrecognized for a long time in West Germany. In 1961 he was arrested and committed suicide while in custody awaiting trial.
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...
. From 1 July to 4 November, 1941 he was the leader of Einsatzkommando 2
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...
and as such was responsible, along with others, for the mass murder of Jews in the Baltic states.
Life
Batz was born in Bad LangensalzaBad Langensalza
Bad Langensalza is a city in the County of Unstrut-Hainich, Thuringia, Germany, with a population of c. 18,500 .-History:...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. After a course of studies in jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
at the University of Göttingen, he joined the Nazi party on 1 May 1933. On 10 December 1935 he joined the Nazi 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...
. By 1938, he was a high ranking government official, and was promoted in 1940 to the rank of Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
, roughly equivalent to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
At the beginning of the German invasion of the Soviet Union
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...
he was the leader of a unit of about 40 men known as Einsatzkommando 2
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...
and thus became responsible for overseeing the mass murder of the Jews of the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
.
In 1943, Batz became KdS (Kommandeur der Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
) in Cracow and shortly after that became the head of 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...
in Hannover.
After the war, Batz lived unrecognized for a long time in West Germany. In 1961 he was arrested and committed suicide while in custody awaiting trial.