Rudolf Querner
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Querner was an SS-Obergruppenführer
as well as a General in the Waffen-SS
and the police.
. He was married in 1919 following his release and had four children during the course of the marriage. The same year he also enrolled in the police.
and from September 1939 was the inspector of commanders in Hamburg
. He joined the SS in 1938 as member number 308,240. He also served as Ordnungspolizei commander in Prague
in 1939 and from 1940 to 1941 as inspector general of county constabulary .
(HSSPF) Nordsee in Military district
X, based in Hamburg. Working closely with Gauleiter
Karl Kaufmann
Querners had responsibility over all police matters and was also involved in the deportation
of the Hamburg Jew
, which began at the end of October 1941. Whilst based in Hanburg Querner also ordered large quantities of Zyklon-B from Tesch & Stabenow
pest control company.
From January 1943 to October 1944 he was HSSPF for district XVII, based at Vienna
. On 21 June 1943 he was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer and on 1 July 1944 to General of the Waffen-SS. Following the 20 July plot Querner's district undertook harsh measures against any possible revolution, although Querner had delegated authority in this instance to his subordinate Heinrich Kodré.
He resumed his career as HSSPF in district XI, based in Braunschweig
, from October 1944 to 8 May 1945. Here was largely responsible for the evacuation of the concentration and POW camps in the district.
Arrested at the end of the war Querner committed suicide
whilst in captivity.
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...
as well as a General in 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...
and the police.
Early life
Querner, son of manor owner, served as an officer in the First World War and finished the war as a prisoner of the FrenchFrance
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...
. He was married in 1919 following his release and had four children during the course of the marriage. The same year he also enrolled in the police.
Climbing the ranks
Querner joined the Nazi Party in 1933 with the membership number of 2,385,386. From 1936 to 1937 he served as Generalmajor of the OrdnungspolizeiOrdnungspolizei
The Ordnungspolizei or Orpo were the uniformed regular police force in Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1945. It was increasingly absorbed into the Nazi police system. Owing to their green uniforms, they were also referred to as Grüne Polizei...
and from September 1939 was the inspector of commanders in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. He joined the SS in 1938 as member number 308,240. He also served as Ordnungspolizei commander 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 1939 and from 1940 to 1941 as inspector general of county constabulary .
SS and Police Leader
From 1 May 1941 to at the end of January 1943 Querner was SS and Police LeaderSS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
(HSSPF) Nordsee in Military district
Military district (Germany)
During World War II Germany used the system of military districts to relieve field commanders of as much administrative work as possible and to provide a regular flow of trained recruits and supplies to the Field Army...
X, based in Hamburg. Working closely with Gauleiter
Gauleiter
A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
Karl Kaufmann
Karl Kaufmann
- External links :* in Der Deutsche Reichstag, Wahlperiode nach d. 30. Jan. 1933, Bd.: 1938, Berlin, 1938...
Querners had responsibility over all police matters and was also involved in the deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
of the Hamburg Jew
Portuguese Jewish community in Hamburg
From about 1590 on there has been a Portuguese Jewish community in Hamburg, whose qehilla קהילה existed until its compulsory merger with the Ashkenazi congregation in July 1939...
, which began at the end of October 1941. Whilst based in Hanburg Querner also ordered large quantities of Zyklon-B from Tesch & Stabenow
Tesch & Stabenow
The corporation Tesch & Stabenow was a market leader in pest control chemicals between 1924 and 1945 in Germany east of the Elbe....
pest control company.
From January 1943 to October 1944 he was HSSPF for district XVII, based at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. On 21 June 1943 he was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer and on 1 July 1944 to General of the Waffen-SS. Following the 20 July plot Querner's district undertook harsh measures against any possible revolution, although Querner had delegated authority in this instance to his subordinate Heinrich Kodré.
He resumed his career as HSSPF in district XI, based in Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, from October 1944 to 8 May 1945. Here was largely responsible for the evacuation of the concentration and POW camps in the district.
Arrested at the end of the war Querner committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
whilst in captivity.