Theodor Dannecker
Encyclopedia
Theodor Dannecker was an SS
Hauptsturmführer
(captain) and one of Adolf Eichmann
's associates.
After completing trade school, Dannecker first worked as a textile
dealer, until he became a member of the NSDAP and the SS in 1932.
In 1934, Dannecker became a member of the SS-Verfügungstruppe
, a special combat support force, and a year later in 1935, he also became a member of the Sicherheitsdienst
(SD) (SD, Security Service was primarily the intelligence service of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany). In March 1937 came Dannecker's transfer to the Judenreferat ("Jew Unit") in the SD's main office. From September 1940 until July 1942, Dannecker was leader of the Judenreferat at the SD post in Paris
where he ordered and oversaw the French Police roundup of more than 13,000 Jews who were deported to Auschwitz where they were murdered.
in August 1942. From January 1943 Dannecker was the highest German official in charge of the Final Solution
, in all the Bulgaria
n territories. During March 1943 11,343 Jews were deported from the German occupied Bulgarian annexed territories of Greece and Yugoslavia to Auschwitz and Treblinka. Only twelve survived. His attempt to deport Jews with Bulgarian citizenship from old Bulgaria, a collaborationist ally, failed due to widespread opposition led by heads of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
, Metropolitan Bishop
s Stephan and Kiril from Sofia
and Plovdiv
, and by prominent politicians such as vice-president of the parliament, Dimiter Peshev. Danecker continued to deport the Italian
Jews between September 1943 and January 1944, when Italy surrendered to the Allies and Germans occupied Italy. Before the occupation Mussolini refused to turn over Jerws to the Nazis except those areas annexed or occupied by the Italians in The Balkans. After Germany's collaborationist ally Hungary switched to the allied side and Germany occupied Hunagry, Dannecker and The Fascist Hungarian Arrow Cross deported more than a half a million Hungarian
Jews between early 1944 and summer of the same year despite knowing by that time that war was lost. Hunagry's regent had previously outlawed the Arrow Cross and repeatedly refused to hand over "his" Jews.
In December 1945, Dannecker was arrested by the United States Army
, and a few days later he committed suicide
.
Theodor Dannecker developed under Adolf Eichmann into one of the SS's most ruthless and experienced experts on the "Jewish Question", and his involvement in the genocide of Europe
an Jewry was one of primary responsibility.
A passage from a 1942 report by Dannecker illustrates how the “Jewish Question” was handled in France:
Ironically, Dannecker's first girlfriend, Lisbeth Stern, was Jewish.
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...
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(captain) and one of Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
's associates.
After completing trade school, Dannecker first worked as a textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
dealer, until he became a member of the NSDAP and the SS in 1932.
In 1934, Dannecker became a member of the SS-Verfügungstruppe
SS-Verfügungstruppe
The SS-Verfügungstruppe was formed in 1934 as combat troops for the NSDAP. By 1940 these military SS units had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS....
, a special combat support force, and a year later in 1935, he also became a member of 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) (SD, Security Service was primarily the intelligence service of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany). In March 1937 came Dannecker's transfer to the Judenreferat ("Jew Unit") in the SD's main office. From September 1940 until July 1942, Dannecker was leader of the Judenreferat at the SD post in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he ordered and oversaw the French Police roundup of more than 13,000 Jews who were deported to Auschwitz where they were murdered.
The Final Solution
Owing to misuse of his position,partially due to his theft of German confiscated property, he was ordered back to BerlinBerlin
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...
in August 1942. From January 1943 Dannecker was the highest German official in charge of the Final Solution
Final Solution
The Final Solution was Nazi Germany's plan and execution of the systematic genocide of European Jews during World War II, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust...
, in all the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n territories. During March 1943 11,343 Jews were deported from the German occupied Bulgarian annexed territories of Greece and Yugoslavia to Auschwitz and Treblinka. Only twelve survived. His attempt to deport Jews with Bulgarian citizenship from old Bulgaria, a collaborationist ally, failed due to widespread opposition led by heads of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia...
, Metropolitan Bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
s Stephan and Kiril from Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, and by prominent politicians such as vice-president of the parliament, Dimiter Peshev. Danecker continued to deport the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Jews between September 1943 and January 1944, when Italy surrendered to the Allies and Germans occupied Italy. Before the occupation Mussolini refused to turn over Jerws to the Nazis except those areas annexed or occupied by the Italians in The Balkans. After Germany's collaborationist ally Hungary switched to the allied side and Germany occupied Hunagry, Dannecker and The Fascist Hungarian Arrow Cross deported more than a half a million Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Jews between early 1944 and summer of the same year despite knowing by that time that war was lost. Hunagry's regent had previously outlawed the Arrow Cross and repeatedly refused to hand over "his" Jews.
In December 1945, Dannecker was arrested by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and a few days later he 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...
.
Theodor Dannecker developed under Adolf Eichmann into one of the SS's most ruthless and experienced experts on the "Jewish Question", and his involvement in the genocide of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Jewry was one of primary responsibility.
A passage from a 1942 report by Dannecker illustrates how the “Jewish Question” was handled in France:
Ironically, Dannecker's first girlfriend, Lisbeth Stern, was Jewish.