Therese Brandl
Encyclopedia
Therese Brandl (February 1, 1902 – January 28, 1948) was a Nazi concentration camp guard. She was convicted of crimes against humanity after the war and executed.
Born in Staudach-Egerndach
, Bavaria
, Brandl entered Ravensbrück concentration camp
in March 1940 to begin her training under SS-Oberaufseherin Maria Mandel
. She quickly rose through the ranks there and became a Rapportaufseherin (her main task was to count women at roll call
and hand out punishments). In March 1942, Brandl was one of several SS women to be assigned to Auschwitz
I camp in occupied Poland
. Her jobs there included watching over women in the sorting sheds and as a Rapportaufseherin. In October 1942, she was moved to the newly opened Auschwitz II camp at Birkenau
. At Auschwitz, Brandl soon rose through the ranks and became an Erstaufseherin (First Guard) alongside Margot Dreschel
and Irma Grese
. In the summer of 1943, she received a medal from the Reich for her "good conduct" in the camps. In November 1944, with the approach of the Soviet Army
, she was sent to the Muhldorf
Forest subcamp of Dachau along with Mandel and she was demoted to Aufseherin. Not many reports have surfaced about Brandl's behavior at Muhldorf. She ultimately fled from Muhldorf on April 27, 1945, weeks before the arrival of the United States Army
.
On August 29, 1945, the U.S. Army arrested her in the Bavaria
n mountains of Germany and sent her to a holding camp to await questioning. In November 1947 she was tried by the Polish authorities along with Maria Mandel, Luise Danz
, Hildegard Lächert
and Alice Orlowski
in the Auschwitz Trial
at Kraków
. On December 22, 1947, Brandl was proclaimed guilty of participating in the selection of inmates to be put to death. She was hanged
in prison on January 28, 1948.
Born in Staudach-Egerndach
Staudach-Egerndach
Staudach-Egerndach is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Brandl entered Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
in March 1940 to begin her training under SS-Oberaufseherin Maria Mandel
Maria Mandel
Maria Mandel was an Austrian SS-Helferin infamous for her key role in The Holocaust as a top-ranking official at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp where she is believed to have been directly responsible for the deaths of over 500,000 female prisoners.-Life:Mandel was born in Münzkirchen,...
. She quickly rose through the ranks there and became a Rapportaufseherin (her main task was to count women at roll call
Roll call
Roll call is the calling of the names of people from a list to determine the presence or absence of the listed people . The term applies to the calling itself, to the time moment of this procedure, and to a military signal that announces it Roll call is the calling of the names of people from a...
and hand out punishments). In March 1942, Brandl was one of several SS women to be assigned to Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
I camp in occupied Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Her jobs there included watching over women in the sorting sheds and as a Rapportaufseherin. In October 1942, she was moved to the newly opened Auschwitz II camp at Birkenau
Brzezinka
Brzezinka is a village in southern Poland, located about from Oświęcim , in the district of Gmina Oświęcim, Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship.- General information :...
. At Auschwitz, Brandl soon rose through the ranks and became an Erstaufseherin (First Guard) alongside Margot Dreschel
Margot Dreschel
Margot Dreschel was a prison guard at concentration camps who was born in Neugersdorf, Germany.Before her enlistment as an SS auxiliary, she worked at an office in Berlin. On January 31, 1941, Margot Dreschel arrived at Ravensbrück to begin guard training...
and Irma Grese
Irma Grese
Irma Ida Ilse Grese was employed at the Nazi concentration camps of Ravensbrück and Auschwitz, and was a warden of the women's section of Bergen-Belsen....
. In the summer of 1943, she received a medal from the Reich for her "good conduct" in the camps. In November 1944, with the approach of the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
, she was sent to the Muhldorf
Mühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
Forest subcamp of Dachau along with Mandel and she was demoted to Aufseherin. Not many reports have surfaced about Brandl's behavior at Muhldorf. She ultimately fled from Muhldorf on April 27, 1945, weeks before the arrival of 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...
.
On August 29, 1945, the U.S. Army arrested her in the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n mountains of Germany and sent her to a holding camp to await questioning. In November 1947 she was tried by the Polish authorities along with Maria Mandel, Luise Danz
Luise Danz
Luise Danz is a former concentration camp guard. She was born in Walldorf , Thuringia.-Camp work:On January 24, 1943 at the age of 26, Luise Danz was conscripted as an Aufseherin within the Nazi concentration camp system. She served as guard in several camps, such as Kraków-Płaszów, Majdanek,...
, Hildegard Lächert
Hildegard Lachert
Hildegard Martha Lächert was a notorious female guard, Aufseherin, at several German World War II concentration camps. She became publicly known for her service at Ravensbrück, Majdanek and Auschwitz-Birkenau...
and Alice Orlowski
Alice Orlowski
Alice Orlowski was a high-ranking SS official at many of the Nazi German camps in occupied Poland during World War II....
in the Auschwitz Trial
Auschwitz trial
The Auschwitz trial began on November 24, 1947, in Kraków, when Polish authorities tried 41 former staff of the Auschwitz concentration camps. The trials ended on December 22, 1947....
at Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. On December 22, 1947, Brandl was proclaimed guilty of participating in the selection of inmates to be put to death. She was hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
in prison on January 28, 1948.