Wilhelm Harster
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Harster was an SS and Police Leader
. He was twice convicted of war crimes, by the Dutch and later by West Germany
. He had been employed by the government of Bavaria
as a civil servant and was let go with a full pension after a public outcry.
1910-1913 in Munchen and attended Humanist Ludwigs-Gymnasium
graduating in 1919. Eventually, he became a Doctor of laws
attending law school
at the University of Munich finishing in 1927.
, joining in 1920 and serving with the 1st battalion
of the Bund Oberland. In 1929 he joined the Kripos
and graduated in 1932 as a Regierungsassessor He also married Maria Hirsch on 30 September 1930 and has two sons. He joined the Nazi Party on 1 May 1933, holding the party number of 3,226,954.
or SD on 29 October 1935 and eventually obtained the rank of Gruppenführer
. He was also recalled to service in the Wehrmacht
, serving in July 1940 as a member of a machinegun company. From 19 July 1940 until 29 August 1943, he was the leader of the SD in the occupation of the Netherlands, where many of his war crimes occurred. He was implicated in the deaths of 104,000 Jews
in the Holocaust, including Anne Frank
. After his role in the occupation of the Netherlands, he was moved to Italy
as the commander of the SD there under Karl Wolff
from 29 August 1943 until his capture.
where he was transferred to the government of Holland and tried for war crimes.In 1949, he was convicted and sentenced to 12 years for his role in the deportation and murder of Dutch Jews
. He was, however, released in 1953.
and Gertrud Stolke and sentenced to an additional 15 years in jail for deportation of Jews to concentration camps at Auschwitz
and Sobibor concentration camps. He was given credit for time served and was pardoned in 1969. He died in 1991.
SS 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:...
. He was twice convicted of war crimes, by the Dutch and later by West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He had been employed by the government of 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...
as a civil servant and was let go with a full pension after a public outcry.
Education
He attended VolksschuleVolksschule
A Volksschule was an 18th century system of state-supported primary schools established in the Habsburg Austrian Empire and Prussia . Attendance was supposedly compulsory, but a 1781 census reveals that only one fourth of school-age children attended. At the time, this was one of the few examples...
1910-1913 in Munchen and attended Humanist Ludwigs-Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
graduating in 1919. Eventually, he became a Doctor of laws
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
attending law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at the University of Munich finishing in 1927.
Prewar service
Before the war, Harster was reservist with the ReichswehrReichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
, joining in 1920 and serving with the 1st battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the Bund Oberland. In 1929 he joined the Kripos
Kriminalpolizei
is the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the police forces of Germany, Austria and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. In Nazi Germany during 1936, the Kripo became the Criminal Police Department for the entire Reich...
and graduated in 1932 as a Regierungsassessor He also married Maria Hirsch on 30 September 1930 and has two sons. He joined the Nazi Party on 1 May 1933, holding the party number of 3,226,954.
SS and Military service
He joined the SS on 9 November 1933 with the serial number of 225,932. He joined the SicherheitsdienstSicherheitsdienst
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...
or SD on 29 October 1935 and eventually obtained the rank of Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
. He was also recalled to service in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, serving in July 1940 as a member of a machinegun company. From 19 July 1940 until 29 August 1943, he was the leader of the SD in the occupation of the Netherlands, where many of his war crimes occurred. He was implicated in the deaths of 104,000 Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in the Holocaust, including Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
. After his role in the occupation of the Netherlands, he was moved to Italy
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...
as the commander of the SD there under Karl Wolff
Karl Wolff
Karl Friedrich Otto Wolff was a high-ranking member of the Nazi Schutzstaffel , ultimately holding the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS. He became Chief of Personal Staff to the Reichsführer and SS Liaison Officer to Hitler until his replacement in 1943...
from 29 August 1943 until his capture.
Prisoner of War and War Criminal
He was captured by the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
where he was transferred to the government of Holland and tried for war crimes.In 1949, he was convicted and sentenced to 12 years for his role in the deportation and murder of Dutch Jews
History of the Jews in the Netherlands
Most history of the Jews in the Netherlands was generated between the end of the 16th century and World War II.The area now known as the Netherlands was once part of the Spanish Empire but in 1581, the northern Dutch provinces declared independence...
. He was, however, released in 1953.
Post-Release
After the war, he again became a civil servant in Bavaria, until he was retired due to public and media pressure in 1963. He kept his full pension. In 1967 he was tried alongside his two closest aides Wilhelm ZoepfWilhelm Zoepf
Wilhelm Zoepf was a German Schutzstaffel Sturmbannführer and a figure in the Holocaust.-Early years:...
and Gertrud Stolke and sentenced to an additional 15 years in jail for deportation of Jews to concentration camps at 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...
and Sobibor concentration camps. He was given credit for time served and was pardoned in 1969. He died in 1991.