by Chris Webb
Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo): Secret State Police which became Amt IV of the RSHA in September 1939. Headed by SS-Obergruppenführer Heinrich Müller.
Generalgouvernement: German-occupied Poland administered by Hans Frank from his headquarters in Krakow.
Hauptamt: A main or central office.
Höhere SS- und Polizeiführer: Higher SS and Police Leader. Himmler’s personal representative in each military region. Also established in the occupied territories. Nominally the commander of all SS and police units in his area, as well as acting liaison officer with the military and senior regional authorities.
Judenrat: Jewish Councils established by the Nazis for Jewish self-administraton, in all its various facets, food, housing, labor allocation, welfare, police, economic, and social, etc.
Kapo: A prisoner-functionary in the Nazi camps who was assigned by the SS camp staff to supervise labor brigades, maintain discipline, or fulfil administrative tasks.
Kanzlei der Führers: Hitler’s Chancellery.
Kommando: A brigade, squad, or detail.
Kommissariat: A Regional HQ of the police; also a political administration in the occupied eastern territories (e.g. Reichskommissariat Ukraine).
Kreishauptmann: The principal district official in the Generalgouvernement and occupied territories.
Kriminalpolizei (Kripo): Criminal Police, the plainclothes detective squads which together with the Gestapo formed the Sicherheitspolizei. In 1939 the Kripo became Amt V of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA). Headed by Reichskriminaldirektor Arthur Nebe.
Lagerältester: Camp elder, a senior prisoner in a Nazi camp.
Leitstelle: A Regional HQ of the Gestapo or Kripo established at the HQ of a Military District or capital of a county.
Oberkapo: Senior Kapo in a Nazi camp.
Oberzugführer: Senior platoon leader; in charge of the platoon leaders.
Ordnungspolizei (Orpo): Order Police. The regular uniformed police, comprising the Schutzpolizei (Schupo), Gendarmarie (rural constabulary), and Feuerschutzpolizei (fire-fighting police), together with certain technical and auxiliary services.
Organisation Todt: A paramilitary government organization used mainly for the construction of strategic highways and military installations.
Reichsgau: One of eleven regions formed from territories annexed to the Reich.
Reichskanzlei: Chancellery of the Reich directed by Hans Lammers.
Referat: A sub-section within a Gruppe.
Referent: The official in charge of a Referat.
Reichsführer-SS: Reich Leader of the SS. Heinrich Himmler’s SS title from June 1936.
Reichskriminalpolizeiamt (RKPA): Berlin HQ of the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) which in September 1939 became Amt V of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA).
Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA): Reich Security Main Office, formed in September 1939 and combined the Sicherheitspolizei and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD). It was both an SS-Hauptamt and a branch of the Reich Ministry of the Interior.
Schutzpolizei (Schupo): Protection Police. The regular uniformed municipal constabulary forming the bulk of the Ordnungspolizei.
Sicherheitsdienst (SD): Security Service. The intelligence branch of the SS headed by Reinhard Heydrich.
Sicherheitspolizei (Sipo): Security Police, comprising the Kripo and Gestapo, headed by Reinhard Heydrich.
Sonderkommando: A special unit of the SS employed for police and political tasks in occupied territories. Also used to denote the special brigades of prisoners in Auschwitz who dealt with the corpses.
SS-Leibstandarte “Adolf Hitler”: Hitler’s bodyguard regiment. The oldest of the SS militaized formations, established in 1933. Commanded by Joseph “Sepp” Dietrich.
SS- und Polizeiführer: SS and Police Leader. In command of a district in the eastern occupied territories, subordinate to a Höhere SS- und Polizeiführer.
Standarte: SS or SA formation equivalent to a regiment, i.e. approximately 3,000 men.
Sturmabteilung (SA): Storm Detachment, also called the “Brown Shirts” after their uniform. The original Nazi paramilitary organization founded in 1921.
Sturmbann: An SA or SS unit, equivalent to a battalion, i.e. 750–1,000 men.
Volksdeutsche: Ethnic Germans.
SS-Totenkopfverbände: SS Death’s Head units that guarded the concentration camps. In 1939 they formed the nucleus of the SS-Totenkopf division, one of the first field formations of the Waffen-SS.
SS-Verfügungstruppen: The prewar militarized formations of the SS, renamed the Waffen-SS in 1939.
Volksdeutsche: Ethnic Germans.
Vorarbeiter: Foreman of a team of workers.
Waffen-SS : Fully militarized SS formations. Initially composed of the SS-Verfügungstruppen and the SS-Totenkopf units. During the Second World War it comprised of 40 divisions, both German and non-German units.
Wehrkreis: Military region, usually indicated on maps by a Roman numeral.
Wehrmacht: The German Armed Forces, i.e. the army, air force, and navy.
Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungshauptamt (WVHA): Administration and Economic Main Office of the SS, formed from the SS-Hauptamt Haushalt-und Bauten in 1940. Headed by Oswald Pohl, the WVHA supervised the SS economic enterprises and administered the concentration camps.
Zugführer: Military term for platoon leader.
Appendix 3
Table of Equivalent Ranks
SS-Reichsführer
Reichs Leader
SS-Oberstgruppenführer
General
SS-Obergruppenführer
Lieutenant General
SS-Gruppenführer
Major General
SS-Brigadeführer
Brigadier General
SS-Oberführer
Senior Colonel
SS-Standartenführer
Colonel
SS-Obersturmbannführer
Lieutenant Colonel
SS-Sturmbannführer
Major
SS-Hauptsturmführer
Captain
SS-Obersturmführer
First Lieutenant
SS-Untersturmführer
Second Lieutenant
SS-Sturmscharführer
Sergeant Major
SS-Hauptscharführer
Master-Sergeant
SS-Oberscharführer
Sergeant First Class
SS-Scharführer
Staff Sergeant
SS-Unterscharführer
Sergeant
SS-Rottenführer
Corporal
SS-Sturmmann
Acting Corporal
SS-Oberschutze
Private First Class
SS-Schutze
Private
Selected Bibliography
ARAD, Yitzhak: Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka—The Aktion Reinhard Death Camps (Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis 1987).
BERGER, Sara: Experten der Vernichtung: das T4 Reinhardt-Netzwerk in den Lagern Belzec, Sobibor und Treblinka, Hamburger Institut fur Sozialforschung, Hamburg, 2013.
BLATT, Thomas (Toivi): Sobibor The Forgotten Revolt (H.E.P Issaquah 1988).
BLATT, Thomas (Toivi): From the Ashes of Sobibor (Northwestern University Press, Evanston, Illinois 1997).
BÖHM, Dr. Boris: Nationalsozialistische Euthanasiaverbrechen in Sachsen: Kuratorium Gedenkstätte Sonnenstein, Dresden / Pirna 1996.
BÖHM, Dr. Boris: Sonnenstein Heft 3: Kuratorium Gedenkstätte Sonnenstein-Pirna 2001.
COWDERY, Ray & VODENKA, Peter: Reinhard Heydrich: Assassination (USM Inc, Lakeville 1994).
CZECH, Danuta: Auschwitz Chronicle (Henry Holt, New York 1989).
CZERNIAKOW, Adam: The Warsaw Diary of Adam Czerniakow. Editors Raul Hilberg, Stanislaw Staron, and Josef Kermisz (Ivan R. Dee, Chicago 1999).
GILBERT, Martin: Final Journey (George Allen & Unwin Ltd., London 1979).
GILBERT, Martin: The Holocaust—The Jewish Tragedy (William Collins, London 1987).
GRABITZ, Helge and SCHEFFLER, Wolfgang: Letzte Spuren (Hentrich Edition, Berlin 1993).
HILBERG, Raul: Die Vernichtung der europäischen Juden, Band 2 (Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1990).
HILBERG, Raul: The Destruction Of The European Jews (Holmes & Meier, New York & London 1985).
HOFFMANN, Dr. Ute Hoffmann and SCHULZE, Dietmar: Gedenksatte Bernburg, Dessau, 1997.
JORGENSEN, Torben: Stiftelsen-Bolerne fra Aktion Reinhardt (Gyldenals, Bogklubber, Gylling 2003).
KLEE, Ernst: Das Kulturlexikon zum Dritten Reich (Fischer S. Verlag GmbH 2007).
KLEE, Ernst: Was sie Taten—Was sie Wurden (Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag 1986).
KLEE, Ernst, DRESSEN, Willi, RIESS, Volker: The Good Old Days (Hamish Hamilton, London 1991).
KRANZ, Tomasz: Extermination of Jews at the Majdanek Concentration Camp (Panstwowe Muzeum na Majdanka, Lublin 2007).
KUWALEK, Robert: From Lublin to Belzec (Ad Rem, Lublin 2006).
KUWALEK, Robert: Oboz Zaglady W Belzcu, (Panstwowe Muzeum Majdanku 2010).
LANZMANN, Claude: Shoah (Pantheon Books, New York 1985).
LONGERICH, Peter: The Unwritten Order—Hitler’s Role in the Final Solution (Tempus, Stroud 2001).
MACLEAN, French L. The Camp Men (Schiffer Military History, Atglen PA 1999).
MARSALEK, Jozef: Majdanek (Interpress, Warsaw 1986).
NOVITCH, Miriam: Sobibor Martydom and Revolt (Holocaust Library, New York 1980).
O’NEIL, Robin: Belzec Stepping Stone to Genocide (Jewish Gen, New York 2008).
O’NEIL, Dr. Robin: Oskar Schindler Stepping Stone to Life, susaneking.com 2010.
PIRO, Anna: The Krakow Ghetto 1941—43, The Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, Krakow 2005.
POPRZECZNY, Joseph: Hitler’s Man in the East Odilo Globocnik, McFarland and Company, Jefferson and London 2004.
REDER, Rudolf: Belzec, Brzenka Panstwowe Muzeum, Oswiecim 1999.
REITLINGER, Gerald: The Final Solution (Vallentine, Mitchell, London 1953).
SCHELVIS, Jules: Sobibor A History of a Nazi Death Camp (Berg, Oxford, New York 2007).
SCHOENBERNER, Gerhard: The Yellow Star (Corgi Books, London 1978).
SERENY, Gitta: Into That Darkness—From Mercy Killing To Mass Murder (Pimlico, London 1974).
TREGENZA, Michael: Belzec Death Camp, The Wiener Library Bulletin 1977, volume XXX 41 / 42; pp. 8–25.
TREGENZA, Michael: Christian Wirth and the First Phase of Einsatz Reinhard, Zeszyty Majdanka Vol XIV, Panstwowe Muzeum na Majdanka Lublin 1992.
TREGENZA, Michael: Christian Wirth: Inspekteur des SS-Sonderkommandos Aktion Reinhard, Zeszyty Majdanka Vol Xv, Panstwowe Muzeum na Majdanka Lublin 1993.
WELICZKER, WELLS, Leon: The Janowska Road (USHMM, Washington DC, USA 1999).
Published Papers and Unpublished Works / Correspondence
Published:
GILBERT, Sir Martin: Maps of Aktion Reinhardt
GUTH, Karin: Interview in Hamburg. Available online from http://www.deathcamps.org
TOPPING, Alexandra: The Guardian online, 22 November, 2010: “Suspected Nazi death camp guard Samuel Kunz dies before trial.” http://www.Guardian.co.uk
TREGENZA, Michael: Belzec—The Unknown Death Camp of the Holocaust, Fritz Bauer Institut Jahrbuch 2000. (Revised and updated 2006)
Unpublished:
TREGENZA, Michael: Private Report, Allötting Germany 1972
TREGENZA, Michael: Christian Wirth The Exemplary Officer
WEBB, Chris: The ARC Trips to Poland 2002 and 2004 (Holocaust Historical Society)
Correspondence:
BRIGHT, Frank: Private correspondence with the author 2014
HANEJKO, Eugeniusz: Private correspondence with the author 2008
HANEJKO, Tomasz: Private correspondence with the author 2013–2014
IMICH, Jan: Private correspondence with the author April 2003
RUTHERFORD, William: Private correspondence with the author 2003–2005
STADLER, Harry: Interview and correspondence with the author 2003
TREGENZA, Michael: Private correspondence with author
Archival Sources
Belzec Memorial Museum, Poland
Bundesarchiv Koblenz, Außenstelle Ludwigsburg (formerly the Zentrale Stelle der Landesjustizverwaltungen, Ludwigsburg.
Bundesarchiv Koblenz, Außenstelle Berlin-Lichterfelde (formerly the Berlin Document Centre).
Chris Webb Private Archive, UK
Ghetto Fighters House, Israel
Holocaust Historical Society, UK
Majdanek Museum, Lublin, Poland
Michael Tregenza Archive, Lublin, Poland
National Archives Kew, London , UK
National Archives, Washington DC , USA
Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski, Poland
Staatsarchiv Munchen, Germany
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum , Washington DC, USA
Wiener Library , London , UK
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel
Websites
Action Reinhard Camps (ARC)
Das Bundesarchiv Gedenkbuch. de—Memorial Book
Guardian online
Holocaust Education & Archive Reasearch Team (H.E.A.R.T)
Holocaust Historical Society (HHS)
Jewish Gen
Nizkor—Adolf Eichmann Complete Trial Transcripts
Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims Names
Acknowledgements
ADLER, John; ARORA, Surinder; BIEDKA, Lukasz; BIERSCHNEIDER, Robert (Staatsarchiv Munchen); BOHM, Dr. Boris (Sonnenstein / Pirna Memorial); BOWLES, Paula; BRIGHT, Frank (Holocaust Survivor); CONSTANDY, Michael (Westmoreland Research Alexandria VA ); EKSTEIN - HELFGOTT, Anita; FELDMAN, Professor Matthew (Teesside University, UK); FERRERO, Shaul (Yad Vashem); GILBERT, Sir Martin (Author and Historian); GROSMAN, Judy (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel); HANEJKO, Eugeniusz (Director Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski; HANEJKO, Tomasz ( Head of Belzec Memorial Museum; HOJAN, Artur ( T4 Association); IMICH, Jan; JAROS, Marek (Wiener Library London); KATZ, Lilli-Mai; KUWALEK, Robert (Former Belzec Museum Director); LISCIOTTO, Carmelo (H.E.A.R.T) ; LUGNER, Hans; MUNRO, Cameron (T4 Association); O’NEIL, Dr Robin (Author and Historian); OREN, Zvi (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel), PRESTON, Trevor, RUTHERFORD, William (Billy); SPYRAKIS, Clare; SPYRAKIS, Heather; SPYRAKIS, Nicky; STADLER, Harry (Kinder Transport); TREGENZA, Michael (Author and Historian); TYAS, Stephen; WEBB, Shirley; WITTE, Peter. WOOD, Melanie
Notes
* * *
[1] The spelling of Aktion Reinhardt is fraught—the Germans involved in the mass murder programme spelt it with a “t” and without a “t”. In this book Reinhardt is favored, as the recruitment pledge is spelt that way.
[2] For details on the T-4 Operation and its relevance to the development of the Holocaust, see Friedlander, Henry, The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1995.
[3] For more on Reich Security Main Office role in the Holocaust see Wildt, Michael, An Uncompromising Generation: The Nazi Leadership of the Reich Security Main Office, University of Wisconsin Press, London, 2009.
[4] R. Breitman, The Architect of Genocide: Himmler and the Final Solution, Pimlico, London, 2004; David Cesarani, Eichmann: His Life and Crimes, Vintage, London, 2005; Berndt Rieger, Creator of Nazi Death Camps: The Life of Odilo Globocnik, Vallentine Mitchell, London, 2007.
[5] R. Reder, Belzec, translated by M. M. Rubel, in Polin, Studies in Polish Jewry, vol. 13, 2000, pp. 276, 287.
[6] Höfle Telegram, National Archives Kew, HW 16/32.
[7] Three articles debating these figures have been published by the academic journal East European Jewish Affairs: Robin O’Neil’s Belzec: A Reassessment of the Number of Victims, 29/1 1999, pp. 85–118; a response by Dieter Pohl and Peter Witte entitled The Number of Victims of Belzec Extermination Camp: A Faulty Reassessment; and O’Neil rejoinder Belzec: Toward a Constructive Debate 31/1 2001, p
p. 15–25.
[8] C. Browning, The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy 1939–1942, Arrow Books, London, 2005; Friedlander, Saul, The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews 1939–1945, Weidenfeld and Nicolson London, 2007; Longerich, Peter, Holocaust: The Nazi Persecution and Murder of the Jews, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2010.
[9] Y. Arad, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka: The Operation Reinhard Death Camps, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1987, pp. 27, 227.
[10] Y. Arad, The Holocaust in the Soviet Union, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, 2009, ch. 20.
[11] D. Pohl, War, Occupation and the Holocaust in Poland in Dan Stone, The Historiography of the Holocaust, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2004, p. 99.
[12] J. Schelvis, Sobibor: A History of a Nazi Death Camp, Berg, Oxford 2007; Chrostowski, Withold, The Extermination Camp Treblinka, Vallentine Mitchell, London, 2004.
[13] R. Cowdery, & P. Vodenka, Reinhard Heydrich Assassination, USM, Inc., Lakeville, 1994, pp. 49, 63.
[14] G. Reitlinger, The Final Solution. Vallentine, Mitchell, London, 1953, pp. 105–106.
[15] P. Longerich, The Unwritten Order—Hiter’s Role in the Final Solution. Tempus, Stroud, 2001, p. 85.
[16] Reitlinger, The Final Solution, op. cit., p. 101.
[17] J. Poprzeczny, Hitler’s Man in the East—Odilo Globocnik. McFarland, Jefferson, 2004, p. 10.
[18] Reitlinger, The Final Solution, op. cit., p. 262.
[19] Poprzeczny, Hitler’s Man, op. cit., p. 76.
[20] Poprzeczny, Hitler’s Man, op. cit., p. 95
[21] Reitlinger, The Final Solution, op. cit., p. 314.
[22] The village of Treblinka was in fact situated further from the camp than village of Poniatowo which was the closest village to the extermination camp.