Martin Gottfried Weiss

Martin Gottfried Weiss
SS-Obersturmbannführer Weiss in custody
Born	(1905-06-03)June 3, 1905 Weiden in der Oberpfalz
Died	May 29, 1946(1946-05-29) (aged 40) Dachau Trials execution
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Schutzstaffel
Years of service	until 1945
Rank	SS-Obersturmbannführer

SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel) Martin Gottfried Weiss alternatively spelled Weiß (3 June 1905 – 29 May 1946) was the Commandant of Dachau concentration camp in 1945 at the time of his arrest. He also served as the commandant of Neuengamme concentration camp from April 1940 until September 1942,^[1] and the Majdanek death camp's fourth commandant from November 1943 until May 1944.^[2]

Life

Weiss was born in Weiden in der Oberpfalz. He was appointed commandant of Majdanek after his predecessor Hermann Florstedt was charged with wholesale stealing from the Jews to become rich. Weiss was captured at Munich on April 29, 1945 by corporal Henry Senger of the 292nd Field Artillery Observation Battalion,^[3] and was tried during the Dachau Trials of 15 November – 13 December 1945. After being found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Weiss was executed by hanging on 29 May 1946.

The main gate at Dachau concentration camp, marked with the slogan Arbeit macht frei  Reconnaissance photograph of the Majdanek concentration camp (1944)

References