Ernst Kaltenbrunner

"Kaltenbrunner" redirects here. For people with the surname, see Kaltenbrunner (surname).
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS Dr. Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Chief of the RSHA and President of Interpol.
Director of the Reich Main Security Office
In office
30 January 1943 – 12 May 1945
Appointed by Adolf Hitler
Preceded by Reinhard Heydrich / Heinrich Himmler (acting)
Succeeded by None
President of the ICPC
In office
30 January 1943 – 12 May 1945
Preceded by Arthur Nebe
Succeeded by Florent Louwage
Personal details
Born 4 October 1903
Ried im Innkreis, Austria-Hungary (now Austria)
Died 16 October 1946 (aged 43)
Nuremberg, Germany
Nationality Austrian
Political party National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)
Spouse(s) Elisabeth Eder (m. 1934)
Alma mater University of Graz
Profession Lawyer
Religion Former Roman Catholic, self-declared Gottgläubig
Awards Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords
Military service
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Schutzstaffel
Years of service 1940–1945
Rank Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS
Battles/wars World War II

Ernst Kaltenbrunner (4 October 1903 – 16 October 1946) was an Austrian-born senior official of Nazi Germany during World War II. An Obergruppenführer (general) in the Schutzstaffel (SS), between January 1943 and May 1945 he held the offices of Chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA, Reich Main Security Office) and President of the ICPC, later to become Interpol. He was the highest-ranking member of the SS to face trial at the first Nuremberg Trials. He was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and executed.

Early life

Born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria, Kaltenbrunner was the son of a lawyer, and was educated at the State Realgymnasium in Linz and at Graz University. He'd had deep scars on his face from dueling in his student days, although some sources attribute them to an automobile accident.[1][2]

SS career

Kaltenbrunner (on the far left), Heinrich Himmler, August Eigruber, and other SS officials visiting Mauthausen concentration camp in 1941, in the company of camp commander Franz Ziereis.[3]

Kaltenbrunner joined the Nazi Party and his NSDAP number was 300,179. In 1932, he joined the SS in Austria. His SS number was 13,039.[4] He was the Gauredner (district speaker) and Rechtsberater (legal consultant) of the SS Abschnitt VIII. In January 1934, Kaltenbrunner was briefly jailed by the Engelbert Dollfuss government with other National Socialists at the Kaisersteinbruch concentration camp. In 1934, he was jailed again on suspicion of high treason in the assassination of Dollfuss. This accusation was dropped, but he was sentenced to six months for conspiracy. In 1934, Kaltenbrunner married Elisabeth Eder (b. 1908) and they had three children. In addition to the children from his marriage, Kaltenbrunner had twins, Ursula and Wolfgang, (b. 1945) with his long-time mistress Gisela Gräfin von Westarp (née Wolf). All of his children survived the war.

From mid-1935 Kaltenbrunner was the leader of the Austrian SS. He assisted in the Anschluss and Hitler promoted him to SS-Brigadeführer on the day the Anschluss was completed. On 11 September 1938 he was promoted to the rank of SS-Gruppenführer, equivalent to a lieutenant general in the army (see Video of Kaltenbrunner in Vienna January 1939). He was also a member of the Reichstag from 1938.

World War II

Kaltenbrunner with Himmler and Ziereis at Mauthausen in April 1941

In July 1940, he was commissioned as a SS-Untersturmführer in the Waffen-SS Reserve.[5] Later in April 1941, he was promoted to major general (Generalleutnant) of the Police. On 30 January 1943 Kaltenbrunner was appointed Chief of the RSHA, composed of the SiPo (Sicherheitspolizei: the combined forces of the Gestapo and Kripo) along with the SD (Sicherheitsdienst: Security Service).[6] He replaced Reinhard Heydrich, who was assassinated in June 1942. Kaltenbrunner held this position until the end of the war. He was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei on 21 June 1943. He also replaced Heydrich as President of the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC), the organization today known as Interpol.

Toward the end of the war, Kaltenbrunner's power increased greatly, especially after the attack on Hitler of 20 July 1944, upon which he gained direct access to the Führer. He was also responsible for conducting "kangaroo trials" and calling for the execution of all the people who were accused of plotting against Hitler. It was often said that even Heinrich Himmler feared him and he managed to be an intimidating figure with his 1.94 metres (6 ft 4 in) height, facial scars and volatile temper. It was rumored that he was responsible for Adolf Eichmann's failure to attain the rank of SS-Standartenführer (Colonel). Kaltenbrunner was also long-time friends with Otto Skorzeny and recommended him for many secret missions, allowing Skorzeny to become one of Hitler's valued agents. Kaltenbrunner was also responsible for heading Operation Long Jump, the attempt to assassinate Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt. This mission was later thwarted by Soviet intelligence agent Gevork Vartanian.[7]

Following Himmler's appointment as Minister of the Interior in August 1943, Kaltenbrunner sent him a letter wherein he argued that Himmler's new powers must be used to reverse the party cadre organisation's annexation.

Kaltenbrunner (front row, second from left) as spectator at a People's Court show trial following the failed 20 July plot.

In December 1944, Kaltenbrunner was granted the rank of General of the Waffen-SS. Other SS General Officers were granted equivalent Waffen-SS ranks in 1944 as well, so that in the event that they were captured by the Allies, they would have status as military officers instead of police officials. For those who had held police rank prior to 1944, the SS General's title could become rather lengthy. Kaltenbrunner was listed on the SS rolls in 1945 as SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS. On 9 December 1944 he was awarded the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords.[8] In addition he was awarded the NSDAP Golden Party Badge and the Blutorden.

On 12 March 1945 a meeting took place in the Vorarlberg between Kaltenbrunner and Carl Jacob Burckhardt, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (1945–48).[9] By this stage the Nazis were willing to make some concessions to the wishes of the Red Cross.

On 18 April 1945, Himmler named Kaltenbrunner Commander-in-Chief of those remaining German forces in Southern Europe. Kaltenbrunner reorganized his intelligence agencies as a stay-behind underground net. He divided the subcommands between Otto Skorzeny, head of the sabotage units, and Wilhelm Waneck, who kept in contact not only with Kaltenbrunner and other centers in Germany, but also with stay-behind agents in the southern European capitals.[10]

Nuremberg trials

Kaltenbrunner wheeled into court during the Nuremberg Trials after an illness.

At the Nuremberg Trials, Kaltenbrunner was charged with conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, war-crimes and crimes against humanity. The most notable witness in this trial was Rudolf Höss, the camp commander of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Due to his tight control over the RSHA, Kaltenbrunner was held directly responsible for the following crimes:

During the initial stages of the Nuremberg trials, Kaltenbrunner was absent because of two episodes of subarachnoid hemorrhage. His lawyer Kurt Kaufmann requested that Kaltenbrunner be acquitted on grounds of health complications as he was medically unfit for the trial.[11] Kaltenbrunner's state of health improved and the tribunal denied his request for pardon. When Kaltenbrunner was released from a military hospital he pleaded not guilty to the charges of the indictment served on his person. Kaltenbrunner stressed during cross-examination that all decrees and legal documents which bore his signature were "rubber-stamped" and filed by his adjutant(s).[12]

During the trial, Kaltenbrunner argued in his defense that his position as RSHA chief existed only in title and was only committed to matters of espionage and intelligence. He maintained that Himmler, as his superior, was the person actually culpable for the atrocities committed during his tenure as chief of the RSHA. The International Military Tribunal noted that Kaltenbrunner was a keen functionary in matters involving the sphere of the RSHA's intelligence network, but the evidence also showed that Kaltenbrunner was an active authority and participant in many instances of war crimes and crimes against humanity. On September 30, 1946 the IMT found Kaltenbrunner not guilty of crimes against peace. However, Kaltenbrunner was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. On October 1, 1946 the IMT sentenced him to death by hanging.[13]
Excerpt from Ernst Kaltenbrunner's closing statement at the Nuremberg Trials.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Execution

Kaltenbrunner's body after execution, October 1946.

Kaltenbrunner was executed by hanging at around 1:40 a.m. on 16 October 1946. Kaltenbrunner's last words were:

I have loved my German people and my fatherland with a warm heart. I have done my duty by the laws of my people and I am sorry this time my people were led by men who were not soldiers and that crimes were committed of which I had no knowledge. Germany, good luck.

Recovered evidence

In 2001, Ernst Kaltenbrunner's personal Nazi security seal was found in an Alpine lake in Styria, Austria, 56 years after he threw it away in an effort to hide his identity. The seal was recovered by a Dutch citizen on vacation. The seal has the words "Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD" (Chief of the Security Police and SD) engraved on it. Experts have examined the seal and believe it was discarded in the final days of the war in May 1945. It was one of Kaltenbrunner's last acts as a free man. Kaltenbrunner gave himself up claiming to be a doctor and offering a false name. However, his mistress spotted him, and by chance occurrence, she called out his name and rushed to hug him. On 12 May 1945, this action tipped off the Allied troops, resulting in his capture, trial, and execution.[14]

The Altaussee Treasures

In late April 1945, Kaltenbrunner fled his headquarters from Berlin to Altaussee, where he had often vacationed and had strong ties. While there, he opposed and thwarted the efforts of local governor August Eigruber to destroy the huge and irreplaceable collection of art stolen by the Nazis from museums and private collections across occupied Europe (more than 6,500 paintings plus statuary) which had been intended for Hitler's planned Führermuseum in Linz.

Ernst Kaltenbrunner's nephew, Michl Kaltenbrunner, revealed that a hoard of Nazi treasure was buried in Lake Toplitz, confirming suspicions held by investigators for decades. It was also the first time any related family member of Ernst Kaltenbrunner gave any information in regards to their relative and the dumping of Nazi property. Ernst Kaltenbrunner's role was also discussed of his acting in defiance of Hitler's orders and the helping to save artworks from the Altaussee salt mines near Lake Toplitz from being destroyed. Kaltenbrunner's nephew substantiated claims made by Austrian journalist Konrad Kramar in his book "Mission Michelangelo" that Ernst Kaltenbrunner allowed Austrian miners in charge of the area to remove the paintings as well as remove bombs that were planted to blow them up.[15]

These were stored in a nearby extensive complex of salt mines. Eigruber was determined to carry out what he had determined was Hitler's true desire – to prevent the collection from falling into the hands of "Bolsheviks and Jews" by destroying it with explosives set off in the mine. Working with Dr. Emmerin Pöchmüller, the mine overseer, Kaltenbrunner countermanded the order and had the explosives removed. Thus, such world treasures as Michelangelo's Madonna of Bruges stolen from the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, and Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece stolen from Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent; Vermeer's The Astronomer and The Art of Painting were not destroyed.

The same story, told from an American point of view, became the subject of George Clooney's "The Monuments Men" film.[16]

Popular culture representations

Dramas

Kaltenbrunner has been portrayed by the following actors in film, television and theater productions.[17]

Comedy

Books

Summary of his SS career

Dates of rank

Kaltenbrunner, pictured here in 1944, his Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords around his neck.

Nazi awards and decorations

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Ernst Kaltenbrunner
  2. ↑ The Nuremberg Trials
  3. ↑ This image is from the Bundesarchiv.
  4. ↑ Biondi, Robert, ed., SS Officers List: SS-Standartenführer to SS-Oberstgruppenführer (As of 30 January 1942), Schiffer Military History Publishing, 2000, p. 9
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Complete Biography of Ernst Kaltenbrunner – Promotions
  6. ↑ Lumsden, Robin (2002), A Collector's Guide To: The Allgemeine – SS, p 83.
  7. ↑ Armenian Intelligence Agent, Hero of the Soviet Union Gevork Vartanian Passed Away
  8. ↑ Fsefehlsblatt of the Security Police and SD (51): 361. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  9. ↑ Moorhead, Caroline (1998), Dunant's Dream, pp. 458-460.
  10. ↑ The Last Days of Ernst Kaltenbrunner
  11. ↑ Goldensohn, L. (2004), The Nuremberg Interviews Conversations with the Defendants and Witnesses, United States of America: Pimlico
  12. ↑ Owen, J. (2006), Nuremberg Evil On Trial, Great Britain: Headline Review
  13. ↑ Persico, J. (1994), Nuremberg Infamy on Trial, United States of America: Penguin Books
  14. ↑ Nazi chief's seal found in Alpine lake
  15. ↑ Has secret Nazi treasure been hidden in this beautiful lake for 70 years?
  16. ↑ Has Hollywood rewritten history again? Writer claims Austrian salt miners - NOT George Clooney's 'Monuments Men' - saved priceless works of art from Nazis
  17. ↑ "Ernst Kaltenbrunner (Character)". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  18. ↑ ""Semnadtsat mgnoveniy vesny" (1973)". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  19. ↑ A Complete Biography of Ernst Kaltenbrunner – Decorations & Awards

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ernst Kaltenbrunner.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Ernst Kaltenbrunner


Government offices
Preceded by
Heinrich Himmler (acting)		 Director of the Reich Main Security Office
30 January 1943 – 12 May 1945 		Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
Arthur Nebe		 President of Interpol
30 January 1943 – 12 May 1945 		Succeeded by
Florent Louwage
Military offices
Preceded by
None		 Commander-in-Chief of Southern Germany
18 April 1945 – 2 May 1945 		Succeeded by
Albert Kesselring