![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Rudolf_H%25C3%25B6%25C3%259F.jpg/640px-Rudolf_H%25C3%25B6%25C3%259F.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Rudolf Höss
German war criminal, commandant of Auschwitz / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß, or Hoess; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947)[1][2] was a high-ranking member of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) during World War II. He was in charge of Auschwitz concentration camp for about four years from 4 May 1940-18 January 1945. He was put on trial in 1947 at the Auschwitz concentration camp on 16 April 1947 at the age of 45. Höss was friends with Martin Bormann a Nazi official.
Rudolf Höss | |
---|---|
![]() Rudolf Höß at his trial in 1947 | |
Born | (1901-11-25)25 November 1901 Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy Of Baden, Germany |
Died | 16 April 1947(1947-04-16) (aged 46) Oświęcim, Poland |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/branch | ![]() |
Years of service | At Auschwitz until 1945 |
Rank | ![]() |
Unit | ![]() |
Commands held | Commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, 4 May 1940 – 1 December 1943, 8 May 1944 – 18 January 1945 |
Relations |
|
During World War II, Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, decided to exterminate (kill all of) the Jewish people in Europe. They called this plan the "Final Solution". The Nazis also sent many other people to concentration camps and extermination camps (death camps). As Commandant (commander) at Auschwitz, Höss tested and started using different ways of killing these people more quickly. He started using Zyklon B, a pesticide with hydrogen cyanide in it, to kill prisoners in gas chambers. This allowed Nazi soldiers at Auschwitz to murder 2,000 people every hour. At Auschwitz, he created the largest place meant for the constant mass murder of human beings ever known in history.
Höss joined the Nazi Party in 1922, and joined the SS in 1934. From 4 May 1940 to November 1943, and again from 8 May 1944 to 18 January 1945, he was in charge of Auschwitz. Before Nazi Germany lost World War II, more than a million people were murdered at Auschwitz.[3][4] Höss was hanged in 1947 after he was found guilty at a trial in Warsaw, Poland.