Hermine Braunsteiner, infamously known as the "Trampling Mare of Majdanek," was a notorious Nazi concentration camp guard who gained a reputation for her extreme cruelty and sadism during her time at the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland. Braunsteiner’s actions were among the most brutal of any guard at Majdanek, a camp known for its mass executions, forced labor, and inhumane conditions.
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Braunsteiner’s nickname, the "Trampling Mare," stemmed from her particularly brutal method of treating prisoners. She was known for kicking, stomping on, and physically abusing the camp’s inmates. Witnesses described her as a figure of terror, often resorting to random violence. She would beat and humiliate prisoners, particularly women, for minor infractions or simply on a whim. One of the most infamous accounts of her cruelty involved her kicking prisoners in the face or stomping on their heads, often causing severe injury or death. Her behavior made her one of the most feared figures at Majdanek.
After the war, Braunsteiner was arrested and tried for her involvement in the atrocities at Majdanek. She was initially convicted in Germany in 1976, and her trial brought attention to the systemic violence committed by female guards during the Holocaust. In her defense, Braunsteiner claimed she was simply following orders, a defense often used by many Nazis involved in war crimes. However, the evidence against her was overwhelming, and she was found guilty of her role in the suffering and death of thousands of prisoners.
In the aftermath of her trial, Braunsteiner was sentenced to prison. Her legacy serves as a reminder that war crimes were not limited to male perpetrators—women also played a crucial role in carrying out the Nazis' horrific agenda. Her crimes as the "Trampling Mare of Majdanek" remain a dark chapter in the history of Nazi atrocities.