Elisabeth Volkenrath, an infamous Nazi SS guard, epitomized the horrifying inhumanity of the concentration camps during the Holocaust. Known as "The Brute of Auschwitz," her name is associated with extreme cruelty, sadism, and a disturbing zeal for inflicting suffering. Volkenrath’s actions left a trail of devastation, making her one of the most reviled figures among the female guards in the Nazi regime.
From Hairdresser to Harbinger of Death
Born on September 5, 1919, in Schönau, Germany, Elisabeth Volkenrath began her career as a hairdresser, a mundane job far removed from the horrors that would define her later years. Her life took a dark turn when she joined the SS in 1941. After training at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, she became an overseer at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where her role expanded to include supervising mass executions and the ruthless treatment of prisoners.
A Career Built on Cruelty
Volkenrath rose through the ranks of the Nazi hierarchy, eventually becoming the Oberaufseherin (senior overseer) of the women’s camp at Auschwitz. Her role placed her in direct control of the female prisoners, many of whom were subject to unspeakable abuse.
Volkenrath’s crimes included:
Participation in Selections: Volkenrath took part in the infamous "selections" on the Auschwitz ramps, where she decided who would be sent to the gas chambers and who would endure forced labor. Her callous demeanor during these selections earned her the nickname "The Brute."
Physical Abuse: Survivors testified that Volkenrath would brutally beat prisoners, often without reason. Her sadistic punishments left countless women and children severely injured or dead.
Complicity in Human Experiments: As a high-ranking overseer, Volkenrath facilitated the grotesque medical experiments conducted on prisoners, furthering the Nazis’ pseudoscientific agenda.
Atrocities at Bergen-Belsen
In 1944, Volkenrath was transferred to Bergen-Belsen, another notorious concentration camp. The conditions at Belsen were appalling, and Volkenrath continued her reign of terror. Malnourished prisoners were subjected to beatings, deprivation, and humiliation under her watch. As the Allied forces advanced, the camp descended into chaos, with thousands dying of starvation and disease.
When British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, they found piles of unburied corpses and survivors on the brink of death. Volkenrath was captured alongside other SS personnel, forced to confront the consequences of her actions.
The Belsen Trial and Execution
Elisabeth Volkenrath stood trial at the Belsen Trials in Lüneburg, Germany, in September 1945. The court heard chilling testimonies from survivors who recounted her barbaric behavior. Witnesses described her as a cold, sadistic individual who took pleasure in the suffering of others.
On November 13, 1945, Volkenrath was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. She was sentenced to death by hanging.
Her execution was carried out by British hangman Albert Pierrepoint on December 13, 1945. Like many of her fellow war criminals, she showed no remorse for her actions. Her death marked the end of a life defined by unimaginable cruelty.