When British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in April 1945, they uncovered a nightmare—thousands of corpses, starving survivors, and one of the most horrific humanitarian disasters of World War II. But amid the chaos and death, several female SS guards stood out for their cruelty. These women, once feared, were soon tried—and some faced swift, brutal justice.
Bergen-Belsen: A Camp of Horror
Originally a POW camp, Bergen-Belsen became a concentration camp in 1943. Though it lacked gas chambers, the camp became infamous for its brutal conditions—starvation, disease, beatings, and mass death. By the time of liberation, more than 50,000 people had died there.
Among the staff were female guards, or Aufseherinnen, trained in Nazi ideology and expected to carry out orders with violence. Many had transferred from camps like Auschwitz and Ravensbrück, bringing cruelty with them.
The Female Faces of Terror
Several female guards at Bergen-Belsen became notorious:
Irma Grese, just 22 years old, was nicknamed “The Beautiful Beast.” Known for her icy demeanor and violent tendencies, she whipped prisoners, set dogs on them, and selected women and children for death at Auschwitz before arriving at Belsen.
Elisabeth Volkenrath, head guard of the women’s camp, supervised beatings and mass executions. Survivors testified to her role in prisoner selections and her unrelenting brutality.
Herta Ehlert and Juana Bormann also served as guards, both known for their abuse and callous treatment of inmates. Bormann, in particular, was remembered for using her trained dog to attack prisoners.
These women weren’t passive participants—they were active enforcers of Nazi terror.
The Belsen Trials: Facing Judgment
After liberation, British forces arrested dozens of SS staff and quickly launched the Belsen Trials in September 1945. Held in Lüneburg, Germany, the trials became one of the first public reckonings with Nazi atrocities.
Survivors gave harrowing testimonies. Emaciated bodies were presented as evidence. And the female guards were confronted with the horror they had helped create. Most showed no remorse.
In December 1945, Irma Grese, Elisabeth Volkenrath, and Juana Bormann were sentenced to death by hanging. Their youth and gender did not spare them. Justice, it was declared, would be blind and swift.
Execution Day: December 13, 1945
At Hammehlin Prison, British executioner Albert Pierrepoint carried out the sentences. He had prepared gallows to hang 13 war criminals—men and women alike. Among them stood the three female guards, now stripped of power, fame, and cruelty.
Juana Bormann, 52, was hanged first. Her screams reportedly echoed through the prison.
Irma Grese, 22, walked to the gallows with a chilling calm, refusing to show fear or regret. She became one of the youngest women ever executed under British law.
Elisabeth Volkenrath followed. Her stoicism was cold, her silence absolute.
Each died within seconds. The executions were fast, clinical—and final.