Inside of the concentration camps, there were a huge number of guards and other members
of staff who inflicted such brutality and violence onto prisoners. Following the Second
World War, there were a number of war crimes trials which brought guards and even camp
commandants to justice for their evil acts at camps such as Bergen-Belsen. A number of
those such as Rudolf Hoess the commandant of Auschwitz was executed for his crimes on
gallows at the camp he once oversaw. One member of staff at Auschwitz, Mittlebau-Dora and
Bergen-Belsen who became rather senior was Franz Hossler. He was a sadistic killer, who
was responsible for executing and killing thousands of prisoners in his role as an SS
overseer. Join us today as we look at, ‘The DISGUSTING Crimes Of Franz Hossler,’ and
remember to support our channel, please make sure to subscribe.
Franz Hossler joined the Nazi Party following a period of unemployment in early November
1932 and then he joined the SS. Throughout his time in the SS he rose to the rank of
Ss obersturmfuhrer and also he was a reserve officer in the Waffen SS. Following the creation
and opening of Dachau Concentration Camp, after the Nazis came into power, he instantly
was transferred there and began to work as a member of the guard staff and also as a
cook. He remained at Dachau until the Second World War broke out, and following this he
was transferred then to a new camp that opened. But the camp he went to, became the largest
killing site of the whole of the Holocaust. In June 1940, Franz Hossler went to Auschwitz
I, and he was there went it received the first mass transports of prisoners. The camp initially
was rather limited in it’s size until rapid expansion occurred under Rudolf Hoess’ leadership.
First he managed the camp kitchens, and here he became a feared overseer, and he also was
used as a sub camp supervisors.
Quickly he rose throughout the ranks at Auschwitz I and became a Work Service Leader in early
1941, and he was instantly used in the death processes at the camp. On the 28th July 1941,
he accompanied a number of 575 prisoners from Auschwitz I, to Sonnenstein Castle where they
were all murdered inside of gas chambers there. The following year, Hossler would also accompany
Otto Moll and Hans Aumeier with 168 survivors of a filed uprising. They had rose up from
Auschwitz I’s punishment centre, but then they were taken back to the castle to be killed.
He was briefly sent to help create a holiday resort for the Ss in Poland, but when Auschwitz
Birkenau was expanded to become an extermination camp, where the majority of the killing took
place, Franz Hossler was part of a number of senior roles.
Birkenau was the main killing centre of Auschwitz, and Hossler worked in the killing process.
He was part of leading a group of Sonderkommando prisoners, this detachment carried his name
and the men were forced to exhume 107,000 prisoners corpses who had been killed from
the mass graves of Auschwitz I. They then were ordered to burn them inside the newly
created crematorium at Birkenau, and following this Hossler’s sonderkommando were then
murdered, and Hossler did this by accompanying his detachment to the gas chambers. Hossler
was also noted to have been responsible for a number of gassings, and he helped to drive
the prisoners into the gas chambers. In a period fo 6 weeks, Hossler sent 1703 Dutch
Jews to their deaths inside the gas chambers. It was said, ‘In connection with the gassings
I described in my diary dated 12.10.1942, I declare that on that day about 1,600 Dutch
were gassed. This is an approximate figure, which I stated as a result of what I had heard
from others. The action was led [by] SS officer Hößler. I remember that he tried to drive
the whole group into a single bunker. This he achieved up to a last man who could not
be crammed further into the bunker. Hoßler shot this man with a revolver. This is the
reason why I wrote in the diary: "Gruesome scene before the last bunker! (Hößler!)’
When Hossler was at Birkenau he said, ‘When I first came to the women's compound I was
more than surprised to find conditions not very pleasant. There were very many sick people;
typhus and other diseases were rampant. The first thing I did as Lagerführer was to go
to the camp doctor, Dr. Rohde, and ask him how it was that there were so many sick people.
He said that it was high time there was a Lagerführer so that we both could get the
camp into proper shape. I made a report about the special delousing block and the conditions
in my women's compound to the Kommandant, Hoess. I asked him why I had been sent to
the camp, and he told me so that I could tidy up things just a little, and that if I needed
anything I was to go to the Kommandant, Hartjenstein, or to the senior doctor, Dr. Wirtz. This I
did, and Dr. Wirtz came with me and saw the special delousing block. He promised me new
machinery, and in both parts of my camp the delousing machine was put in order.’ He
tried to claim he tried to improve conditions, but this was not the case. He admitted that
he attended selections where people were sent to their deaths, and tried to claim he did
not send anyone to their death, but this was not true. He regularly attended selections,
and his actions resulted in thousands of innocent people being killed.
He continued to rise throughout the ranks at the camp, and was involved in recruiting
Aryan women for a new camp brothel for the SS men. He then became a senior figure in
the women’s camp, and he continued to kill people. He would use deceit and lies to send
people to their deaths, it was said of his speech that he said, ‘On behalf of the camp
administration I bid you welcome. This is not a holiday resort but a labor camp. Just
as our soldiers risk their lives at the front to gain victory for the Third Reich, you
will have to work here for the welfare of a new Europe. How you tackle this task is
entirely up to you. The chance is there for every one of you. We shall look after your
health, and we shall also offer you well-paid work.
After the war we shall assess everyone according to his merits and treat him accordingly. Now,
would you please all get undressed. Hang your clothes on the hooks we have provided and
please remember your number [of the hook]. When you've had your bath there will be a
bowl of soup and coffee or tea for all. Oh yes, before I forget, after your bath, please
have ready your certificates, diplomas, school reports and any other documents so that we
can employ everybody according to his or her training and ability. Would diabetics who
are not allowed sugar report to staff on duty after their baths. Following this, the people
were sent to the chambers.
But at his trial, more horror emerged about Hossler’s actions at the camp. He admitted
that he had hanged four girls who had been sentenced to death for breaking the camp rules,
and that he was okay with performing this disgusting act. The prisoners would have been
gathered to witness the public execution, with Hossler playing executioner. He read
the judgement out to the crowd before he hanged all four women on the same gallows. Hossler
was then sent to Mittelbau Dora concentration camp, and he helped to evacuate prisoners
from this camp towards Bergen-Belsen as the Second World War war turning against the Germans.
Here he accompanied and led a death march of prisoners towards Belsen, and would happily
shoot prisoners who were not walking quick enough. Hossler during the evacuations gave
instructions for 9 prisoners who were on an ambulance wagon to be shot dead.
On the 8th April 1945, along with his transport Hossler arrived at Bergen-Belsen and he became
the deputy camp commandant under Josef Kramer. Whilst here he was responsible for executing
prisoners, and he continued to shoot prisoners who were ill and regularly carried out murders
of prisoners on a daily basis. He became a hitman, who attacked the prisoners with brutality
and he continued to kill up until the camp was liberated. When the British liberators
turned up at Bergen-Belsen, they found complete carnage and devastation around every single
corner. Inside barracks, thousands of dead prisoners were found and disease was rife
throughout the camp. This was on a huge scale, and the liberators found 13,000 corpses unburied
and 60,000 starving and dying prisoners. Typhus had caused chaos with thousands dying each
week and as the camp became overcrowded as more death marches were led to Belsen, the
camp infrastructure broke down. Hossler was the Second in command at Belsen, and was responsible
for this depravity along with the commandant and the other guards who remained at the camp
to supposedly maintain law and order. Heinrich Himmler agreed to hand over the camp without
a fight, but even whilst the liberators were assessing, the SS were shooting prisoners.
Hossler was found hiding amongst prisoners on the 15th April 1945, and he was trying
to slip out of the camp undetected, but prisoners turned him over. He was wearing prisoner clothing,
and when he was located he was forced to help with the clean up operation. He was forced
to bury thousands of disease ridden corpses, as ultimately he and the other SS staff were
responsible for the conditions at Belsen. He was then brought to trial at the Belsen
Trial, and at his trial there were many witnesses who told stories of Hossler’s murderous
intent and violent streak. Stories of executions, selections, gassings and brutality were linked
to him. He was known as a man who was too willing to shoot prisoners with his pistol
and gun, and he would wield this power over prisoners on a daily basis. HE tried to claim
that he was simply following orders, but it simply did not work. He claimed that when
he hanged the four girls in the women’s camp of Auschwitz he tried to say it was wrong
to his superior, but then was told orders and orders and he had to do it.
But it was clear. He was a prolific person at selections who took great pride in selecting
prisoners to go to their deaths inside of the gas chambers. He was a murderer and there
was no denying it inside of the courtroom, and for this he was sentenced to death at
the Belsen trials. The nail in Franz Hossler’s coffin was the large amount of witnesses who
testified that he took part in selections at Auschwitz, sending prisoners to their deaths
and also that he killed at Belsen. Because of this he was executed by the British executioner
Albert Pierrepoint at Hamelin Prison on the 13rd December 1945.
Franz Hossler was one of many executed following the Belsen Trials which included the notorious
guards Irma Grese, Elisabeth Volkenrath and Josef Kramer. He was a senior figure who became
the deputy camp commander of Bergen-Belsen, and it was clear to everyone in the courtroom
how evil a man he was. He was a devoted Nazi, who would do anything to eradicate those who
the Nazis hated.
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