Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski
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| Member of the Reichstag | |
| In office 1932–1944 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Erich Julius Eberhard von Zelewski
1 March 1899 Lauenburg, Province of Pomerania, German Empire |
| Died | 8 March 1972 (aged 73) Munich, Bavaria, West Germany |
| Political party | Nazi Party |
| Spouse |
Ruth Apfeld
(m. 1922) |
| Children | 6 |
| Parents | Otto Johannes von Zelewski Amalia Maria Eveline |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire (1914–1918) Weimar Republic (1918–24) Nazi Germany (1933–1945) |
| Branch/service |  Imperial German Army Schutzstaffel |
| Years of service | 1914–1945 |
| Rank | SS-Obergruppenführer |
| Commands | SS and Police Leader for Silesia Higher SS and Police Leader, Army Group Centre Rear Area Bandenbekämpfung Chief for occupied Europe |
| Battles/wars | World War I Silesian Uprisings World War II Nazi security warfare Warsaw Uprising |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Erich Julius Eberhard von dem Bach-Zelewski (born Erich Julius Eberhard von Zelewski; 1 March 1899 – 8 March 1972) was a high-ranking SS commander in Nazi Germany. During World War II, he was in charge of security operations. These operations were against people the Nazi government saw as enemies. They also targeted anyone else considered a danger to Nazi rule.
His actions often involved terrible treatment of civilians. In 1944, he led the harsh suppression of the Warsaw Uprising. Despite his involvement in many serious actions against people, Bach-Zelewski was not tried for these at the Nuremberg trials. Instead, he spoke as a witness for the prosecution. He was later found guilty of political murders that happened before the war. He died in prison in 1972.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Family History
Erich Julius Eberhard von dem Bach-Zelewski was born on March 1, 1899. His birthplace was Lauenburg, which is now Lębork in Poland. His parents, Otto Johannes von Zelewski and Amalia Maria Eveline Schimanski, were from a group called Kashubs. His father was a farmer and officer from a family that had lost most of its wealth.
Erich's uncle, Emil von Zelewski, was a military officer. He died in 1891 fighting in German East Africa. The Zelewski family originally spoke Kashubian and Polish at home. They were also connected to the Roman Catholic church. However, Erich later joined a Protestant church.
Since his father had to help his siblings, he sold the family farm. He then became a traveling salesman. Erich and his six brothers and sisters grew up in poverty in Bialla, East Prussia. When he was twelve, his father died. The children were then placed with foster families. Erich was taken in by a landowner named Schickfuss. He went to several high schools in different towns.
Joining the Military in World War I
World War I started in the summer of 1914. Erich was only fifteen years old at the time. In December 1914, he managed to join the Prussian Army. He became known as the youngest volunteer. He served throughout the entire war.
In 1915, he was shot in the shoulder. In 1918, he was affected by a poison gas attack. He received the Iron Cross, a military award, twice. By the end of the war, he had become a lieutenant.
Between the World Wars
After the war ended in November 1918, Zelewski stayed in the German army. He fought against Polish uprisings in Silesia. In 1924, he left the army and went back to his farm. He joined a German veterans' group called Der Stahlhelm. He also joined an organization that was against Jewish people. The same year, Zelewski joined the border guards.
Zelewski officially added "von dem Bach" to his name in 1925. In 1940, he removed "Zelewski" from his name. This was because it sounded Polish. He often changed details about his family history to impress his superiors.
In July 1930, Bach-Zelewski left the border guards. He then joined the Nazi Party. He joined the SS, a powerful Nazi organization, in February 1931. By December 1933, he had reached the rank of SS-Brigadeführer. During this time, he had a disagreement with one of his officers. He was later accused of having him killed during a political event in 1934.
From 1932 to 1944, he was a Nazi Party member of the Reichstag, which was like a parliament. He was involved in the "Night of the Long Knives" in 1934. He used this event to have his rival, Buchwald, killed. From 1934, he led SS districts, first in East Prussia and then in Silesia. In 1937, he became a Senior SS and Police Leader in Silesia.
World War II Activities
In November 1939, SS chief Heinrich Himmler gave Bach-Zelewski a new job. He was to be the "Commissioner for the Strengthening of Germandom" in East-Silesia. This meant he was in charge of moving many Polish people from their homes. He also took over Polish private property. By August 1940, about 18,000 to 20,000 Poles were forced to leave their homes. This event was called the Action Saybusch.
Bach-Zelewski also helped start the Auschwitz concentration camp. This was because prisons were too crowded. His officer, Arpad Wigand, found the location. The first group of prisoners arrived at Auschwitz on June 14, 1940. Two weeks later, Bach-Zelewski visited the camp himself. In June 1941, he returned to his duties in Silesia.
Operations in the Soviet Union
During Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, Bach-Zelewski was a Senior SS and Police Leader in Belarus. From July to September 1941, he oversaw actions against civilians in Riga and Minsk. He also visited other sites where many people were killed. Bach-Zelewski regularly sent reports on the progress of these operations. For example, a message on August 22 stated that the number of victims in his area had passed thirty thousand.
In February 1942, he was in the hospital for stomach problems. Before returning to his post in July, Bach-Zelewski asked Himmler for a different assignment. He wanted to fight against partisan groups. Bach-Zelewski was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer in November 1941.
In June 1942, Reinhard Heydrich was killed in Prague. Hitler wanted Bach-Zelewski to replace him. But Himmler said he was too important where he was. So, Hitler chose someone else. Through 1943, Bach-Zelewski continued to lead "anti-partisan" units. These were special units created by Hitler.
Tactics and Civilian Impact
Around June 1943, Himmler gave an order to fight "bandits." Bach-Zelewski was put in charge of these "bandit fighting formations." These groups mainly used SS police and Waffen-SS troops. Their main goals were propaganda, controlling security operations, training troops, and fighting.
After the German army secured an area, these groups would secure roads, railways, and factories. They also made sure to secure farms and forests. The SS oversaw the collection of harvests, which was very important. Any Jewish people in the area were rounded up. Communists and people of Asian descent were also targeted. Under Bach-Zelewski, these groups were responsible for widespread harm to civilians. This included many deaths in Riga, Belarus, and eastern Poland.
Bach-Zelewski's methods led to many civilian deaths. They did not achieve much military success. When fighting partisan groups, his units would harm civilians. This was done to make it seem like they had defeated more enemies. Often, they reported many more deaths than weapons captured. German troops would surround areas slowly, allowing real partisans to escape. After an operation, no permanent military presence was left. This allowed partisans to return. Even when successful, Bach-Zelewski's actions often just made the real enemy move. They also made more civilians angry, which increased the number of partisans.
In July 1943, Bach-Zelewski was given command of all anti-partisan actions. This included areas like Belgium, Belarus, France, and Ukraine. However, his activities mostly stayed in Belarus and parts of Russia. In early 1944, he fought on the front lines. But in March, he had to return to Germany for medical treatment. Himmler then took over all his positions.
Warsaw Uprising
On August 2, 1944, Bach-Zelewski took command of all German troops fighting in the Warsaw Uprising. The Polish Home Army had started this uprising. His forces included about 17,000 men. These men were divided into two battle groups. One group was led by Hanns von Rohr, and the other by Heinz Reinefarth. The latter group included the Dirlewanger Brigade, which was made up of convicted criminals. This command group was named Korpsgruppe Bach.
Units under his command caused immense suffering and loss of life among civilians. This happened through many terrible actions across the city. After more than two months of heavy fighting, Bach-Zelewski gained control of Warsaw. The city was almost completely destroyed. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on September 30, 1944. On October 4, 1944, he accepted the surrender of General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski.
During the destruction of Warsaw, it is said that he personally saved Fryderyk Chopin's heart. He supposedly took it for his own collection. The recovered heart is now kept at a church in Warsaw.
Final Months of the War
In October 1944, Hitler sent Bach-Zelewski to Budapest, Hungary. There, he was involved in the fall of the government. He also participated in the persecution of Hungarian Jewish people.
In December 1944, he became commander of the XIV SS Corps. In early 1945, he commanded the X SS Corps in Pomerania. His unit was destroyed in less than two weeks. He then commanded the Oder Corps from February 17, 1945.
After the War
After World War II ended in Europe, Bach-Zelewski went into hiding. He was arrested by US military police on August 1, 1945. He agreed to speak as a witness against his former superiors at the Nuremberg trials. Because of this, Bach-Zelewski was never tried for his actions during the war. He was also not sent to Poland or the Soviet Union for trial.
During his testimony at Nuremberg, Bach-Zelewski said he disagreed with Himmler's goal to eliminate 30 million Slavs. He explained that when people are taught for years that some groups are inferior, terrible things can happen. By saying this, Bach-Zelewski connected the mass killings to Nazi ideas. This was very helpful to the prosecutors at the Nuremberg Trials. Bach-Zelewski was released from prison in 1949.
Trials and Convictions
In 1951, Bach-Zelewski was sentenced to 10 years in a labor camp. This was for killing political opponents in the early 1930s. However, he did not go to prison until 1958. That year, he was found guilty of killing an SS officer during the "Night of the Long Knives." He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for this.
In 1961, Bach-Zelewski was sentenced to life in prison. This was for killing six German Communists in the early 1930s. None of his sentences were for his actions in Poland or the Soviet Union, or his involvement in the Holocaust. Even though he admitted to being involved in mass killings, he was not tried for them. He also strongly criticized Himmler's racism. Bach-Zelewski died in a Munich prison on March 8, 1972. He passed away a week after his 73rd birthday.
Bach-Zelewski also gave evidence for the defense in the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Israel in May 1961. He stated that operations in Russia and parts of Poland were not under Eichmann's orders. He said that Eichmann could not give orders to the officers in charge of these units. These officers were responsible for the deaths of Jewish people and Romani people.
Family Life
He married Ruth Apfeld in 1922. They had six children: three daughters (Giesele, Ines, Ilse) and three sons (Heinrich, Ludolf, Eberhard). In 1947, while he was a prisoner, he had a Catholic church wedding with his wife. In 1957, two of Erich's sons, Heinrich and Eberhard, moved to the United States. Eberhard von dem Bach joined the US Army. He worked in the army as an organizational commissioner.
Images for kids
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Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski
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Bach-Zelewski in Minsk in 1943
See also
In Spanish: Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski para niños
