The Commandant of Auschwitz: Rudolf Höss

by Volker Koop

Described as one of the greatest mass-murderers in history, Rudolf Höss, was born in Baden-Baden, on the edge of Germany's Black Forest region, on 11 December 1901. As a child, his aim was to join the priesthood, but in his early youth he became disillusioned with religion and turned instead to the Army.

Höss joined the 21st Regiment of Dragoons, his father's and grandfather's old regiment, at the age of just 14. He served with the Ottoman Army in its fight against the British, serving in Palestine and being present at the Siege of Kut-el-Amara. During this period, he was promoted to the rank of Feldwebel, becoming, at that time, the youngest Non-commissioned officer in the German Army. He was also decorated, receiving among other awards the Iron Cross, First and Second class.

In the midst of the political upheavals in post-war Germany, Höss was drawn to the hard-line philosophies of Adolph Hitler, joining the Nazi Party in 1922. His ruthless commitment to the Nazi cause saw him convicted of participating in at least one political assassination, for which he spent six years in prison.

Predictably, Höss joined the SS and in 1934 became a Blockfuhrer, or Block Leader, at Dachau concentration camp. His ruthless dedication led to him becoming the adjutant to the camp commandant at another concentration camp, Sachsenhausen. Then, in May 1940, Höss was given command of his own camp near the town of Auschwitz.

In June 1941, Höss was told that Auschwitz had been selected as the site for the Final Solution of the Jewish question. Höss set about his task with relish, and a determination to kill as many Jews as quickly and efficiently as possible. By his own estimation, he was responsible for the deaths of at least 3,000,000,000 individuals.

Justice caught up with Höss after the German surrender when he was arrested on 11 March 1946, after a year posing as a gardener under a false name. He was found guilty of war crimes and was hanged on 16 April 1947.

Genres: History, War, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 2014

Reviews

[Frank]

Hard to rate tbh

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was always curious about the man who was in charge of Auschwitz. This book was well done, giving the reader the full story of Rudolph Hoss, and the role that he played within the Reich.
It was heartbreaking in areas, but overall, a very good comprehensive view.

For those interested in WWII history, and the Holocaust, this is a really good read.

[Nadia Amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volker Koop hat es geschafft, ein unfassbar kompliziertes Thema gut zusammenzufassen.

Ich habe das Buch angefangen bevor ich ein Wochenende mit meiner Schwester und Mutter in Polen verbracht habe und wir auch Auschwitz besucht haben. Das Wohnhaus Höß praktisch direkt am Rand des Hauptlagers Auschwitz I zu sehen und den Galgen an dem er schließlich zu Tode kam in Verbindung mit dem Buch hat alles nochmal in eine ganz andere Perspektive gesetzt. Das Grauen ist viel gegenwärtiger dadurch.

Koop kombiniert seine eigene historische Arbeit und Wertung mit Ausschnitten aus der Biographie die Höß selbst verfasste, somit lassen sich Ungenauigkeiten genau erkennen.

Höß selbst schreibt in seinem letzten Brief an seine Frau:
„ In meiner langen einsamen Haft habe ich über mein ganzes Leben gründlich nachzudenken Zeit u. Muße genug gehabt. Ich habe mein ganzes Handeln gründlich revidiert. -
Aufgrund meiner jetzigen Erkenntnisse sehe ich heute klar, hart und bitter genug für mich, dass die ganze Ideologie, die ganze Welt, an die ich so fest und unverbrüchlich glaubte, auf ganz falschen Voraussetzungen beruhte und eines Tages unbedingt zusammenbrechen musste.
So war auch mein Handeln im Dienste dieser Ideologie völlig falsch, wenn ich auch guten Glaubens an die Richtigkeit der Idee war. Nun war es ganz logisch, dass mir starke Zweifel erwuchsen, ob nicht auch meine Abkehr vom Glauben an Gott völlig falschen Voraussetzungen unterlag.
Es war ein schweres Ringen. Doch ich habe meinen Glauben an meinen Herrgott wiedergefunden.“

Man erwartet kaum solche Worte vom ehemaligen Kommandanten des Lagers Auschwitz zu lesen, es lässt ihn fast menschlich erscheinen. Er selbst spricht darüber, wie gutmütig er von den polnischen Häftlingswärtern vor seinem Tod behandelt wurde und er deshalb „fast“ ein schlechtes Gewissen habe, wie er mit ihnen umgegangen sei.

Unter Höß Leitung starben 1,1 Millionen Menschen im Lager Auschwitz-Birkenau. Niemals dürfen diese Taten in Vergessenheit geraten! Höß wurde schließlich in unmittelbarer Nähe seines Wohnhauses und dem Krematorium am Galgen hingerichtet; an dem Ort an dem er für den Tod und das Verderben von Millionen von Menschen verantwortlich war.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: I received a free preliminary, and likely unedited copy of this book from Netgalley for the purposes of providing an honest, unbiased review of the material. Thank you to all involved.

At some point this year, assuming Covid doesn’t keep ravaging the country, Kansas City will be hosting an exhibit that will showcase artifacts from Poland’s Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Having visited Dachau some twenty years ago in person, this might be the closest I could get to seeing these items for a long time, if ever. And if its anything like Dachau, I’m sure just seeing the artifacts will be a rough, if not VERY sobering experience. I mention this, because today’s topic is the man that made Auschwitz Concentration Camp so notorious, Rudolf Höss, and this new book about him The Commandant of Auschwitz, by Volker Koop and published by Pen and Sword Books. I basically wanted to educate myself more than what I was on the topic, and figured this book would be a solid look at the man responsible for one of the worst episodes in world history.

Koop does a solid job of not just regurgitating things from the memoirs of Rudolf Höss, and quickly points out that Höss appears to be a habitual liar in pretty much everything he does. Much of the information comes from things such as this material, but using historical records, and conflicting accounts by contemporaries, the portrait of a truly terrible man is painted. Even when everything was lost, and the man faced trial, he claimed to be a normal guy that just did his job and had no idea bad things were happening under his command. Reading some of the atrocities he signed off on, such as throwing children directly into a fire pit while still alive, was infuriating to say the least.

This was a tough read, for obvious reasons, but I enjoyed it and learned a lot about, perhaps, one of the biggest monsters in modern history. One would have hoped that he would have stayed in prison much longer than he did when he literally committed a political murder, but alas Hitler needed the most despicable to do his evil deeds. Very good book, if you are curious, or a WWII history buff, I’d check it out.

[Cameron Steward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel it is hard to review this book because at no point has it been sold as an engrossing light hearted read but I will try my best.

Throughout the book/transcript there is quite clearly a lot of denial from the man and dare I say periods of fantasy dreamt up from his own imagination, whether his aim was to deflect some of the blame from himself or another purpose not clear to the readers.

It gives an accurate reference and in places highlights the sheer horror of Auschwitz and the final solution. Also I believe it highlights how given the right level of exposure to far right material or propaganda, this can interrogate and attack the baser instincts of someone and allow them a stage in which to perform their cruel, horrible most sickest desires onto people.

The text in the book itself is quite hard to read, I am not sure if this is translated and edited for the English version, but I felt there were a lot of larger words that had no reason being there. For example rather than saying: the sky is blue, it went from the angle or the sky being a ubiquitous entity that irradiates and imposes a pastel blue shade.

Would I recommend this book? Maybe, it depends what you want from it, if you are after an account of the horrors of the camps then this would allow you to see that. If you want a nice easy read then this certainly is not for you.

[Steve Angelkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never got to finish watching the film, The Zone of Interest, and was discussing it with a friend, when this book came up in conversation.

I'm one to lean towards the book, rather than a film and wanted to get an understanding of the mind and methodology of the man who was 'The Commandant of Auschwitz'.

This is an insightful and harrowing biography of Rudolf Höss, the infamous SS officer who served as the first commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Koop delves into the life, motivations, and actions of Höss, meticulously exploring how an ordinary individual became a key architect of one of history's most horrific atrocities.

Koop's work is notable for its analytical depth and reliance on extensive historical sources, including Höss’s own memoirs, trial records, and testimonies. The book sheds light on the institutional and ideological mechanisms that transformed individuals like Höss into instruments of mass murder. It navigates the complex interplay between personal ambition, bureaucratic loyalty, and the dehumanizing effects of Nazi ideology.

This book is an important read for anyone interested in understanding the mechanics of systemic evil and the individuals who perpetrate it. While the content is deeply unsettling, it serves as a necessary reminder of the importance of vigilance and humanity in the face of oppressive ideologies.

[Ionia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst saying that you enjoyed a book with this kind of subject matter might sound odd, I actually did. I thought the author did a good job of highlighting the important points about Höss and not getting too carried away with unimportant factoids.

Much of this book is based on the memoirs of Höss himself, and yet it does not read as just a mother boring example of an author rewriting the words of someone else. Actually, reading this book is far more pleasant (due to the organisation) than reading the original memoirs. The Insight of the author after much time spent researching helps to clarify things for the reader.

I thought this was a fascinating, well-written work with a lot to offer anyone interested in the history of the Nazi movement and the KL System. Recommended to anyone who wants to know more about this subject and to all who are interested in the history of the Twentieth Century's major events and personalities.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Karl Wardlaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rudolf Hoss joined the German Army, became a member of the Nazis after WWI and later went on to be imprisoned for a murder. After being released he joins the SS, rises through the ranks until becoming Commandant of Auschwitz where he organises the massacre of Jews and any other political opponents. In 1941 the order was given to kill the Jews - referred to as the 'Jewish Question'.

There is an incredible amount of detail here and a good job is done of showing how someone could become one of the most reviled people in history. The book has documents from Hoss where he tries to downplay his involvement in what happened at the same time as admitting that some atrocities happened describing power struggles between him and fellow SS members. It is chilling that he mentions the building of the gas chambers matter of factly and seems to view what he has done as just following orders. This is fascinating and harrowing.

[Sharnae W · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a confronting read!
He described in great detail the psychology of imprisonment, from his personal experience and from watching the prisoners of the concentration camps. His account of how different prisoners (political, criminals, Jews, gypsies etc) reacted to their imprisonment is very interesting and in depth. He makes a great effort to convince the reader that he was never a bad man, or ever wanted to hurt people and was against the extermination of the Jews. However it is clear to see through his lies when he describes his devotion to the SS, his duties and the ideals of Nazism.

[John Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, I “enjoyed” this book even though considering the subject matter, “enjoyed” is not the best verbiage. Having said that, this book went back and forth to being extremely readable to being bogged down into the minutia of Nazi politics. More of a scholarly read than anything. A lot of the players were people I’ve never heard of. For every interaction with a Himmler-like individual, there were 5 other individuals I’ve never heard of.

[bubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this book by accident T^T, i wanted to read the one by hoss but it was pretty nice anyway. A lot of insight on the conditions in Auschwitz and some interesting facts as well.

[Agata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solidna pozycja, którą czyta się naprawdę szybko, głównie dzięki temu, że jest napisana w niezwykle ciekawy sposób. Nie jest to może typowa biografia, zawiera bowiem mnóstwo informacji na temat stosunku Hössa do nazistów, z którymi miał okazję współpracować, dzięki czemu daje nam obraz osobowości komendanta obozu Auschwitz.

[Alicja Czajkowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Szczegółowe omówienie kontekstów, w jakich żył u funkcjonował komendant. Trochę dużo o współpracownikach i koneksjach, natomiast rozumiem, że to także element właśnie kontekstu.