Rudolf Batz
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2021) |
Rudolf Batz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 November 1903 |
| Died | 8 February 1961 (aged 57) |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, Holocaust perpetrator |
Rudolf Batz (10 November 1903 – 8 February 1961) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era. From 1 July to 4 November 1941 he was the leader of Einsatzkommando 2 and as such was responsible for the mass murder of Jews and others in the Baltic states. Arrested in 1961, Batz committed suicide while in custody awaiting trial.
Biography
[edit]Batz was born in Bad Langensalza in Thuringia. After a course of studies in jurisprudence at the University of Göttingen, he joined the Nazi Party on 1 May 1933. On 10 December 1935 he joined the Schutzstaffel (SS). By 1942 he was promoted to the rank of Obersturmbannführer.
At the beginning of the German invasion of the Soviet Union he was the leader of a unit of about 40 men, Einsatzkommando 2 of Einsatzgruppe A, and was responsible for overseeing the mass murder of the Jews of the Baltic states. In 1943, Batz became commander of Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo; Security Police) in Kraków and shortly after that became the head of the Gestapo in Hanover.
After the war, Batz lived unrecognized for a long time in West Germany. He was arrested in 1961. Batz hanged himself in custody while awaiting trial.[1][2]
References
[edit]- ^ Perpetrating the Holocaust: Leaders, Enablers, and Collaborators. Abc-Clio. 11 January 2019. ISBN 9781440858970.
- ^ "Rudolf Batz". Clinton Daily News. 1961-02-12. p. 2. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
Sources
[edit]- Krausnick, Helmut and Wilhelm, Hans-Heinrich: Die Truppe des Weltanschauungskrieges: Stuttgart: DVA, 1981 ISBN 3-421-01987-8 (in German)
External links
[edit]- (in Italian) Biography and photograph at olokaustos.org Archived 2012-02-15 at the Wayback Machine
- 1903 births
- 1961 suicides
- 1961 deaths
- People from Bad Langensalza
- Holocaust perpetrators in Latvia
- Holocaust perpetrators in Lithuania
- Holocaust perpetrators in Estonia
- Holocaust perpetrators in Poland
- Einsatzgruppen personnel
- SS-Standartenführer
- Nazis who died by suicide in prison custody
- Nazis who died by suicide in Germany
- Gestapo personnel
- Suicides by hanging in Germany
- Lawyers in the Nazi Party
- University of Göttingen alumni
- Police of Nazi Germany
- Prisoners who died in German detention
- Suicides in West Germany