10 Wicked Women in Nazi Concentration Camps

Introduction: Within the grim history of Nazi concentration camps, the involvement of women is often overlooked. However, more than 5,500 female guards served in these camps, displaying ferocious sternness, an unyielding heart, and the capacity for unspeakable brutality. This article presents a list of 10 wicked women who left an indelible mark on the darkest chapter of human history.

10. Wanda Klaff

The Jam Factory Worker Turned Sadistic Guard Wanda Klaff, who previously worked at a jam factory, eagerly joined Stutthoff when war broke out. For a year, she committed sadistic abuses against prisoners. After her arrest in 1945, Klaff was sentenced to death for her inhumane crimes. During her trial, she claimed intelligence and dedication to her work, but her actions spoke louder. She was publicly hanged on July 4, 1946.

9. Dorothea Binz (‘The Binz’)

The Ruthless Deputy Chief Wardress Dorothea Binz began her career as a maid but sought a different path. Rising through the ranks, she became the deputy chief wardress at Ravensbruck and later at Buchenwald. Witnesses testified to her unyielding brutality, beating, stomping, shooting, whipping, and slapping female prisoners under her command. Binz was executed on May 2, 1947, for her crimes.

8. Greta Bosel

The Nurse Turned Murderer Greta Bosel, an ironic and tragic figure, started as a nurse but ended up involved in killing. As a "work input overseer" at Ravenbruck, she had the authority to decide which prisoners should be immediately killed by gassing. Captured after the Soviet Red Army approached, Bosel faced trial and execution on May 3, 1945.

7. Alice Orlowski

The Brutal Overseer With a Change of Heart At Majdanek, Alice Orlowski was notorious for her brutality. She devised unique torture practices, such as whipping prisoners across the eyes, rendering them unfit for work and leading to their execution. However, as the war neared its end, her behavior surprisingly changed. While on the death march from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Lolau, she comforted prisoners, provided water, and even slept alongside them. Released in 1957 after serving ten years, Orlowski faced a second trial in 1976 but died before it concluded.

6. Ilse Koch (‘The Witch Of Buchenwald’ or ‘The Bitch Of Buchenwald’ & ‘The Beast Of Buchenwald’)

The Infamous Collector of Human Skin Ilse Koch, the wife of Buchenwald and later Majdanek commander Karl Koch, earned notorious titles for her sadistic acts. She would skin the tattooed parts of murdered prisoners' bodies and turn them into souvenirs like lampshades or book covers. Koch took pleasure in watching others being tortured and raped, often encouraging such acts. After her arrest in 1943, she was freed but later arrested by US authorities. Koch served four years in prison, was released, retried in 1951, and ultimately committed suicide in prison at the age of 60.

5. Juana Bormann (‘Wiesel’ or ‘The Woman With The Dogs’)

The Abusive Overseer Juana Bormann joined the SS in 1939 to earn more money, but her sadistic nature emerged. Known for her German shepherd, which she used to torture prisoners, she exhibited cruelty in Ravensbruck, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen. Bormann was prosecuted, convicted of murder, and executed on December 13, 1945, along with her comrades.

4. Herta Bothe (‘The Sadist Of Stutthoff’)

A Defiant Guard Herta Bothe, serving at the Stutthoff camp near Danzig, gained notoriety for her defiant attitude even sixty years after the war. While spared due to her less brutal crimes, she received a ten-year prison sentence. Bothe recalled the horrors of burying dead bodies without gloves or masks, experiencing the decomposed bodies falling apart in her hands. At 90 years old, Bothe is still alive.

3. Hildegard Lächert (‘Bloody Brigette’ & ‘Beast’)

The Savage Nurse Hildegard Lächert, a former nurse, served in Ravensbruck, Majdanek, and Auschwitz. Her savage nature earned her the nickname "Bloody Brigette." After being sentenced to fifteen years in prison, she was released in 1956. However, in 1975, she was convicted of additional crimes, resulting in twelve more years of imprisonment.

2. Ruth Neudeck

The Cold-Blooded Brutal Guard Ruth Neudeck arrived at Ravensbruck in 1944 as a trainee and swiftly impressed her superiors with her cold-blooded brutality. Witnessed cutting an inmate's throat with the sharp edge of her shovel, Neudeck became notorious as one of the worst female guards. She was found guilty of selecting and executing 5,000 women and children, leading to her death sentence by hanging.

1. Maria Mandel (‘The Beast’)

The High Commandant of Auschwitz-Birkenau Maria Mandel, responsible for the deaths of half a million prisoners, served in various camps before becoming the highest commandant at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Known as 'the beast,' Mandel ruthlessly selected victims, dragged them out of line, and had them murdered. She took pleasure in selecting children for death and even created the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz to enhance the efficiency of exterminations. Mandel paid for her inhumanity with her life, executed on January 24, 1948.

Conclusion

These ten notorious women left an indelible mark on the history of Nazi concentration camps. Their ferocity, sadism, and acts of unspeakable cruelty serve as a chilling reminder of the depths of human depravity. Remembering their crimes is crucial to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.