This article explains why five female SS guards at the Stutthof concentration camp were publicly executed on a huge gallows on July 4, 1946, before a crowd of 200,000 people in Gdańsk, Poland. The content is for educational and historical documentation only, based on court records, contemporary newspapers, and witness testimonies. It does not aim to glorify violence or advocate for any political ideology.
Why Were Female Stutthof Guards Executed on a Huge Gallows?
On July 4, 1946, at Biskupia Górka (Bald Mountain) near Gdańsk, Poland, a massive crowd estimated at approximately 200,000 people gathered to witness an unprecedented event. Eleven Nazi war criminals – former SS personnel and guards of the Stutthof concentration camp – were publicly executed by hanging . Among them were five notorious female guards: Jenny-Wanda Barkmann, Ewa Paradies, Elisabeth Becker, Gerda Steinhoff, and Wanda Klaff . The gallows erected for this event was not an ordinary gallows. It was a massive structure, visible from a great distance. Why was this the case? This article will explain the reasons behind the gallows’ size, as well as the historical context of the Stutthof executions.
1. The Stutthof Concentration Camp and Its Brutality
The Stutthof concentration camp was established shortly after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939 . It was the first concentration camp built outside Germany’s borders. Although initially a labor camp, Stutthof evolved into a center for mass execution and murder. Throughout the war, over 100,000 prisoners passed through the camp, and at least 60,000 died from starvation, disease, forced labor, lethal injections, gas chambers, and executions .
The female SS guards at Stutthof were notorious for their particular brutality. They beat prisoners, participated in “selections” for the gas chambers, and unleashed dogs on weakened inmates. Survivors testified to their cruelty at post-war trials.
2. The Stutthof Trial (1946) and the Sentences
After the war, the Polish authorities conducted the First Stutthof Trial in Gdańsk. Thirteen former SS personnel and guards – including both men and women – were tried before the Special Criminal Court in Gdańsk . They were charged with crimes against humanity, torture, and murder of prisoners.
On July 4, 1946, the court delivered its verdict: 11 defendants were sentenced to death, one received life imprisonment, and others received shorter sentences . Among those sentenced to death were five female guards. The sentences were carried out that same day.
3. The Huge Gallows: A Message to the Public
So why was the gallows so large? There are three main reasons:
A. Crowd Capacity and Visibility
The enormous gallows were designed to be visible to thousands of people. An estimated 200,000 people gathered to witness the execution . A tall gallows, erected on a hill, ensured that even those at the back of the crowd could see justice being served. It was not merely an execution tool; it was a stage for justice.
B. Multiple Executions at Once
Eleven people were executed on the same day . The gallows needed to be large enough to accommodate multiple nooses simultaneously or to process multiple prisoners efficiently. Some sources indicate that male prisoners were hanged in pairs, while female prisoners were hanged individually . Regardless, the scale of the structure reflected the scale of the justice being delivered.
C. Deterrence and Symbolism
In the post-war period, Poland was rebuilding. Public executions were a powerful message to anyone who had collaborated with the Nazis or still harbored fascist ideals. A massive gallows, visible from afar, served as a symbol of justice and retribution. It signaled that the Nazi occupation was over and that crimes would not be forgiven.
4. The Female Guards Executed and Their “20 Minutes of Agony”
Jenny-Wanda Barkmann, one of the most infamous female guards, was nicknamed the “Beautiful Spectre” by prisoners because of her youthful appearance and her brutality . She was convicted of beating prisoners and participating in executions. According to reports, she struggled on the rope for over 20 minutes before dying . The other women – Ewa Paradies, Elisabeth Becker, Gerda Steinhoff, and Wanda Klaff – had similarly grim final moments.
5. Differences Between Male and Female Executions
Although both men and women were executed on the same day, there were some differences in procedure. Male prisoners were hanged in pairs, while female prisoners were hanged individually . The reason for this difference is not entirely clear, but it may reflect the era’s perceptions of differences between male and female prisoners, or it may simply have been a procedural decision.
6. Public Execution as a Form of Justice
Public executions were not uncommon in post-World War II Europe. They were seen as a way to allow the public to witness justice being served and to deter future atrocities. However, by the end of the 20th century, most European countries had abolished public executions, viewing them as barbaric and inhumane.
7. The Legacy of the Stutthof Executions
The 1946 executions marked a turning point in Polish judicial history. They were one of the first post-war war crimes trials and set an important precedent. They also reminded the public of the truth about the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes.
Today, the photographs of the huge gallows and the massive crowd serve as a haunting reminder of that period. Although the female Stutthof guards are dead, the questions about justice, revenge, and the nature of capital punishment continue to be debated.
8. A Gallows Built to Send a Message
The enormous size of the gallows at the Stutthof executions was not accidental. It was designed to send a clear and powerful message to the Polish public and the rest of the world. That message was: Justice has been served, the Nazis have been defeated, and the brutal will not be forgiven.
For the survivors of Stutthof, watching the guards executed was a small form of justice – a closing of a painful chapter in their lives. For the wider world, it was a reminder of the brutality that can occur when a totalitarian ideology is allowed to rage unchecked.
Primary Sources:
First Stutthof Trial records (1946) – Special Criminal Court in Gdańsk
Stutthof Museum – Archival materials and testimonies (Sztutowo, Poland)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) – Stutthof camp records
Wikipedia – Stutthof trials / Stutthof concentration camp
Contemporary press – Gazeta Wyborcza, July 1946 reports
IPN (Institute of National Remembrance, Poland) – War crimes trial archives