Educational purpose only. This post documents historical events related to World War II and condemns the Nazi regime, war crimes, and all totalitarian ideologies. We do not glorify violence or hate.
The Trial and Execution of Elisabeth Volkenrath: The Notorious Female SS Guard at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen
Elisabeth Volkenrath, another young and infamous female SS supervisor, earned a reputation for cold-blooded brutality in the Nazi concentration camp system. Often described as striking with her blonde hair and stern demeanor, she rose to the position of Oberaufseherin (senior overseer) and became one of the most feared guards at Auschwitz-Birkenau and later Bergen-Belsen. Born on September 5, 1921, in Schönau, Germany, Volkenrath exemplified how the Nazi regime turned young people into instruments of mass murder.
Captured after the war, she faced justice in the same high-profile trial as Irma Grese. Her story is a stark example of unchecked cruelty by camp personnel.
1. Early Life and Rise in the SS
Volkenrath came from a modest background and joined the SS auxiliary forces in 1941 at the age of 20. She began her service at Ravensbrück, the main training camp for female guards, before being transferred to Auschwitz in 1942-1943. There, she quickly advanced due to her strict discipline and willingness to use violence.
By 1944, she held senior roles supervising prisoner work details, barracks, and selections. She was later moved to Bergen-Belsen in early 1945 as the war turned against Germany.
2. Sickening Crimes at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen
At Auschwitz-Birkenau, Volkenrath participated in the daily machinery of death. She was accused of:
- Participating in selections for the gas chambers.
- Administering savage beatings with whips, sticks, or her bare hands, often targeting weak or sick prisoners.
- Enforcing brutal roll calls (Appell) that lasted for hours in extreme weather, leading to many deaths from exhaustion.
- Overseeing prisoner punishments and collaborating in the camp’s terror system.
At Bergen-Belsen, conditions were catastrophic with typhus epidemics and starvation. Volkenrath continued her tyrannical rule, showing indifference to the suffering around her. Survivors recalled her as particularly vicious and uncompromising.
Like others in her position, she operated with a sense of absolute power, contributing directly to the deaths of countless innocent people.
3. The Bergen-Belsen Trial
Arrested by British troops in April 1945, Volkenrath was tried in the Bergen-Belsen trials alongside Irma Grese, Josef Kramer, and others. The court heard extensive testimony from survivors detailing her role in atrocities. She defended herself by claiming obedience to orders but showed little genuine remorse during proceedings.
The evidence, including eyewitness accounts of specific murders and mistreatment, led to her conviction for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
4. The Verdict and Execution
On November 17, 1945, Elisabeth Volkenrath was sentenced to death by hanging. At only 24 years old, she was executed on December 13, 1945, at Hameln Prison by British executioner Albert Pierrepoint — the same day as Irma Grese and several others. Reports noted her composed, almost defiant attitude as she faced her fate.
Her execution was part of the broader effort to deliver justice for the horrors of the concentration camps.
5. A Historical Lesson
Elisabeth Volkenrath’s case demonstrates how the Nazi concentration camp system relied on a network of young, ideologically driven guards who carried out orders with enthusiasm. Her youth did not lessen her responsibility — it highlighted the regime’s success in corrupting an entire generation.
Remembering figures like Volkenrath ensures we confront the reality of how ordinary people can commit extraordinary evil under totalitarian pressure, reinforcing the need for vigilance against hatred and authoritarianism today.
Primary Sources:
- Bergen-Belsen Trial transcripts (1945)
- Testimonies from Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen survivors
- SS personnel records and post-war Allied investigations
- Historical studies on female SS guards