Hermann Michel (; 20 February 1909 – 8 August 1984?), sometimes referred to as "Preacher", was a
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
and ''
SS-
Oberscharführer __NOTOC__
''Oberscharführer'' (, ) was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between 1932 and 1945. ''Oberscharführer'' was first used as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and was created due to an expansion of the enlisted positions ...
'' (Staff Sergeant). During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, he participated in the extermination of
Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
s at the
Sobibór extermination camp
Sobibor (, Polish: ) was an extermination camp built and operated by Nazi Germany as part of Operation Reinhard. It was located in the forest near the village of Żłobek Duży in the General Government region of German-occupied Poland.
As a ...
during the Nazi operation known as ''
Aktion Reinhard
or ''Einsatz Reinhard''
, location = Occupied Poland
, date = October 1941 – November 1943
, incident_type = Mass deportations to extermination camps
, perpetrators = Odilo Globočnik, Hermann Höfle, Richard Thomalla, Erwi ...
''. According to the Majdanek Museum, a different person named Hermann Michel, born 23.04.1912 in
Passau, served at Buchenwald, Majdanek and Sachsenhausen. This person was killed in 1944.
Biography
Hermann Michel was born either in 1906 or 1909. His exact location of origin is not clear. In the mid-1930s, he began working as a
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
at the
Berlin-Buch medical center. By the late 1930s, along with
Franz Stangl
Franz Paul Stangl (; 26 March 1908 – 28 June 1971) was an Austrian-born police officer and commandant of the Nazi extermination camps Sobibor and Treblinka. Stangl, an employee of the T-4 Euthanasia Program and an SS commander in Nazi German ...
and
Christian Wirth
), Christian the CruelZenter, Christian and Bedürftig, Friedemann (1991). ''Encyclopedia of the Third Reich'' (pg. 1053), New York: Macmillan;
, allegiance =
, branch = Schutzstaffel
, serviceyears =
, rank = Sturmbannführer (Major)
, ...
, he was working as a head nurse at
Hartheim killing center, where the physically and mentally disabled were exterminated by gassing and lethal injection as part of the
T-4 Euthanasia Program.
[Nizkor Web Site]
Retrieved on 2009-04-09
In April 1942, ''SS-
Obersturmführer
__NOTOC__
(, ; short: ''Ostuf'') was a Nazi Germany paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organisations, such as the SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK.
The rank of ''Obersturmführer'' was first created in 1932 as the result of an expa ...
'' (First Lieutenant) Franz Stangl was appointed commander of
Sobibor
Sobibor (, Polish: ) was an extermination camp built and operated by Nazi Germany as part of Operation Reinhard. It was located in the forest near the village of Żłobek Duży in the General Government region of German-occupied Poland.
As an ...
. Stangl appointed ''SS-Oberscharführer'' Hermann Michel as his deputy, due to their prior work relationship and his extensive experience in the enforced
euthanasia programs.
Hermann Michel is described as a tall, graceful man with delicate features and a pleasant voice. His polite and refined speech earned him the nickname "Preacher".
[
Ada Lichtman, a Sobibór survivor, described how Hermann Michel deceived the new arrivals:
]We heard word for word how Oberscharführer Michel, standing on a small table, convinced the people to calm down. He promised them that after the baths all their belongings would be returned to them and that it was time for Jews to become a productive element. At present all of them would be going to the Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
to live and work. This address aroused confidence and enthusiasm among the people. They applauded spontaneously and sometimes even danced and sang.Yitzhak Arad
Yitzhak Arad ( he, יצחק ארד; né Icchak Rudnicki; November 11, 1926 – May 6, 2021) was an Israeli historian, author, IDF brigadier general and Soviet partisan. He also served as Yad Vashem's director from 1972 to 1993, and specialised ...
(1987). ''Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka: The Operation Reinhard Death Camps'', Bloomington: Indiana University Press, pp. 76-77
After this convincing speech, the pacified prisoners were directed to hand in their valuables, undress and receive a hair-cut prior to being forced into the gas chambers.
''SS-Oberscharführer'' Kurt Bolender
Heinz Kurt Bolender (21 May 1912 – 10 October 1966) was an SS sergeant during the Nazi era. In 1942, he operated the gas chambers at Sobibór extermination camp, perpetrating acts of genocide against Jews and Romani people during Operati ...
, Commander of Sobibór Camp 3, testified at his trial as to how the extermination process operated:
On 14 October 1943, there was a successful uprising and escape of Jewish prisoners at Sobibór. The destruction of Sobibór caused ''Aktion Reinhard'' to come to an end. The surviving 125 Sobibór camp SS personnel, including Hermann Michel, were transferred to Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, to conduct Nazi security warfare
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
against alleged partisans. While in prison in 1971, Franz Stangl
Franz Paul Stangl (; 26 March 1908 – 28 June 1971) was an Austrian-born police officer and commandant of the Nazi extermination camps Sobibor and Treblinka. Stangl, an employee of the T-4 Euthanasia Program and an SS commander in Nazi German ...
stated in an interview, "We were an embarrassment to our uperiors They wanted to find ways and means to 'incinerate' us." It was believed by Franz Stangl that Hermann Michel survived World War II and escaped to Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, although this has never been proven. [ Gitta Sereny. ''Into That Darkness: An Examination of Conscience.'' Vintage, 1983.]
Some sources suggest that Hermann Michel died on 8 August 1984 in Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
but it has never been conclusively proven.[Sobibor Interviews: Biographies of SS-men]
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michel, Hermann
1909 births
1984 deaths
Year of death uncertain
People from Neu-Ulm (district)
Aktion T4 personnel
German nurses
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria
Sobibor extermination camp personnel
SS non-commissioned officers