Maria Mandel ( Münzkirchen , Austria , October to January of 1912 - Krakow , Poland , 24 of January of 1948 ) was a female guard of the Nazi SS high rank in the death camp of Auschwitz ( Poland ). She was responsible for the death of approximately 500,000 civilian women, including Jews , Gypsies and political prisoners . It was executed for crimes against humanity .
Biography
Beginnings as a Nazi Guard
Born in Münzkirchen ( Austria ), Maria Mandel began the prison guard career in Lichtenburg ( Saxony ) in 1938 , along with fifty other women. In 1939 , it was transferred to the newly constructed Ravensbrück concentration camp , near Berlin . Her work quickly impressed her superiors, who promoted her to SS-Oberaufseherin (Senior Supervisor) in July 1942 . At Ravensbruck he supervised the daily calls of the prisoners, the duties of the common guards, and prescribed punishments such as spanking and beatings.
Mandel in Auschwitz
The 7 of October of 1942 , Maria Mandel was transferred to the camp of Auschwitz ( Poland ) where he was promoted to SS-Lagerführerin (Head of Field), a position command itself just below the camp commandant, Rudolf Höß . There he directly controlled all the female camps and subfields of Auschwitz and his power over the prisoners and their subordinates was absolute. Mary had sympathy for another guardian notorious SS , Irma Grese , who was promoted to head of the field of Jewish Hungarian in Auschwitz-Birkenau , Annex Auschwitz extermination complex.
The Beast of Auschwitz
According to testimony, one of his favorite pastimes was to stand in front of the entrance gate of Birkenau , waiting to see if any prisoners turned to look at it: whoever did it was taken off the field and never seen again. [ Citation needed ]
At Auschwitz , he was known as “the Beast” and for two years was responsible for selecting prisoners for gas chambers , among other atrocities. He would pick some prisoners as pets until they were tired of them and then send them to the gas chamber. Another hobby was to choose the children who were to be executed. It was she who created the famous Auschwitz orchestra, composed of prisoners, that accompanied the daily counts, executions, selections and transports. He also signed orders, sending an estimated 500,000 women and children to the camps of the Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II camps.
Escape from Dachau
In November 1944 , Maria Mandel was sent to the subfield of Mühldorf in the Dachau concentration camp , where he stayed until May 1945 , when he left the field when approaching the Allies .
He fled through the mountains of southern Bavaria to his hometown, Münzkirchen ( Austria ). But they found her.
Arrest and end of his days
She was arrested in Austria on October of August of 1945 by the US and after several interrogations, which was ascertained his intelligence and his special dedication to work in concentration camps, he was extradited to Poland . In November 1947 , after spending two years in custody of the Allies of World War II , he was tried for crimes against humanity by a court in Krakow and sentenced to death. He was hanged on 24 as January as 1948 , at age 36.