Erich Bauer

Erich Bauer

Nazi, SS Oberscharführer
Date of Birth: 26.03.1900
Country: Germany

Biography of Erich Bauer

Erich Bauer, also known as 'Gasmeister' (Gas Master), was a Nazi Obersturmführer in the SS. He gained this nickname for his role in operating the gas chambers at the Sobibor concentration camp during World War II, where he personally exterminated Jews and Romani people as part of the fascist project known as 'Operation Reinhard'. Bauer joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in 1933, immediately followed by joining the stormtrooper units. Before his involvement in the Nazi regime, he worked as a tram conductor. In 1940, Bauer became involved in the 'T-4 Euthanasia Program', which aimed to eliminate physically and mentally disabled individuals using gas and poisonous injections. Initially, he worked as a regular driver but quickly rose through the ranks. Bauer later revealed that his driving skills were useful in one of the early mass killings, where he used the car's exhaust gases to kill several patients in a laboratory within eight minutes. In early 1942, Bauer was transferred to Poland and given the rank of Obersturmführer in the SS. In April, he was assigned to the Sobibor concentration camp, where he worked until December 1943. Contemporary accounts describe Bauer as a short, alcoholic individual who often wore dirty and unkempt clothing, in contrast to other clean and neatly dressed SS officers. In the camp, entertainment was limited, mostly consisting of various forms of mistreatment of the prisoners. Bauer, however, went beyond the usual beatings, flogging, and shooting of the inmates, and enjoyed tormenting Jews with dogs. The planned uprising in the camp was scheduled for October 14th, 1943, but almost failed because Bauer had decided to go for supplies on that day. However, he returned earlier than expected, discovering the body of SS officer Kurt Beckman and opening fire, which became the signal for the start of the uprising. Bauer was arrested in Austria towards the end of the war, and he was handed over to a prisoner-of-war camp by American forces. However, he did not remain in captivity for long and quickly returned to Berlin, finding a new, more peaceful job. Bauer was arrested again in 1949 after encountering two Jewish individuals who had been inmates in his concentration camp. During the trial, Bauer initially claimed that he had only worked as a regular driver delivering supplies to the prisoners and guards at Sobibor. While he admitted to being aware of the mass killings in the camp, he refused to confess his involvement. The main witnesses, former camp guards Hubert Gomerski and Johan Klier, supported his version of events. However, the testimony of four Jewish prisoners who had escaped from the camp shattered his defense, as they identified Bauer as the former Gas Master. On May 8th, 1950, Bauer was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment. While in prison, he confessed to his crimes and even provided testimony against several of his former colleagues. Erich Bauer died in prison on February 4th, 1980.

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