Erich Ehrlinger German war criminal, Nazi, member of the SS, Sonderkommando commander Date of Birth: 14.10.1910 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Erich Erlinger
2. Early Life and Education
3. SS and Einsatzgruppe
4. Mass Killings in the Baltics and Belarus
5. Post-War Life

Biography of Erich Erlinger

Erich Erlinger was a German military criminal, Nazi, SS member, and commander of the Sonderkommando. He is best known as the organizer of mass killings in the Baltic states and Belarus.

Early Life and Education

Erich was born in Giengen an der Brenz, a small town in southwest Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. In 1928, Erlinger completed his schooling in Heidenheim an der Brenz and then went on to study law in Tübingen, Kiel, and Berlin. While in Berlin, Erlinger joined the Sturmabteilung (SA) before returning to Tübingen.

During this time, nationalism and xenophobia were prevalent at the University of Tübingen, and there were no longer any Jewish professors by 1931. This environment greatly aided Erich in his future career. He was an active public figure and worked not only in Tübingen but also provided services to the party in other regions.

SS and Einsatzgruppe

In 1934, Erlinger completed his training and focused entirely on his work in the SA battalions, abandoning his legal career. He led the sports school of the SA battalions at Rieneck Castle.

In May 1935, Erlinger joined the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) and became an employee of the main office in Berlin. He worked for the SD during the annexation of Austria in 1938 and in Prague in 1939. During the invasion of Poland, Erlinger served in the headquarters of Einsatzgruppe IV.

Mass Killings in the Baltics and Belarus

In August 1940, Erlinger was transferred to Norway to serve in the Waffen-SS under the leadership of Franz Walter Stahlecker. In April 1941, he became the leader of one of the Sonderkommando units. Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Erlinger's unit was transferred to the Baltic region. Here, Erlinger organized mass killings of Jews in Kovno, Rositten, and Daugavpils. By his own admission, his unit executed more than 1,150 Jews by July 16, 1941. Erlinger personally oversaw these executions.

In December 1941, Erlinger was transferred to Belarus, where he continued his activities of organizing mass executions. It is known that Erlinger not only supervised the shootings but also took up arms himself when the shooters were not efficient enough. In September 1943, Erlinger became an SS-Standartenführer and was transferred to Minsk under the command of Ernst Kaltenbrunner. He actively encouraged his officers to directly participate in the executions, stating that only those who had personally taken part in the shootings were fit to lead the SS.

Post-War Life

After the war, Erlinger hid in Schleswig-Holstein for some time. In 1950, he moved with his family to Konstanz and found employment in a local casino. In 1952, Erlinger married for the second time and stopped using a false name. He was arrested in December 1958 and sentenced to 12 years in prison by the State Court of Karlsruhe. However, Erlinger appealed the verdict and was released in 1965. He passed away on July 31, 2004, at the age of 93.