Ernst Kaltenbrunner

Ernst Kaltenbrunner

Head of the Main Directorate of Reich Security of the SS
Date of Birth: 04.10.1903
Country: Germany

Content:
  1. Biography of Ernst Kaltenbrunner
  2. Early Life and Education
  3. Nazi Activism and Imprisonment
  4. Rise in the Nazi Regime
  5. Trial and Execution

Biography of Ernst Kaltenbrunner

Ernst Kaltenbrunner was the Chief of the Main Security Office of the SS and the State Secretary of the Imperial Ministry of the Interior in Germany from 1943 to 1945. He held the rank of Obergruppenführer in the SS and General of Police in 1943, and later became a General in the SS troops in 1944. His NSDAP membership number was 300179, and his SS number was 13039.

Early Life and Education

Kaltenbrunner was born into a family of lawyers. He studied at the University of Graz, initially pursuing a degree in chemistry before switching to law. In 1926, he obtained a doctorate in jurisprudence. After completing his education, he practiced law in Linz. However, he soon became involved in the political activities of the Nazis, joining the Austrian NSDAP in October 1930 and the SS in August 1931.

Nazi Activism and Imprisonment

Due to his Nazi activities, Kaltenbrunner was arrested by the Austrian authorities and was held in custody from January to April 1934. In May 1935, he was arrested again, this time on suspicion of treason. However, he was only sentenced to six months of imprisonment and was prohibited from practicing law. As a result of these arrests, he was awarded the NSDAP party award, the "Blood Order." Kaltenbrunner also participated in the failed coup of 1934, during which the Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss was killed by the Nazis.

Rise in the Nazi Regime

After the Anschluss in 1938, Kaltenbrunner rapidly advanced in the Gestapo. He was responsible for, among other things, the concentration camps. On January 30, 1943, he replaced Reinhard Heydrich, who was assassinated in Prague in the summer of 1942, as the Chief of the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA).

Trial and Execution

At the end of World War II, Kaltenbrunner was arrested by the Americans in Austria and faced trial before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. He was found guilty of numerous crimes against civilians and prisoners of war and was sentenced to death by hanging. On October 16, 1946, his sentence was carried out. Before the hood was placed over his head, Kaltenbrunner uttered the words, "Be happy, Germany!" (Deutschland, Glück auf!), a traditional saying used by miners descending into the depths of a mine.

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