Fritz Sauckel German statesman and politician Date of Birth: 27.10.1894 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Fritz Sauckel
2. Early Life and Career
3. Rise to Power
4. Role in World War II
5. Nuremberg Trials and Execution

Biography of Fritz Sauckel

Fritz Sauckel was a German politician and state official. He was born on October 27, 1894, and passed away on October 16, 1946. Sauckel played a significant role in the Nazi regime, particularly in organizing the systematic enslavement of millions of people in the occupied territories of Nazi Germany.

Early Life and Career

Fritz Sauckel was born on October 27, 1894, in Hassfurt, Germany. He was the only child of a postman and a seamstress. After receiving primary education in several local schools, Fritz did not complete his secondary education due to his mother's illness. At the age of 15, he joined the Norwegian and Swedish navies, serving on various ships. He eventually became a first-class sailor and traveled around the world.

During the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Sauckel was on a German ship bound for Australia when it was captured in a French port. He was interned in France from August 1914 until November 1919, after which he returned to Germany. Sauckel found work in a factory in Schweinfurt and pursued engineering studies in Ilmenau from 1922 to 1923. In 1924, he married Elizabeth Vetsel, with whom he had ten children.

Rise to Power

In early March of the following year, Sauckel was appointed Gaugeschaftsleiter. On September 20, 1927, he became the Gauleiter of Thuringia and, by 1929, was named a member of the regional government. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, Sauckel was appointed Reichsstatthalter of Thuringia. A year later, he was bestowed the honorary rank of Obergruppenführer in the SA and SS.

Role in World War II

During World War II, Fritz Sauckel became the Reich Commissioner for the Defense of the Kassel District. Following a recommendation from Albert Speer, he was appointed the General Plenipotentiary for Labor on March 21, 1942, working under the direct command of Adolf Hitler. Sauckel was responsible for overseeing and controlling German labor for Hitler's Four-Year Plan.

Facing a labor shortage, Sauckel began using voluntary labor from occupied territories. However, due to a lack of response, he implemented forced recruitment measures. Out of the 5 million brought to Germany, the majority from eastern territories, only 200,000 were volunteers, while the rest were compelled to follow.

Nuremberg Trials and Execution

In May 1945, Fritz Sauckel was arrested, and during the Nuremberg Trials, he was charged with conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity, planning and waging aggressive war, and committing war crimes. He defended the "labor service" program, claiming it had nothing to do with exploitation. Sauckel described the methods of coercion as part of an economic process that facilitated the supply of labor.

Despite his denial of the harsh treatment and deadly conditions imposed on workers, Sauckel was sentenced to death by hanging. On October 16, 1946, at the age of 51, he was executed along with several other Nazi colleagues. His last words were, "I die innocent. The verdict is unjust. God protect Germany!"