Karl Ernst SA Gruppenführer, commander of the storm troop in Berlin (1933) Date of Birth: 01.09.1904 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Career
2. Rise in the SA
3. The Reichstag Fire
4. Night of the Long Knives
5. Execution

Karl Ernst: Nazi Stormtrooper and Victim of the Night of the Long Knives

Early Life and Career

Karl Ernst, a prominent figure in the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, was born in 1893. Before joining the NSDAP, he worked as a bellhop in a hotel and a bouncer at a gay club.

Rise in the SA

Ernst rose through the ranks of the SA, becoming a Gruppenführer. In early 1933, he was appointed commander of the Berlin stormtroopers.

The Reichstag Fire

Ernst's name is associated with the Reichstag Fire of February 27, 1933. While the official investigation concluded that Marinus van der Lubbe acted alone, many historians believe that a squad of stormtroopers under Ernst's command also participated in the arson.

Night of the Long Knives

On June 30, 1934, Ernst was arrested in Bremen with his wife and a friend as part of the Night of the Long Knives, a purge of the SA ordered by Hitler. They were taken to Berlin and handed over to the SS under Kurt Gildisch.

Execution

Ernst and his companions were executed later that evening. He was shot in the courtyard of the Leibstandarte barracks in Berlin, marking the end of his brief but tumultuous career within the Nazi regime.