 |
Otto BradfischNazi war criminal, German economist and lawyer, SS Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel)
Date of Birth: 10.05.1903
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Otto Bradfisch: A Nazi War Criminal
- Early Life and Education
- Political and Professional Career
- Service in the Gestapo and Einsatzkommando 8
- Mayor of Łódź and Chief of Police in Potsdam
- Post-War Years
- Trial and Imprisonment
- Later Life and Death
Otto Bradfisch: A Nazi War Criminal
Otto Bradfisch was a German economist, lawyer, and SS officer who played a central role in the Holocaust during World War II.
Early Life and Education
Born on May 10, 1903, in Zweibrücken, Bavaria, Bradfisch completed his secondary education in Kaiserslautern before pursuing a degree in economics at the universities of Freiburg, Leipzig, Heidelberg, and Innsbruck. In 1926, he earned his doctorate in economics. To improve his career prospects, he later studied law in Erlangen and Munich, graduating with a law degree at the age of 30.
Political and Professional Career
Bradfisch initially worked as a legal adviser for the Upper Bavarian government and subsequently as an official in the Bavarian State Ministry for the Interior. In 1931, he joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) and served as local group leader (Ortsgruppenleiter) in Munich-Freising. In 1938, he became a member of the SS and the National Socialist Motor Corps, a paramilitary organization within the NSDAP.
Service in the Gestapo and Einsatzkommando 8
In 1937, Bradfisch joined the Gestapo (secret police) and возглавлял государственную полицию in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse. In June 1941, he was appointed commander of Einsatzkommando 8, one of four special task forces deployed during the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Einsatzkommando 8's mission was to secure order behind the advancing German armies, carry out police tasks, and "specially treat potential adversaries," which included the physical elimination of Soviet officials, communists, saboteurs, and other perceived threats. Bradfisch led EK 8 and was directly responsible for numerous mass executions, including the killing of thousands of women, children, and elderly.
Mayor of Łódź and Chief of Police in Potsdam
In April 1942, Bradfisch was transferred to Łódź, Poland, where he became chief of police and later mayor. In this capacity, he oversaw the deportation of Jews to death camps. In December 1944, he was appointed chief of the secret police and SD in Potsdam, Germany. He remained in this position until the end of the war, when he managed to flee westward with forged documents.
Post-War Years
After his capture and brief imprisonment by the Americans, Bradfisch assumed the false identity of Karl Evers and managed to avoid detection until 1958. He worked in various occupations, including farming, mining, and insurance.
Trial and Imprisonment
In 1958, Bradfisch was arrested and charged with war crimes. He was convicted in 1961 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, a sentence later extended to 13 years. He was released in 1972.
Later Life and Death
Otto Bradfisch lived to old age and passed away on June 22, 1994, in Seeshaupt, Germany, at the age of 91.
