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Rudolf DielsHead of the political department (1A) of the Berlin police, first chief of the Gestapo.
Date of Birth: 16.12.1900
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Rudolf Diels: The Ambiguous Figure of the Gestapo
- Rise to Prominence
- The Birth of the Gestapo
- Fall from Grace
- Exile and Purges
- Imprisonment and Post-War Life
Rudolf Diels: The Ambiguous Figure of the Gestapo
Early Life and CareerRudolf Diels was born on December 16, 1900, in Berghausen, Germany. He studied at the University of Hamburg, where he became a member of a popular student fraternity. Known for his jovial demeanor, drinking ability, and womanizing, Diels exhibited a carefree and opportunistic nature.
Upon graduation, Diels joined the Berlin Police Department, specifically its Political Department (1A). During the Weimar Republic, 1A aggressively pursued members of various Nazi organizations.
Rise to Prominence
Diels' keen political intuition and lack of ideological moorings allowed him to sense the shifting political winds in Germany. He ingratiated himself with Hermann Göring, the President of the Reichstag, and became his close associate. Diels provided Göring with confidential dossiers that could discredit his opponents and assisted in his financial speculations on the stock market.
The Birth of the Gestapo
With the Nazis' rise to power, Diels was appointed head of the Prussian Secret Police. On April 26, 1933, he became deputy head of the newly formed Gestapo under Göring's command. In June 1933, Diels was appointed head of Department 1A of the Prussian State Police.
Fall from Grace
In September 1933, amidst growing scandals over the Gestapo's brutality, Diels was dismissed from his post but was reinstated the same day as deputy head of the Berlin police. However, his patronage by Göring made him a target in the power struggle between Göring and Heinrich Himmler, both of whom sought to control the unified secret police.
Exile and Purges
In the face of mounting pressure, Diels fled to Czechoslovakia in 1934. When Himmler gained full control of the Gestapo, he purged Diels, who was married to Göring's niece. Diels was forced to take on different positions, including Deputy Police Commissioner of Berlin, Executive President of Cologne, and manager of coastal shipping at the Hermann Göring Concern.
Imprisonment and Post-War Life
After the failed July 20, 1944, plot against Hitler, Diels was arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo. Miraculously, he survived the collapse of the Third Reich. Following World War II, he served as a provincial governor in Lower Saxony. Diels died in 1957, leaving behind a complex legacy marred by both opportunism and intrigue.
