The Dachau concentration camp trial opened on November 2, 1945 in Dachau, Germany. Forty individuals who had participated in the operation of the Dachau concentration camp were charged with the murder and mistreatment of foreign nationals imprisoned there. Among those charged were Martin Gottfried Weiss, the camp commandant from 1942-1943; Dr. Klaus Karl Schilling, an SS physician who was brought to Dachau to find a method of immunizing people against malaria; and three former prisoners. The trial lasted from November 15 to December 13, 1945, with seventy witnesses called for the prosecution and fifty witnesses called for the defense. All forty defendants were found guilty, with thirty-six being sentenced to death by hanging (including Weiss and Schilling), one sentenced to hard labor for life, and three sentenced to hard labor for ten years. A few of the sentences were reduced after a review board determined the defendants were involved to a lesser degree than originally believed, but most were upheld. Weiss was executed on May 29, 1946 and Schilling on May 28, 1946, both in Landsberg Prison.

[–] Infernal_pizza@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Anyone know anything about the 3 former prisoners and what they were charged with?

[–] AugustWest@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Here are the charges and testimonies of all tried of everyone tried, if you want to deep dive. I skimmed very briefly and only found 1 of the prisoners on 118-119. Didn’t have time to look for the other 2.

The very brief overview from Wikipedia is “Two of the three prisoner functionaries were accused of mistreating and killing prisoners. The other was accused of participating in executions.”

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I imagine they were "kapos," a term which I first came across in Spiegelman's legendary Maus. It was an upper position (often filled by non Jews) amongst prisoners who oversaw other prisoners, and my sense is that it was pretty ordinary for them to lord their petty little bit of power over Jews at these concentration camps.

Some examples:
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22maus%22+%22kapo%22&udm=2

@Infernal_pizza@lemmy.world @lemmy.world

[–] Infernal_pizza@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Wow I can’t believe I’ve never heard of that before. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me but I find it baffling that even when suffering under the worst conditions imaginable some people still found a way to make it worse for others

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Exactly my thought, altho TBF I think the situation had some complexities to it. For example, as prisoners slated to eventually be exterminated themselves, the kapos lived in fear just like the others, and it's not surprising to me that some would be abusive where they could. ("shit rolls downhill" and all that)

Also, the better and more ruthless you were as a kapo, likely the better the Nazi guards liked you and gave you special perks, like your own room, better food, and a longer stay of death.

I'd strongly recommend reading Maus if you can. It's the greatest graphic novel of all time IMO.

[–] Infernal_pizza@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah I replied to you before I saw the parent comment with the court documents. Obviously what they did was wrong, and I like to think I’d have acted differently, but would I actually if I’d already spent years in a concentration camp like they did? I can’t even imagine what that does to you mentally. Just because what they did was wrong doesn’t mean they weren’t also victims themselves, but then that also doesn’t completely excuse it.

I’m not usually a graphic novel fan but I might check out Maus at some point if it’s that good

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago

You stated it perfectly IMO.

Seriously, if there's a situation that could alter the psychology and ethics of a person...

[–] Infernal_pizza@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Thanks for the source, if you're interested the relevant entries are Christof Ludwig Knoll on pages 47 and 107, Fritz M K Becher on pages 63 and 118, and Emil Erwin Mahl on pages 71 and 123. Looks like Mahl was sentenced to 10 years hard labour and the other 2 received the death sentence, but I don’t know if that’s what actually happened or if that’s just what the court recommended. That’s at the top of page 166.