Hans Schleif

Hans Philipp Oswald Schleif(23 February 1902 inWiesbaden– 27 April 1945 inBerlin) was a German architect, architectural and classical archaeologist and member of theSS(member number 264,124), last occupying the rank ofStandartenführer(since 30 January 1945). He was a member of theNazi Partysince 1937, with membership number 5,380,876.

Archaeological projects

Greece

In 1936, the government of Germany provided a considerable sum of money to reactivate a moribund project of archaeological excavation on the site ofOlympia, Greece.Schleif was chosen as one of the principal archaeologists in this prestigious project.His Greek work produced a number of books, notablyAlt-Olympia(1935),Alt-Athen(part one 1937; part two 1939) andErechtheion(1942).

Poland

In 1939, Schleif worked as "General Trustee for securing of German cultural goods in the former Polish territory" together withErnst Petersenin the plunder of theWarsawarchaeological museum inŁazienki Park.He transported five crate loads toPoznańon 30 November, after Standartenführer Mühlmann had given the order for such activity to cease, and founded a new collection and museum in Poznań. He was suspended in September 1940 from the position of a general trustee in Poznań due to his misunderstanding of his function, because the Gestapo expected him to plunder public and private art and cultural objects, that he did not follow.

Reputation

In contrast to some academics who were part of theAhnenerbe,Schleif enjoyed a strong international reputation, something he shared with a handful of fellow Nazi archaeologists such asHerbert Jankuhn.Schleif was never comfortable in the Ahnenerbe, given the group's tendencies towards racial pseudo-science, and he conspired withWolfram Sieversto delay indefinitely a scheme suggested byGunther KirchhoffandKarl Maria Wiligut,and endorsed byHeinrich Himmler,to excavate a valley near Kirchhoff's home town ofGaggenauafter Kirchhoff had decided that it housed an ancient Teutonic religious complex.

Death

On 27 April 1945, around 11 pm, Schleif killed his wife, Lora, and twin 18-month old sons Alexander and Konstantin before taking his own life.