Heinrich Himmler

Heinrich Himmler
Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler in 1942
Reichsführer-SS
In office 6 January 1929 – 29 April 1945
Leader	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Erhard Heiden
Succeeded by	Karl Hanke
Chief of German Police in the Reich Ministry of the Interior
In office 17 June 1936 – 29 April 1945
Leader	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Karl Hanke
Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of German Nationhood
In office 7 October 1939 – 29 April 1945
Leader	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	None
Director of the Reich Main Security Office(acting)
In office 4 June 1942 – 30 January 1943
Preceded by	Reinhard Heydrich
Succeeded by	Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Reich Minister of the Interior
In office 24 August 1943 – 29 April 1945
Chancellor	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Wilhelm Frick
Succeeded by	Wilhelm Stuckart
Personal details
Born	Heinrich Luitpold Himmler 7 October 1900 Munich,Bavaria,Germany
Died	23 May 1945(1945-05-23)(aged 44) Lüneburg,Lower Saxony,Germany
Political party	National Socialist German Workers' Party(NSDAP)
Spouse(s)	Margarete Bode
Children	Gudrun,Helge, Nanette Dorotha
Alma mater	Technical University Munich
Profession	Agronomist
Cabinet	Hitler Cabinet
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire
Branch/service	Heer
Years of service	1917–1918
Rank	Fahnenjunker
Unit	11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	World War I

Heinrich Luitpold Himmler(German:[ˈhaɪnʁɪç ˈluːɪtˌpɔlt ˈhɪmlɐ](listen);7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a high-ranking GermanNazipoliticianand leader of theSSand theGestapo.He was involved in theBeer Hall Putsch (1923)andNight of the Long Knives (1934)and as well asKristallnacht/Night Of The Broken Glass (1938).He was one of the youngest top leader of theNazi Partyand one of the few who did not fight inWorld War I.One of Heinrich Himmler's most evil and cruel henchman wasReinhard Heydrich,deputy head of theSchutzstaffelandGestapo.

Himmler has been portrayed in various works of fiction. In the 1989Steven SpielbergmovieIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeHimmler was portrayed byRonald Lacey.In the TV seriesThe Man in the High Castlehe appeared along withReinhard Heydrich(who was actually assassinated in 1942).

Himmler and the Holocaust

Himmler'sSS(theTotenkopfverbände) organized andadministeredGermany’sregimeofconcentration camps.After 1941, they administeredthe HolocaustinPoland.The SS, through its Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst,or SD), hunted downJews,Gypsies,communistsand any persons who the Nazis believed to be eitherUntermensch(sub-human) or against the regime. They were brought to concentration camps. Himmler opened the first of these camps atDachauon the 22nd of March, 1933.

UnlikeHitler,Himmler inspected concentration camps. In August 1941, he saw many Jews beingshotinMinsk.It was said that he turned green in thefaceafterbrainmatter from one of the Jews splashed onto hiscoat.His assistant had to jump forward and hold him steady.After that, theNazissearched for a new and easier way to kill. This led to the use of thegas chambers.In June-July 1934 Heinrich Himmler andReinhard Heydrichwere both responsible for theSSto executeErnst Röhmthe head of theSAduringNight of the Long Knives.

Posen speech

On 4 October 1943, Himmler spoke of theexterminationof the Jewish people during a secret SS meeting in thecityofPoznań (Posen).The following are parts from anaudiorecordingof the speech:

I also want to mention a very difficult subject before you here, completely openly. It should be discussed amongst us, and yet, nevertheless, we will never speak about it in public. I am talking about the Jewish evacuation: the extermination of the Jewish people. It is one of those things that is easily said. "The Jewish people are being exterminated," everyParty memberwill tell you: "Perfectly clear, it’s part of our plans, we’re eliminating the Jews, exterminating them, ha!, a small matter."

Heinrich Himmler died on 23 May 1945 age 44 when he was captured by theBritish Armyand he committed suicide by potassium cyanide capsule. It is unknown where Heinrich Himmler’s body is buried inGermany.

Mail Stamp

They called him "father of the concentration camp". The architect of genocide.

Other websites

• List of Himmler speechesA very detailed list of Himmler speeches including online sources and material in the U.S. National Archives.
• audio recordingArchived2012-05-07 at theWayback Machineof the Poznan speech
• Die Schutzstaffel als antibolschewistische KampforganisationAn essay by Himmler
• About Heinrich HimmlerArchived2013-10-12 at theWayback Machine