Female guards in Nazi concentration camps

356: 929:. Her response was, "What do you mean? ... I made a mistake, no... The mistake was that it was a concentration camp, but I had to go to it—otherwise I would have been put into it myself, that was my mistake." Though Bothe claimed that refusal of the position of guard would have seen her placed in the camp herself – an explanation given by many female ex-guards – it was unlikely to have been true, as records from the time showed some new recruits leaving their positions at Ravensbrück, facing no recorded negative consequences for doing so. 720:, while Erika Boeddeker (1942), Edith Fräde (1942), Sophie Gode, and Wilhelmine Pielen (1942–1943) served as Blockführerinnen and/or Stellvertretende Blockführerinnen. With the creation of Abteilung IIIa, the Labor Department in Ravensbrück, several SS officers were placed in command there, along with SS-Arbeitsdienstführerin Rosel Laurenzen (later married Dürichen) and her assistant, SS-Arbeitseinsatzführerin Gertrud Schöber (later married Steisslinger); during 1943 Laurenzen was relieved from her post and Gertrud 338: 139: 883: 784:(spring 1945), Martha Krüger (of Barrack 23), Rosalie Leimböck (until autumn 1944), Margarete Steigüber, Emmi Steinbeck, and Frieda Wötzel-Drehmann (1944). Else Grabner was also the head of the female Ravensbrück subcamp as Oberaufseherin (Chief Wardress), then Lagerleiterin (Camp Leader). Binz and Boesel were convicted of war crimes and hanged on 2 May 1947. 937:

1959 seeking a better life, and had omitted Ravensbrück from the list of residences supplied on her visa application. In Germany, Rinkel did not face criminal charges, with the expiry of the statute of limitations meaning that only murder allegations could be tried after such a length of time. The case continued to be examined until Rinkel's death in 2018.

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SS-Hundeführerin and SS-Kommandoführerin. After Langefeld was assigned to Auschwitz I during March 1942, Maria Mandl became SS-Oberaufseherin (March 1942–October 1942), followed by Johanna Langefeld, who once again served at Ravensbrück until the summer of 1943. During this period SS-Rapportführerinnen included Else Ehrich (1942) and

110: 531:(Bernartice), Maria Mühl was Kommandofuehrerin under Lagerfuehrerin Else Hawlik, who commanded all of the Trautenau Ring labor camps. At the Gross-Rosen annex camp at Breslau-Hundsfeld (Wroclaw Psie Pole) the Kommandofuehrerin was Emilie Kowa and another high female ranking officer-Margarete Schueller. 1374:

Twenty to thirty SS-Aufseherinnen accompanied a transport of over 2,000 women and children from Ravensbrück to Mauthausen during March 1945; most of the prisoners died during the journey or were killed or died shortly after arrival. David Wingeate Pike, Professor of Contemporary History and Politics

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also served during this period as an SS-Kommandoführerin (1939–1940) and Ober-Arrestführerin. of the camp bunker (1940–March 1942) while Gertrud Rabestein served as SS-Blockführerin of the Punishment Barrack and SS-Leiterin of the SS-Hundeführerinnen (1939–1941) and Gertrud Ida Schreiter served as an

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Female guards were generally from the lower to middle classes and had no relevant work experience. Their occupational backgrounds varied: one source mentions former prison matrons, hairdressers, tramcar-conductors, or retired teachers. Volunteers were recruited via advertisements in German newspapers

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was deported by the US Justice Department to Germany; Rinkel had worked at Ravensbrück from June 1944 to April 1945, and had used an SS-trained dog in the camp. She had hidden her secret for more than 60 years from her family, friends and Jewish-German husband Fred. Rinkel immigrated to the US in

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and Hollevaed-were around 144 SS-Aufseherinnen (SS-Overseers), including Report Overseers (Rapportführerinnen) Knack, Olga Nickel (who began service prior to the summer of 1942) and Hildegard Knop. The Kommandoführerinnen during 1944/1945 included Elisabeth Kammer, Emma Lankes, Helene Massar, and

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In 1996, a story broke in Germany about Margot Pietzner (married name Kunz), a former Aufseherin from Ravensbrück, the Belzig subcamp and a subcamp at Wittenberg. She was originally sentenced to death by a Soviet court, but it was commuted to a life sentence, and she was released in 1956. In the

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At Gräben (Grabina/Strzegom (PL), Kommandofuehrerin Katharina Reimann was head woman guard and Margarete Hentschel was her assistant as a Rapportfuehrerin; in Graeflish-Roehrsdorf, Silesia, Kommandoführerin Gertrud Sauer was in charge of the women's camp; and at the Gruschwitz-Neusalz subcamp of

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Jane (Gerda) Bernigau was an SS-Aufseherin in Lichtenburg, Ravensbrück, St. Lambrecht/Mauthausen, and Ravensbrück once again before becoming SS-Oberaufseherin at the Gross-Rosen central camp during the summer of 1944 and lastly at the Reichenau subcamp in early 1945 until the spring. Bella

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was installed as Chef Oberaufseherin at Ravensbrück. Under Brunner were Oberaufseherin Binz, Arbeitsdienstführerin Schreiter, Arbeitsdienstführerin Ilse Vettermann, Stellvertretende Oberaufseherin Else Krippner, SS-Stellvertretende Oberaufseherin Wilhelmine Pielen (after her return from

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and its subcamp at Dresden-Universelle. The head wardress at the camp pointed out that she was too polite and too kind towards the inmates, resulting in her subsequent dismissal from camp duty in January 1945. Her fate has been unknown since 13 February 1945, the date of the allied

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and became assistant to Leader Binz until her transfer to Konigsberg-Neumark during October 1944. During this time, Arbeitsdienstführerin Gertrud Ida Schreiter (born Kaufmann) was the female Leader of the Labor Department, and her second-in-commands were Arbeitseinsatzführerinnen

1313:"Eight German women and twenty female Dutch nationals served as SS-Aufseherinnen at the Vught/S Herzogenbusch concentration between May 1943 and September 1944; four of the German women, along with being Aufseherinnen also worked in the Kommandant's headquarters as secretaries" 2301:"She is mentioned in 'Staffs of the German Concentration Camps, No. VII Ravensbrück (Women's Concentration Camp and Uckermark Sub-Camp)' as, 'GALINAT: S.S. woman. Deputy Supervisor since January, 1943. Accused of ill-treatment, causing death of prisoners, torture and murder.'" 667:

the head overseer was Kommandoführerin Käthe Jenesch and SS-Aufseherinnen Philomena Locker (reportedly sentenced after the War to seven years' imprisonment), Charlotte Neugebauer, and a Fraulein Schneider, (first name unknown). At Merzdorf Erna Rinke was Chief Overseer

633:, Germany. Originally, Erstaufseherin Martha Dell' Antonia (Summer 1944–?) served there as head female guard over 22 female guards. In late 1944 she was replaced by the Commandant's (Doerr's) mistress, Herta Haase-Breitmann, who was originally a Kommandofuehrerin. 484:(1944–of Hungarian Jewish women's compound under Mandl, Dreschel and Hasse), Mandl herself commanded all the SS women within Auschwitz-Birkenau. Grese and Volkenrath were convicted of war crimes and hanged on 13 December 1945; Mandl was hanged on 24 January 1948. 694:

Ravensbrück was the central and largest training ground for female guards. The first Oberaufseherin was Margarete Stollberg who organized construction operations at the camp in a very minor capacity until May 1939. Immediately after the camp was opened

902:(32,902 Euros). Many historians argued that she had lied and did not deserve the money. She had, in fact, served time in a German prison which was overseen by the Soviets, but she was imprisoned because she had served at three concentration camps. 853:

In researching his maternal German kin, American historian James L. Cabot found that two of his distant relations were overseers – Maria Kleinschmidt, an operative at Neuengamme, and Charlotte Kleinschmidt (née Peters), whose exact camp service is

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Ten female prisoners were selected from Ravensbrück and sent to the Dachau brothel along with one SS-Aufseherin. Four of those women were later selected by SS Dr. Rascher to aid in his medical experiments there. Rascher later wrote to SS Chief

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According to SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Fritz Suhren, a leading SS officer at Ravensbruck, some 3,500 German women served as SS-Aufseherinnen at one time or another in the camp and/or in its complex of satellite camps. Daniel Patrick Brown,

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and Langefeld was arrested by the SS. Camp authorities promoted longtime Aufseherin Anne Klein-Plaubel to Chief Senior Overseer (Chef Oberaufseherin) of Ravensbrck during August 1943, assisted by Stellvertretende Oberaufseherin

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There ensued an enumeration of very curious conditions in the Ravensbrück camp. The conditions described were for the most part confirmed by the three other brothel girls and the woman overseer who accompanied them from

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Petzold, Elfriede, appeared on a 1 November 1947 list of female war criminals held in U.S. custody at Augsburg-Goegingen, Central Komitet, Juridisze Optejlung, Krigsfarbrecher Referat, as a guard in, Grüneberg-Vaivara

758:(born Müller)–in 1944 and a certain Helevead (or Hollevaed) also served in Department IIIa; additionally, Helene Massar was a Kommandoführerin of the sewing shop at the camp until 1945. In the late autumn of 1944, 561:, a Gross-Rosen satellite in Silesia, Emilie Harms was in charge of the camp; her assistant was Stellvertretende Kommandofuehrerin Lina Pohl. In the Danzig Holm subcamp Stellvertretende Oberaufseherin 623:, Oberaufseherin Annemie von der Huelst was in charge, followed by her second-in-command, Kommandoführerin Loni Gutzeit. At Hamburg-Sasel, Kommandofuehrerin Ida Roemer was the head female guard. 403:. Most of these women came from the regions around the camps. In 1944, the first female overseers were stationed at the satellite camps belonging to Neuengamme, Dachau, Mauthausen, a very few at 2842: 611:) satellite, Lagerführerin Anna Fiebeg (June 1944–January 1945) served as chief overseer, while Stellvetretende Lagerführerinnen Anna Jahn and Hela Milefski were replacement camp overseers. 2565:

Erwerbsbeteiligung von deutschen und ausländischen Frauen 1933–1945 in Deutschland: Entwicklungslinien und Aspekte politischer Steuerung der Frauenerwerbstätigkeit im Nationalsozialismus

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were trained at the camp between early August and the middle of November 1944 and following their entry sixty remained in the main camp while the rest were assigned to its subcamps.

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Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945, Volume I, Part B, Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA)

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Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945, Volume I, Part B, Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA)

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subcamp at Dresden-Goehle, this rank was given to several women, including Erstaufseherin Gertrud Schaefer and Margarethe de Hueber (1944); Erstaufseherin Gertrud Becker oversaw the

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Marie Larisch was enlisted by the Lorenz Company during August 1944 and subsequently trained and served at the factory and Gross-Rosen sub-camp in Ober Hohenelbe until April 1945.

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was SS-Oberaufseherin/Erstaufseherin Kaethe Hoern (September 1944–March 1945) while her assistant was SS-Stellvertretende Oberaufseherin Hildegard K.; in Auschwitz Oberaufseherin

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Near the end of the war, women were forced from factories in the German Labour Exchange and sent to training centres. Women were also trained on a smaller scale at the camps of

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and Lublin-Alterflughafen camps were headed by Oberaufsherin Else Ehrich (October 1942–June 1944), her immediate assistant, Rapportführerin and Stellvertretende Oberaufseherin

313:. Both were rumored to have embezzled millions of Reichsmark, for which Karl Koch was convicted and executed by the Nazis a few weeks before Buchenwald was liberated by the 175:

Herta Haase-Breitmann-Schmidt, head female overseer, claimed that her female guards were not full-fledged SS women. Consequently, at some tribunals it was disputed whether

2960: 53:. Of the 50,000 guards who served in the concentration camps, training records indicate that approximately 3,500 were women. In 1942, the first female guards arrived at 1241: 844:(or Vuterluss) (September 1944–April 1945). Oberaufseherin Fraulein Schneider, and later Anneliese Unger oversaw the Flossenbürg subcamp at Zwodau (June 1944–May 1945). 925:. She received ten years' imprisonment and was released in the mid-1950s. In a rare interview recorded in 1999, Bothe was asked if she regretted being a guard in a 2047:

While SS-Rapportfuhrerin/Stellvertretende Oberaufseherin Braunsteiner was on leave from Majdanek/Lublin, Knoblich filled in as Report Overseer. Elissa Mailänder,

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Thea Therese Miesl, married Wallner, was trained at Ravensbrück for four weeks beginning on October 15, 1944 and afterwards assigned to a Dachau sub-camp in

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Kaethe Hoern began her training at Ravensbrück on July 26, 1944 while Hildegard K. became an SS-Aufseherin at the camp during June 1944. Bernd Klewitz,

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Staffs of the German Concentration Camps (Officials Mentioned in UNWCC Records) No. VII Ravensbrück (Women's Concentration Camp and Uckermarck Sub-Camp)

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Angelika Königseder, Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager. Natzweiler, Groß-Rosen, Stutthof, Volume 6, p. 328

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While training records suggest that as many as 3,500 women were employed as camp guards, some sources estimate a much lower number, between 50 and 190.

2755: 65:. The year after, the Nazis began conscripting women because of a shortage of male guards. In the context of these camps, the German position title of 2852: 1088: 745:

and under them were SS-Scharführerin Christel Jankowsky, SS-Ober-arrestführerin Margarete Mewes, and SS-Blockführerinnen Henny Gottwitz (Block 3) and

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Wolfgang Benz, Barbara Distel, Angelika Königseder, Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager, Volume 6, p. 367

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Wolfgang Benz, Barbara Distel, Angelika Königseder, Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager, Volume 6, p. 320

165:(SS) support and service organisation for women). Additionally, some were conscripted based on data in their SS files. Adolescent enrollment in the 2926: 1151: 1141: 1124: 965: 584:

subcamp at Dresden Universelle, Erstaufseherin Ida Guhl and Erstaufseherin Charlotte Hanakam were chief wardresses (1944–April 1945), and in

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Elisabeth König went to the Mauthausen concentration camp on January 5, 1945 and was presumably admitted to her duties as an SS-Aufseherin.

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There were, however, some exceptions. At least four overseers were of aristocratic origin: Annemie von der Huelst and Gertrud von Lonski at

1527: 1244:, Volume I, Part A, Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA) 1207:

Hedwig Burkl, an SS-Aufseherin at Holleischen, Plauen, Mehltheuer and Venusberg-Gelenau, began her training at Zwodau on October 5, 1944.

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While SS-Oberaufseherin Ehrich was on leave from Majdanek/Lublin, Weber filled in as Replacement Senior Overseer. Elissa Mailänder,

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Wolfgang Benz, Barbara Distel, Angelika Königseder, Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen ..., Volume 4, p. 529

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became SS-Arbeitsdienstführerin. After deputy Leader Emma Zimmer was called to Auschwitz II in October 1942, along with Mandl and

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Helene Obuch (1943 – June 1944), then Kommandoführerin Elisabeth Gersch (June 1944 – January 1945) were in charge, and at Hamburg-

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Zwangsarbeit und weibliche Überlebensstrategien: die Geschichte der Frauenaussenlager des Konzentrationslagers Neuengamme 1944/45

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Wolfgang Benz, Barbara Distel, Angelika Königseder, Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen, Volume 4, p. 529

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employed at the camps were official members of the SS, thus leading to conflicting court decisions. Many of them belonged to the

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und dennoch blühten Blumen: Frauen-KZ Ravensbrück : Dokumente, Berichte, Gedichte und Zeichnungen vom Lageralltag 1939–1945

862:, wrote that selections in the women’s camp were made by SS Aufseherin Elisabeth Hasse and Irma Grese. Other survivors accused 2589:‘STEINBECK, Emmi,’ was referenced as, ‘Wardress of Block 21 or 22. Very cruel.’ United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC), 2329:"Mensen, macht en mentaliteiten achter prikkeldraad: een historischsociologische studie van concentratiekamp Vught (1943-1944)" 664: 642:

II in Czechoslovakia were overseen by Kommandofuehrerin Elsa Hennrich while a certain Denner (or Dinner) commanded Kratzau I;

1100: 626: 287: 1049: 596:(October 1944–April 1945), Erstaufseherin Dora Lange and later Erstaufseherin Gertrud Weniger (1944–1945) commanded Oederan. 2074:

Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager. Natzweiler, Groß-Rosen, Stutthof, Volume 6

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and its subcamps, 158 trained at Neuengamme, 47 trained at Stutthof, compared to 958 who served in Ravensbrück, 561 in the

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Daniel Patrick Brown, The Camp Women, The Female Auxiliaries who assisted the SS in Running the Concentration Camp System

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Frauen im KZ: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der historischen Forschung am Beispiel des KZ Flossenbürg und seiner Aussenlager

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became deputy Oberaufseherin under Langefeld. During the summer of 1943, Gallinat was moved as SS-Oberaufseherin to the

54: 914: 802: 649: 429: 396: 364: 345: 58: 656:, and further deputies Else Weber and Elisabeth Knoblich. Knoblich was nicknamed "Halt die Klappe!" ("Shut up!") and 1436: 317:; however, Ilse was cleared of the charge. Convicted of war crimes, she was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1951. 320:

One apparent exception to the brutal female overseer prototype was Klara Kunig, a camp guard in 1944 who served at

84: 496:, (March 1945–May 1945), Stellvertretende Lagerfuehrerin Gerda Langner, and Kommandoführerin Gertrud Herrmann, in 1751:

Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager. Natzweiler, Groß-Rosen, Stutthof

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Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager. Natzweiler, Groß-Rosen, Stutthof

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Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager. Natzweiler, Groß-Rosen, Stutthof

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Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager. Natzweiler, Groß-Rosen, Stutthof

890: 550:, even though the camp had very few female prisoners. Koch was convicted of war crimes; she committed suicide in 425: 2601: 2391:"ICC - Legal Tools record: Staffs of the German Concentration Camps (Officials Mentioned in UNWCC [...]" 2370:"ICC - Legal Tools record: Staffs of the German Concentration Camps (Officials Mentioned in UNWCC [...]" 850:

SS Aufseherin Sydonia Bayer {b. 12 December 1903–tried 6 September 1945; executed Lodz Poland 12 November 1945]

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The Union Kommando in Auschwitz: the Auschwitz Munition Factory through the Eyes of its Former Slave Laborers

2877: 1222: 1181:"Hamburg-Sasel Aufseherin U. E. undertook training courses in Neuengamme for 10 days during September 1944" 1255:

According to the 1945 testimony of former Stutthof prisoner Zofia Jackowska, 150 German women from around

600: 444:. Many female supervisors were trained and/or worked at subcamps in Germany, Poland, France, Austria, and 326: 295: 166: 2658:

Zwischen Vernichtung und Befreiung: das Frauen-Konzentrationslager Ravensbrück in der letzten Kriegsphase

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there was Oberaufseherin Anna Scharbert promoted to chief female overseer after her time in Ravensbruck,

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The Camp Women. The Female Auxiliaries Who Assisted the SS in Running the Nazi Concentration Camp System

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