Arthur Liebehenschel

Arthur Liebehenschel (25 November 1901 - 24 January 1948) was a German SS member who served as commandant of the Auschwitz and Majdanek concentration camps during the Holocaust. He was later convicted of crimes against humanity at the Auschwitz Trial.

Biography

Liebehenschel was born in Poznan, Poland, in 1901. He joined the Nazi Party in 1932, and the SS two years later, initially serving as an adjutant in the SS-Totenkopfverbande unit. He was transferred to the Concentration Camp Inspectorate, the office that oversaw the administration of the German extermination camps, until 1942, when he was again transferred to the SS Main Administrative Office. Liebehenschel was appointed head of Department D, the department responsible for overseeing the camps through the CCI.

In October 1943, Liebehenschel was transferred to serve as head of the Auschwitz death camp, succeeding Rudolf Höss. Liebehenschel made some minor improvements to camp conditions, such as removing standing cells and halting the executions of regular prisoners. Prisoner Hermann Langbein reported that even the most bloodthirsty staff toned down their behaviour during Liebehenschel's tenure. However, Liebehenschel continued mass executions and Jews and other so-called subhumans were still executed in gas chambers under Liebehenschel. Liebehenschel continued the systematic murder of Jewish inmates until Höss returned to relieve him of command in May 1944.

Liebehenschel was appointed head of Majdanek death camp after leaving Auschwitz, replacing Martin Gottfried Weiss. This was largely pointless, as Majdanek had already been evacuated due to the advance of Russian troops, and Liebehenschel was soon relocated to Italy to serve in the office of Odilo Globocnik. He remained there as head of SS Manpower for the Operational Zone Adriatic Coast until the end of World War II.

With the end of the war, Liebehenschel was arrested by American troops. He was extradited to Poland and charged with crimes against humanity at the Auschwitz Trial, alongside 40 other former Auschwitz staff members. Liebehenschel was convicted of crimes against humanity and was one of 23 defendants sentenced to death by hanging. He was hanged at Montelupich Prison in Krakow on 24 January 1948.