Reinhard Heydrich

File:Reinhard Heydrich.jpg

"Under suitable direction, the Jews should be brought to the East in the course of the Final Solution, for use as labour. In large labour gangs, with the sexes separated, the Jews capable of work will be transported to those areas and set to road-building, in the course of which, without doubt, a large part of them ("ein großteil") will fall away through natural losses. The surviving remnant, surely those with the greatest powers of resistance, will be given special treatment, since, if freed, they would constitute the germinal cell for the re-creation of Jewry." ~ Reinhard Heydrich

Reinhard Heydrich (March 7th, 1904 - June 4th, 1942) was a high-ranking German official during the Nazi era, although it is widely believed that ultimate responsibility for the Holocaust lay with Hitler and Himmler Heydrich was one of the main architects of the Holocaust during the early years of the war; only answering to, and taking orders from Hitler and Himmler in all matters that pertained to the deportation, imprisonment, and extermination of Jews. He was known as the "Hang man" for his cruelty.

Heydrich chaired the 1942 Wannsee Conference, which discussed plans for the deportation and extermination of all Jews (which would be enforced under what would become known as "The Final Solution") in German-occupied territory.

Heydrich was also responsible for the formation of the Einsatzgruppen - one of the first Nazi killing squads specifically designed to begin the process of genocide.

He was attacked by British-trained Czech agents on May 27th, 1942 sent to assassinate him in Prague (as part of Operation Anthropoid). He died approximately one week later due to his injuries.