Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski
picture taken during WWII
Born
March 1, 1899 Lauenburg, Pomerania, Poland
Died
March 8, 1972 Munich, West Germany

Erich von dem Bach, born Erich von Zalewski and also known as Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski (March 1, 1899 - March 8, 1972), was a Nazi official and a member of the SS (in which he reached the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer). Erich von dem Bach This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Lębork. ... Historic Pomerania (outlined in yellow) on the background of modern country borders. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... Munich and the Bavarian Alps Munich (German: München, (pronounced listen) is the largest city and capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria. ... Von (generally in small case only as von) is a German preposition which approximately means of or from. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... The term National Socialism has been used in self-description by a number of different political groups and ideologies, some of which have no connection with the Nazis; see National socialism (disambiguation). ... The infamous double-sig rune SS insignia. ... SS-Obergruppenführer Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski SS-Obergruppenführer patch SA-Obergruppenführer insignia Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA. Translated as Senior Group Leader, the rank of SA-Obergruppenführer was held by...

He was born in Lauenburg, Pomerania, Poland, on March 1, 1899, the son of Oskar von Zalewski. The Kashubian Zalewski family had served Poland and Prussia according to changing historical opportunities. His father joined the army and was killed in 1915 during World War I. The following year Erich von Zalewski volunteered for the Prussian army and served there until the end of the war. Twice wounded, he twice won the Iron Cross. Lębork. ... Historic Pomerania (outlined in yellow) on the background of modern country borders. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Kashubians, Kassubians, or Cassubians (Kashubian: Kaszëbi) are a Slavic ethnic group living in modern-day northwestern Poland. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (Old Prussian: PrÅ«sa, German: Preußen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: PrÅ«sai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (Old Prussian: PrÅ«sa, German: Preußen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: PrÅ«sai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the logo of the German Armed Forces The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ...

After the war he remained in the Reichswehr and, among other duties, fought in the Silesian Uprisings. In 1924 he transferred to the border guards' units (Grenzschutz), where he remained until 1930. The Reichswehr (help· info) (literally National Defense or Imperial Defense) formed the military organization of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when the government rebranded it as the Wehrmacht (Defence Force). ... The Silesian Uprisings (Polish: Powstania śląskie) was a series of three military insurections (1919-1921) of the Polish people in the Upper Silesia region against the German/Prussian forces in order to force them out the region and join it with Poland, that regained her independence after the World... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

After quitting the Grenzschutz he joined the German Nazi Party (I.D. card No. 489101) in 1930 and became a member of the SS in 1931. He gained rapid promotion and by the end of 1933 had reached the rank of SS-Brigadeführer. At this point he began using his mother's maiden name (Bach), in order to sound more Germanic. The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. ...

A member of the Reichstag from 1932 to 1944, he participated in the Night of the Long Knives in 1934. He served at various Nazi party posts, initially in East Prussia and after 1936 in Silesia. By 1937 he had become commander of all police and SS units in Silesia. The Reichstag (German for Imperial Diet) was the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation, and of Germany until 1945. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Night of the Long Knives (June 30 and Sunday July 1, 1934) (German, Nacht der langen Messer), also known as Reichsmordwoche or the Blood Purge, was a lethal purge of Adolf Hitlers potential political rivals in the Sturmabteilung (SA; also known as storm troopers or brownshirts). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Prussian Silesia, 1871, outlined in yellow; Silesia at the close of the Seven Years War in 1763, outlined in cyan (areas now in the Czech Republic were Austrian-ruled at that time) Silesia (Polish: , German: ( (help· info)), Czech: ) is a historical region in central Europe. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop...

After the outbreak of World War II, units under his command took part in reprisal actions and the shooting of POWs during the September Campaign; however, von dem Bach was not present personally. On November 7, 1939, Heinrich Himmler offered him the post of commissar for strengthening of German spirit in occupied Polish Silesia. His duties included mass resettlements and the confiscation of private property. By August 1940 his units had deprived more than 20,000 families from the Zywiec region of their homes and had forced them to leave. Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Polish Defence War of 1939 Conflict World War II Date 1 September - 6 October 1939 Place Poland Result Decisive German and Soviet victory The Polish September Campaign (alternatively refered to as the German plan Fall Weiss) refers to the conquest of Poland by the armies of Nazi Germany and the... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... (help· info) (October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ... Prussian Silesia, 1871, outlined in yellow; Silesia at the close of the Seven Years War in 1763, outlined in cyan (areas now in the Czech Republic were Austrian-ruled at that time) Silesia (Polish: , German: ( (help· info)), Czech: ) is a historical region in central Europe. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Żywiec is a town in southern Poland with 32,300 inhabitants (2001). ...

In late 1939 he proposed setting up a concentration camp for the non-German inhabitants of the region in the vicinity of the town of Oswiecim. After initial reluctance, Heinrich Himmler agreed to von dem Bach's suggestion, and in May 1940 the Auschwitz concentration camp opened. 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A concentration camp is a large detention center created for political opponents, enemy aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ... Oświęcim. ... (help· info) (October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Auschwitz is the name used to identify the largest German Nazi extermination camp along with two main German concentration camps and 45-50 sub-camps. ...

On November 28, 1940, von dem Bach officially changed his name and dropped the name of Zalewski. November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

On June 22, 1941, von dem Bach became Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer ("higher SS and police leader") in the region of the Heeresgruppe Mitte ("middle army group"); in July 1943, he became commander of the so-called "Bandenkampfverbände" ("mob fight units"), responsible for, among other deeds, the mass murder of 35,000 civilians in Riga and killing more than 200,000 people in Belarus and Eastern Poland. The authorities designated him as the future commander of SS and police units in Moscow; however, the Wehrmacht failed to take the city, and von dem Bach remained in command of "anti-partisan" units in the Central Front until 1943. June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... This article deals with mass killings which are not considered genocide. ... A civilian is a person who is not a member of a military. ... Riga (Latvian: RÄ«ga), the capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of River Daugava, at 56°58′N 24°8′E. Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states and serves as a major cultural, educational, political, financial, commercial and industrial center... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: (help· info)) is the capital of Russia and the countrys principal political, economic, financial, educational and transportation center, located on the river Moskva. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ...

In February 1942 he went into hospitalization due to a nervous breakdown connected with the ethnic cleansing in Belarus. He resumed his post in July. This article is about the year. ... It has been suggested that silent ethnic cleansing be merged into this article or section. ...

On July 23, 1943, von dem Bach Zalewski received command of all "anti-partisan" actions in Belgium, Belarus, France, the General Gouvernment, the Netherlands, Norway, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, and parts of the Bialystok area. July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... The General Government (in full General government for the occupied Polish areas, in German Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete) was the name given by Germany to the governing authority in Poland after its occupation by the Wehrmacht in September and October 1939. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, in Macedonian and Serbian Cyrillic Југославија) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ... Białystok (pronounce: [bȋa:wistɔk]) (Belarusian: Беласток, Lithuanian: Balstogė) is the largest city (pop. ...

In 1944 he took part in front-line fighting in the Kovel area, but in March he had to go to Germany for medical treatment. Heinrich Himmler assumed all his posts. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Coat of Arms, circa 1993 Kovel (In Ukrainian and in Russian: Ковель, in Polish: Kowel) is a town now situated in western Ukraine in the Volyn oblast. ... (help· info) (October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ...

SS Obergruppenführer Erich Von Der Bach-Zalewski.

On August 2, 1944, he took command of all troops fighting against the Warsaw Uprising (Korpsgruppe Bach). Units under his command killed approximately 200,000 civilians (more than 65,000 in mass executions) and an unknown number of POWs. After more than two months of heavy fighting, he finally managed to recapture the city. Image File history File links Bach-Zalewski. ... Image File history File links Bach-Zalewski. ... August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Combatants Poland Germany Commanders Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, Antoni Chruściel, Tadeusz Pełczyński Erich von dem Bach, Rainer Stahel, Heinz Reinefarth, [Bronislav Kaminski] Strength 50,000 troops 25,000 troops Casualties 18,000 killed, 12,000 wounded, 15,000 taken prisoner 250,000 civilians killed 10,000 killed... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ...

Between January 26 and February 10, 1945, von dem Bach Zalewski commanded one of the "paper-corps", X SS Armeekorps in Germany. His unit, however, suffered annihilation after less than two weeks. He went underground and tried to leave the country. However, US military police arrested him on August 1, 1945. In exchange for his testimony against his former superiors at the Nuremberg Trials, von dem Bach Zalewski never faced trial for any war crimes. Similarly, he never faced extradition to Poland or to the USSR. He left prison in 1949. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... The Nuremberg Trials were the sets of trials of officials involved in World War II and the Holocaust during the Nazi regime. ... A war crime is a punishable offense, under international (criminal) law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

In 1951 von dem Bach Zalewski claimed that he had helped Hermann Göring commit suicide in 1946. As evidence, he produced cyanide capsules to the authorities with serial numbers not far removed from the one used by Göring. The authorities never verified von dem Bach Zalewski's claim, however, and did not charge him with aiding Göring's death. Most modern day historians dismiss the von dem Bach Zalewski claim and agree that a U.S. Army contact within the prison of Nuremburg most likely aided Hermann Göring in his suicide. 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was Nazi war criminal. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

In 1951 von dem Bach Zalewski received a sentence of ten years in a labour camp for the murder of political opponents in the early thirties; however, he did not serve time until 1958, when he faced an accusation of killing an SS officer during the Night of the Long Knives and received a prison sentence of two and a half years. In 1961 he received a sentence of another 10 years in home custody for the murder of ten German communists in the early thirties. 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Night of the Long Knives (June 30 and Sunday July 1, 1934) (German, Nacht der langen Messer), also known as Reichsmordwoche or the Blood Purge, was a lethal purge of Adolf Hitlers potential political rivals in the Sturmabteilung (SA; also known as storm troopers or brownshirts). ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ...

He died in Munich prison on March 8, 1972. Munich and the Bavarian Alps Munich (German: München, (pronounced listen) is the largest city and capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ...

See also

• Geneva Convention
• Third Reich
• Warsaw Uprising
• Warsaw Uprising Atrocities