Necessary preliminary remark: Perpetrators are not only those who murdered themselves, but also those who – knowing the consequences – were involved in the planning and organization of the murder actions. Therefore, biographies of „desk offenders“ from the tops of the occupying administration in the Galicia district and in the Generalgouvernement as well as sporadically from the tops of the ministries in Berlin are presented here, as far as they had direct influence on the course of the Holocaust in Galicia. These masterminds behind the scenes have often succeeded in presenting themselves as apolitical experts, whitewashing themselves and making a career in post-war Germany. Without their cooperation, the plundering of the occupied territories, the forced labor of Ukrainians, Poles and Jews, and the Holocaust could not have taken place in this way. If one ignores these armchair perpetrators at the higher levels of civil administration, one gets the impression that the Holocaust was carried out only by brutal, fanatical SS men: nothing is more wrong!
It may be controversial, but here we include in the category of perpetrators also those persons who helped leading Nazi war criminals to escape after the war and assisted them to evade secular justice.
The short biographies do not show a comprehensive picture of a single personality and its actions, but convey an initial idea of the character and actions of the person. They throw a spotlight on the actors in the Holocaust and thus on the Holocaust itself. More detailed biographies are planned for individual persons at a later date.
Behr, Paul: criminal investigator, SS-Scharführer short biography Paul Behr
Bentz, Alfred, Prof. Dr.: petroleum geologist; steering function in oil industry short biography Alfred Bentz
Blobel, Paul: architect, Einsatzgruppe C, Aktion 1005 short biography Paul Blobel
Gschwendtner, Robert: Merchant, SS-Obersturmführer short biography Robert Gschwendtner
Heinisch, Ernst: SS, camp commander DG IV; Janowska short biography Ernst Heinisch
Hildebrand, Friedrich: SS, camp leader Carpathian Oil short biography Friedrich Hildebrand
Holzberger, Josef: lumberjack, Gestapo, People´s Policeman (VoPo) short biography Josef Holzberger
Hudal, Alois: bishop, „ratline“ organizer short biography Alois Hudal
Jedamzik, Eduard: lawyer, SS-Sturmbannführer, county captain short biography Eduard Jedamzik
Kahlenberg, Günter: criminal investigator, criminal short biography Günter Kahlenberg
Katzmann, Friedrich: SS and Police leader (SSPF) Galicia short biography Friedrich Katzmann
Krauch, Carl chemist, military economic leader, war criminal short biography Carl Krauch
Landau, Felix: SS; Chief of Forced Labor of Jews in Drohobycz short biography Felix Landau Chronological CV Felix Landau
Landau, Gertrude: Secretary at the Gestapo Radom and Drohobycz short biography Gertrude Landau
Lederer, Ernst: SS-Hauptsturmführer (captain), police officer short biography Ernst Lederer
Losacker, Ludwig, Dr.: SS, SD; Chief Officer Galicia district short biography Ludwig Losacker
Menten, Pieter: art dealer, mass murderer short biography Pieter Menten Pieter Mentens deals
Mitas, Leopold: police officer (Schupo), robber and murderer short biography Leopold Mitas
Petri, Erna: farmer, wife of an SS estate manager short biography Erna Petri
Petri, Horst; SS, farm manager SS estate short biography Horst Petri, Notes on Horst Petri
Pöll, Josef: police officer (Schupo), robber and murderer short biography Josef Pöll
Rindfuss, Karl: boiler master short biography Karl Rindfuss
Schönbach, Roman: SS, camps Janowska, Boryslaw and Drohobycz short biography Roman Schönbach
Sobotta, Hans: SS; camp commander DG IV; ZAL Boryslaw and Drohobycz short biography Hans Sobotta
Wächter, Otto von: SS; Krakow and Galicia district governor short biography Otto Wächter
Wüpper, Gustav: Head of the Boryslaw Schutzpolizei short biography Gustav Wüpper