Heinrich Himmler

Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (1900 - 1945) was a German Nazi politician and leader of the SS.

Heinrich Himmler
Reichsführer-SS
In office 6 January 1929 – 29 April 1945
Leader	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Erhard Heiden
Succeeded by	Karl Hanke
Chief of German Police in the Reich Ministry of the Interior
In office 17 June 1936 – 29 April 1945
Leader	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Karl Hanke
Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of German Nationhood
In office 7 October 1939 – 29 April 1945
Leader	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	None
Director of the Reich Main Security Office (acting)
In office 4 June 1942 – 30 January 1943
Preceded by	Reinhard Heydrich
Succeeded by	Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Reich Minister of the Interior
In office 24 August 1943 – 29 April 1945
Chancellor	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Wilhelm Frick
Succeeded by	Wilhelm Stuckart
Personal details
Born	Heinrich Luitpold Himmler 7 October 1900 Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Died	23 May 1945(1945-05-23) (aged 44) Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
Political party	National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)
Spouse(s)	Margarete Bode
Children	Gudrun, Helge, Nanette Dorotha
Alma mater	Technical University Munich
Profession	Agronomist
Cabinet	Hitler Cabinet
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire
Branch/service	Heer
Years of service	1917–1918
Rank	Fahnenjunker
Unit	11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	World War I

Himmler and the Holocaust

Himmler's SS (theTotenkopfverbände) organized and administered Germany’s regime of concentration camps and, after 1941, the holocaust in Poland. The SS, through its Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst, or SD), hunted down Jews, Gypsies, communists and any persons who the Nazis believed to be either Untermensch (sub-human) or against the regime. They were brought to concentration camps. Himmler opened the first of these camps at Dachau on 22 March 1933.

Unlike Hitler, Himmler inspected concentration camps. In August 1941, he saw many Jews being shot in Minsk. It was said that he turned green in the face after brain matter from one of the Jews splashed onto his coat. His assistant had to jump forward and hold him steady. After that, the Nazis searched for a new and easier way to kill. This led to the use of the gas chambers.

Posen speech

On 4 October 1943, Himmler spoke of the extermination of the Jewish people during a secret SS meeting in the city of Poznań (Posen). The following are parts from an audio recording of the speech:

I also want to mention a very difficult subject before you here, completely openly. It should be discussed amongst us, and yet, nevertheless, we will never speak about it in public. I am talking about the Jewish evacuation: the extermination of the Jewish people. It is one of those things that is easily said. "The Jewish people are being exterminated," every Party member will tell you: "Perfectly clear, it’s part of our plans, we’re eliminating the Jews, exterminating them, ha!, a small matter."

Mail Stamp

Other websites

• List of Himmler speeches A very detailed list of Himmler speeches including online sources and material in the U.S. National Archives.
• audio recording of the Poznan speech
• Die Schutzstaffel als antibolschewistische Kampforganisation An essay by Himmler
• About Heinrich Himmler