RZM M1/52 Totenkopf cap skull with a story

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The US Holocaust Museum has also a lot of images of these people in its data base, so you can also look there, as well.

[ToxicGas]

'Let us also restate, granted contemporary events, that our interest in this is historical in nature and comprises no endorsement or celebration of racist political aims whatsoever.'

Agreed. I feel the constant need to remind people of this, whenever I talk of my interests. Not everyone understands why one would collect such things, without supporting the actions of the Nazis. My interest lies in both the history and powerful aesthetics of these things.

Mat

[HPL2008]

I went to Auschwitz this summer, and found the place horrifying in more than the conventional response that one generally feels as regards organized violence and genocide.

I have never been to Auschwitz, but when I was some 15 or 16 years of age, we visited Dachau as part of our history classes in school.
That was some two-and-a-half decades ago, but I still remember the atmosphere of the place rather vividly. The experience was even enhanced by that day's weather - overcast, dark, grey and cold - and the fact that the air raid sirens were tested that day. Chilling to the bone in more than one way.

I have many portraits of SSTV young men, along with Eicke, and it is all disturbing. Eicke in particular had a very nasty appearance to him, even in his role as "Papa Eicke" in the first years of the Wachverbaende etc.

I have always felt that, out of all the SS leaders, only Oskar Dirlewanger rivals Eicke in terms of emanating an aura of pure nastiness.


Anyway, more rather good-quality - I dare not call them "nice" - photographs of SSTV personnel (and uniforms/insignia) can be found here...:

Category:Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp personnel - Wikimedia Commons

as well as here...:

Stiftung Gedenkstätten Buchenwald und Mittelbau-Dora | Fotoarchiv
(for "Provenienz" select the category "SS und Polizei" and for the sub-category select "Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt")

[Friedrich-Berthold]

'Let us also restate, granted contemporary events, that our interest in this is historical in nature and comprises no endorsement or celebration of racist political aims whatsoever.'

Agreed. I feel the constant need to remind people of this, whenever I talk of my interests. Not everyone understands why one would collect such things, without supporting the actions of the Nazis. My interest lies in both the history and powerful aesthetics of these things.

Mat

Thanks. My point here is, granted the turmoil this year in Europe and beyond, we all do well to re state our allegiance to what in Germany is called the democratic basic order of state and society to include pluralism and tolerance. The latter are under siege, of course, in ways that are also unsettling.
There is every reason for a citizen in a democracy to care about the process whereby democracy destroyed itself and ended in genocide. The biographies of these people have merit on the basis of this point alone. Nor was every German or Ukrainian or Slovak or whoever guilty of all of this, but such is a part of the past, the present and possibly the future. Since I am sure that the Breivik event will cause greater scrutiny of such sites in general, to include our own, we should make our own position clear.
I am a history teacher and in Germany there is a clause on the need for political enlightenment about the past, and that is what we are doing here. I make no apologies about it.

Auschwitz is worse than Mauthausen, which is worse than Dachau. I have not been to Sachsenhausen, but will try to go soon. I always mean to go to Oranienburg when I am in Berlin, and am suffused with jet lag and go back to sleep.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I have never been to Auschwitz, but when I was some 15 or 16 years of age, we visited Dachau as part of our history classes in school.
That was some two-and-a-half decades ago, but I still remember the atmosphere of the place rather vividly. The experience was even enhanced by that day's weather - overcast, dark, grey and cold - and the fact that the air raid sirens were tested that day. Chilling to the bone in more than one way.



I have always felt that, out of all the SS leaders, only Oskar Dirlewanger rivals Eicke in terms of emanating an aura of pure nastiness.


Anyway, more rather good-quality - I dare not call them "nice" - photographs of SSTV personnel (and uniforms/insignia) can be found here...:

Category:Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp personnel - Wikimedia Commons

as well as here...:

Stiftung Gedenkstätten Buchenwald und Mittelbau-Dora | Fotoarchiv
(for "Provenienz" select the category "SS und Polizei" and for the sub-category select "Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt")

Thanks as ever for your fine and precise research. I have been to Mauthausen, too, as I indicated above, and it is pretty terrible, especially with the quarry and Todesstiege.
My next goal is to see the Operation Reinhard places in Poland and beyond, if I can manage it.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The Buchenwald web site is especially impressive. The Mauthausen pictures include the deputation of Waffen SS persons on tour, none of whom has the pride of ownership smile on their faces as does Heini H. The latter piece surely puts the "Soldaten wie andere auch..." claim to rest, though.

[davejb]

In respect to the subject matter and the possible reasons as to why one of the inmates should have a skull in his possession, i can imagine that, having been "liberated", a great many thought that they might need something to barter with seeing they had nothing to speak of, nor did they know what kind of treatment they would receive or whether it would cost them, therefore they would pick anything up to barter with,
With relation to the everlasting oppressive atmosphere felt when visiting the camps, I visited Belsen many years ago and found that it was a very solemn experience and an upsetting one for reasons that i have explained before, however i think it should be part of every schools history curriculum to visit these places in order that the terrible suffering the people had to endure never be forgotten, i know that the feelings i had that day will stay with me forever

[Calvaria]

I have a prisoner camp unform and a letter from prisoner of Gusen-Matchausen concetration camp
If you gus want I cant post some pics witch a story.
Thanks
Peter

[carlsson1982]

order that the terrible suffering the people had to endure never be forgotten

Yes and also for people nowadays, not only in the past.

[ToxicGas]

HPL2008- thank you for those links, I have saved some of the images.

davejb- you make a good point, perhaps the inmate who gave it to the soldier did so after realising they wouldn't have to trade anything for food or aid.

Calvaria- I'm sure many would be interested in the uniform and letter, please post it!


--
So far, the only photos I can find from Belsen are post-liberation, mostly female SS guards. I assume the lack of portraits / photos of guards from there is down to the Belsen's smaller size in comparison to other camps that seem to have a wealth of photos of those that ran them?

Mat