German war criminal and Nazi concentration camp guard
Alice Orlowski
(30 September 1903 ? 21 May 1976)
[1]
was a German concentration camp guard at several of the
Nazi concentration camps in German-occupied Poland
(1939-1945) during
World War II
. After the war, a Polish court convicted of her crimes against humanity, and she served 10 years in prison in Poland. In 1973, Orlowski, now 70 and living as a
pensioner
in
West Germany
, muttered that only "half the work" had been finished, referring to
the Holocaust
. She was promptly arrested, convicted of making antisemitic remarks, and sentenced to 10 months in prison.
Wartime
[
edit
]
Born as
Alice Minna Elisabeth Elling
in
Berlin
in 1903, she began to train as a guard at the
Ravensbruck concentration camp
in Germany in 1941. In October 1942, she was selected as one of the
Schutzstaffel
(SS)
Aufseherin
to be posted at the
Majdanek
camp near
Lublin
, in
German-occupied Poland
, where, along with
Hermine Braunsteiner
, she came to be regarded as two of the most brutal overseers. They regularly loaded trucks of women destined for the gas chambers. When a child was left over, the two would throw him or her on the top of the adults like luggage, and bolt the door shut. Orlowski often awaited the arrivals of new transports of women. She would then whip the prisoners, especially across the eyes. In Majdanek, Orlowski was promoted to the rank of
Kommandofuhrerin
(Work Detail Overseer) in the sorting sheds.
[
citation needed
]
As the SS Aufseherin, Orlowski supervised over 100 women, who sorted through items taken from prisoners who had been gassed: watches, furs, coats, gold, jewellery, money, toys, glasses, and so on. When the camp was evacuated, the Germans sent Orlowski to the notorious
Krakow-Płaszow concentration camp
near
Krakow
, in German-occupied Poland.
[2]
In Plaszow-Krakow, Orlowski was in charge of a work detail on the Camp Street (Lager Strasse) and was known for her viciousness.
[3]
In early January 1945, Orlowski was among the SS women posted on the death march to
Auschwitz-Birkenau
and it was during this time that her behaviour, previously observed as being brutal and
sadistic
, became more humane. On the death march in mid-January 1945 from Auschwitz to
Loslau
, Orlowski gave comfort to the inmates, and even slept alongside them on the ground outside. She also brought water to those who were thirsty.
[4]
It is unknown why her attitude changed, but some speculate that she sensed the war was almost over and she would soon be tried as a
war criminal
. Orlowski ended up back at Ravensbruck as a guard.
[3]
Post-war
[
edit
]
After the war ended in May 1945, Orlowski was captured by
Soviet
forces and
extradited
to Poland to stand trial for war crimes. The "picture book SS woman" stood accused at the
Auschwitz Trial
in 1947. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released in 1957 after serving 10 years. After her release, Orlowski moved to
West Germany
.
[5]
In 1973, Orlowski was at a counter in
Cologne
when she complained that only "half the work" had been finished, referring to the extermination of the Jews. In response, she was arrested for hate speech. A West German court found her guilty of making antisemitic remarks and sentenced her to 10 months in prison, of which she served 8 months.
[3]
[5]
In 1975, the West German authorities arrested Orlowski a second time, for crimes committed in Majdanek. She was put on trial in the
Third Majdanek Trial
. Orlowski died from natural causes during her trial on 21 May 1976.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Info. pertaining to the birthplace, birthdate and camp service of Alice Orlowski was found in Daniel Patrick Brown, "THE CAMP WOMEN - The Female Auxiliaries Who Assisted the SS in Running the Nazi Concentration Camp System" p. 185.
- ^
The facts pertaining to Orlowski's crimes in Majdanek are detailed by
Simon Wiesenthal
in
Justice Not Vengeance.
- ^
a
b
c
"Orlowski Alice (Minna Elisabeth) geb. Elling"
.
www.tenhumbergreinhard.de
. Retrieved
2022-10-17
.
- ^
The facts about her behaviour on the death march come from Malvina Graf:
I survived the Krakow Ghetto and Plaszow Camp
- ^
a
b
"Blutige Brgyda"
.
Der Spiegel
(in German). 1975-11-30.
ISSN
2195-1349
. Retrieved
2022-10-17
.
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