Klingelhöfer was born in Moscow as the son of a funeral director of German origins. Waldemar Klingelhöfer attended school in Kassel, served in the German army from June–December 1918 and after the war studied music and voice.[1] He gave concerts throughout Germany and later received a State's Certificate as a voice teacher. In 1935, he became an opera singer.[1]
Nazi career
In the 1920s, Klingelhöfer joined the Freikorps Roßbach [de], a Freikorps organised by Gerhard Roßbach. In 1937, he took over the Department of Culture, a branch of the Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst, or SD), office SD III-C in Kassel. In 1941, he was assigned to Einsatzgruppe B as a Russian interpreter. This Einsatzgruppe—already by November 1941, according to its own Status Report No. 133—had killed 45,467 persons.[1]
By 26 October, Vorkommando Moscow—a part of Einsatzgruppe B—and the group staff had executed 2,457 persons, including 572 people killed between 28 September and 26 October 1941, while Klingelhöfer was in command.[1] Klingelhöfer witnessed executions and carried out others. For example, he shot 30 Jews who had left a ghetto without permission. Klingelhöfer later claimed he did this on the orders of Arthur Nebe to make an example out of the victims, then contradicted himself by saying that three women had contacted some partisans, then returned to the town and spoke with the Jews. This, according to Klingelhöfer, made the Jews partisans and therefore subject to being shot. The three women Klingelhöfer also shot, but—unlike the Jews—he blindfolded them and buried them in a separate grave.[1]
War crimes trial
At trial, Klingelhöfer claimed that his only role in the Einsatzgruppe was that of interpreter.[1] This contention was rejected by the court, on the grounds that even if it were true, as an interpreter, his tasks included locating, evaluating and forwarding to the Einsatzgruppe command lists of Communist party functionaries. Because—according to his own testimony—he knew the people would be executed when found, this made him an accessory to the crime.[1]
Beyond this, the tribunal found that Klingelhöfer was not just an interpreter, but an active leader and commander, who knew what the Einsatz units were doing to the Jews. According to Klingelhöfer's own affidavit, he had been appointed by Arthur Nebe to lead Vorkommando Moscow:
While I was assigned by Nebe to the leadership of the Vorkommando Moscow, Nebe ordered me to go from Smolensk to Tatarsk and Mstislavl to get furs for the German troops and to liquidate part of the Jews there. The Jews had already been arrested by order of Hauptsturmführer Egon Noack. The executions proper were carried out by Noack under my supervision.[1]
The Einsatzgruppen operated with the assumption that a Führer order (Führerbefehl [de]) existed that provided for and required the mass murder of Jews, Gypsies and others whom the Nazis did not deem racially worthy. Although Klingelhöfer stated several times during his testimony that he was morally opposed to the Führer Order, the court found that he went along quite willingly with it. Klingelhöfer was unrepentant about the necessity for the war:
Before leaving the witness stand he stated that he would have been happy for Hitler to win the war even at the expense of its present condition with two million Germans killed, the nation in utter ruins, and all of Europe devastated. This statement has no bearing, of course, on the question of his guilt under counts one and two, but it is helpful in determining the state of mind as to whether he obeyed the so-called superior orders with a full heart or not. The Tribunal finds from all the evidence that the defendant accepted the Führer Order without reservation and that he executed it without truce.[1]
Death sentence and reprieve
On 10 April 1948, Klingelhöfer was sentenced to death in the Einsatzgruppen Trial. In 1951, under intense political pressure, U.S. High Commissioner John J. McCloy commuted Klingelhöfer's sentence—and those of three other Einsatzgruppen defendants—to life imprisonment.[2] On 12 December 1956, Klingelhöfer was released from Landsberg Prison on parole. In 1960, he lived in Villingen and worked as an office clerk.
Notes
^ abcdefghiEinsatzgruppen trial, Individual Judgment against Waldemar Klingelhöfer, pages 568-570, Trials of War Criminals before the Nürnberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No. 10, Nürnberg, October 1946 - April 1949, Volume IV, ("Green Series) (the "Einsatzgruppen case") also available at Mazel library (well indexed HTML version)
^Diefendorf, American Policy and the Reconstruction of West Germany, at page 450.
References
Trials of War Criminals before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No. 10, Nuernberg, October 1946 - April 1949, Volume IV, ("Green Series) (the "Einsatzgruppen case") also available at Mazel library (well indexed HTML version)
Diefenforf, Jeffry M., Frohn, Axel, and Rupieper, Hermann-Josef, American Policy and the Reconstruction of West Germany, 1945-1955, Cambridge University Press 1994 ISBN0-521-43120-4
Further reading
Earl, Hilary, The Nuremberg SS-Einsatzgruppen Trial, 1945–1958: Atrocity, Law, and History, Nipissing University, Ontario ISBN978-0-521-45608-1
Headland, Ronald, Messages of Murder: A Study of the Reports of the Einsatzgruppen of the Security Police and the Security Service, 1941-1943, Rutherford 1992 ISBN0-8386-3418-4
External links
(in Italian) Biography and photo
May 23, 2023
waldemar, klingelhöfer, april, 1900, january, 1977, sturmbannführer, convicted, criminal, klingelhöfer, mugshot, after, indictment, nuremberg, military, tribunal, july, 1947, born4, april, 1900, 1900, moscow, moscow, governorate, russian, empiredied18, january. Waldemar Klingelhofer 4 April 1900 18 January 1977 was an SS Sturmbannfuhrer and convicted war criminal Waldemar KlingelhoferKlingelhofer s mugshot after his indictment for the Nuremberg Military Tribunal July 1947 Born4 April 1900 1900 04 04 Moscow Moscow Governorate Russian EmpireDied18 January 1977 1977 01 18 aged 76 Villingen Schwenningen Baden Wurttemberg West GermanyOccupation s Opera singer Nazi official office clerkCriminal statusDeceasedMotiveNazismConviction s Crimes against humanityWar crimesMembership in a criminal organizationTrialEinsatzgruppen trialCriminal penaltyDeath commuted to life imprisonment Contents 1 Early life 2 Nazi career 3 War crimes trial 4 Death sentence and reprieve 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life EditKlingelhofer was born in Moscow as the son of a funeral director of German origins Waldemar Klingelhofer attended school in Kassel served in the German army from June December 1918 and after the war studied music and voice 1 He gave concerts throughout Germany and later received a State s Certificate as a voice teacher In 1935 he became an opera singer 1 Nazi career EditIn the 1920s Klingelhofer joined the Freikorps Rossbach de a Freikorps organised by Gerhard Rossbach In 1937 he took over the Department of Culture a branch of the Security Service Sicherheitsdienst or SD office SD III C in Kassel In 1941 he was assigned to Einsatzgruppe B as a Russian interpreter This Einsatzgruppe already by November 1941 according to its own Status Report No 133 had killed 45 467 persons 1 By 26 October Vorkommando Moscow a part of Einsatzgruppe B and the group staff had executed 2 457 persons including 572 people killed between 28 September and 26 October 1941 while Klingelhofer was in command 1 Klingelhofer witnessed executions and carried out others For example he shot 30 Jews who had left a ghetto without permission Klingelhofer later claimed he did this on the orders of Arthur Nebe to make an example out of the victims then contradicted himself by saying that three women had contacted some partisans then returned to the town and spoke with the Jews This according to Klingelhofer made the Jews partisans and therefore subject to being shot The three women Klingelhofer also shot but unlike the Jews he blindfolded them and buried them in a separate grave 1 War crimes trial EditAt trial Klingelhofer claimed that his only role in the Einsatzgruppe was that of interpreter 1 This contention was rejected by the court on the grounds that even if it were true as an interpreter his tasks included locating evaluating and forwarding to the Einsatzgruppe command lists of Communist party functionaries Because according to his own testimony he knew the people would be executed when found this made him an accessory to the crime 1 Beyond this the tribunal found that Klingelhofer was not just an interpreter but an active leader and commander who knew what the Einsatz units were doing to the Jews According to Klingelhofer s own affidavit he had been appointed by Arthur Nebe to lead Vorkommando Moscow While I was assigned by Nebe to the leadership of the Vorkommando Moscow Nebe ordered me to go from Smolensk to Tatarsk and Mstislavl to get furs for the German troops and to liquidate part of the Jews there The Jews had already been arrested by order of Hauptsturmfuhrer Egon Noack The executions proper were carried out by Noack under my supervision 1 The Einsatzgruppen operated with the assumption that a Fuhrer order Fuhrerbefehl de existed that provided for and required the mass murder of Jews Gypsies and others whom the Nazis did not deem racially worthy Although Klingelhofer stated several times during his testimony that he was morally opposed to the Fuhrer Order the court found that he went along quite willingly with it Klingelhofer was unrepentant about the necessity for the war Before leaving the witness stand he stated that he would have been happy for Hitler to win the war even at the expense of its present condition with two million Germans killed the nation in utter ruins and all of Europe devastated This statement has no bearing of course on the question of his guilt under counts one and two but it is helpful in determining the state of mind as to whether he obeyed the so called superior orders with a full heart or not The Tribunal finds from all the evidence that the defendant accepted the Fuhrer Order without reservation and that he executed it without truce 1 Death sentence and reprieve EditOn 10 April 1948 Klingelhofer was sentenced to death in the Einsatzgruppen Trial In 1951 under intense political pressure U S High Commissioner John J McCloy commuted Klingelhofer s sentence and those of three other Einsatzgruppen defendants to life imprisonment 2 On 12 December 1956 Klingelhofer was released from Landsberg Prison on parole In 1960 he lived in Villingen and worked as an office clerk Notes Edit a b c d e f g h i Einsatzgruppen trial Individual Judgment against Waldemar Klingelhofer pages 568 570 Trials of War Criminals before the Nurnberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No 10 Nurnberg October 1946 April 1949 Volume IV Green Series the Einsatzgruppen case also available at Mazel library well indexed HTML version Diefendorf American Policy and the Reconstruction of West Germany at page 450 References EditTrials of War Criminals before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No 10 Nuernberg October 1946 April 1949 Volume IV Green Series the Einsatzgruppen case also available at Mazel library well indexed HTML version Diefenforf Jeffry M Frohn Axel and Rupieper Hermann Josef American Policy and the Reconstruction of West Germany 1945 1955 Cambridge University Press 1994 ISBN 0 521 43120 4Further reading EditEarl Hilary The Nuremberg SS Einsatzgruppen Trial 1945 1958 Atrocity Law and History Nipissing University Ontario ISBN 978 0 521 45608 1 Headland Ronald Messages of Murder A Study of the Reports of the Einsatzgruppen of the Security Police and the Security Service 1941 1943 Rutherford 1992 ISBN 0 8386 3418 4External links Edit in Italian Biography and photo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Waldemar Klingelhofer amp oldid 1135506070, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
