List of defendants in the Buchenwald main trial

The list of defendants in the Buchenwald main trial is a representation of the 31 defendants who were indicted in the so-called Buchenwald main trial in 1947 for war crimes during the Second World War in connection with the Buchenwald concentration camp and its subcamps . The life dates, ranks and functions of the accused as well as the judgments are given and pictures from April 1947 are shown.

Surname Life dates Rank and function judgment image Josias to Waldeck and Pyrmont 1896-1967 SS-Obergruppenführer , Higher SS and Police Leader in Military District IX Life sentence, converted to 20 years imprisonment on June 8, 1948 Hermann Pister 1885-1948 SS-Oberführer , second and last camp commandant Death penalty, before execution of the sentence on September 28, 1948 died in custody Hans-Theodor Schmidt 1899-1951 SS-Hauptsturmführer , adjutant to Hermann Pister Death penalty, executed June 7, 1951 Ilse Koch 1906-1967 Wife of the first camp commandant Karl Otto Koch Life sentence, later commuted to four years Hermann Hackmann 1913-1994 SS-Hauptsturmführer , adjutant of the first camp commandant Karl Otto Koch Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Wolfgang Otto 1911-1989 Staff squad leader of the Waffen SS , head of the commandant's office Twenty years imprisonment, later commuted to ten years imprisonment Hermann Grossmann 1901-1948 Obersturmführer , warehouse manager of the satellite camp of Buchenwald Wernigerode and Bochum club Death penalty, executed November 19, 1948 Max Schobert 1904-1948 SS-Sturmbannführer , First Protective Custody Camp Leader Death penalty, executed November 19, 1948 Hans Merbach 1910-1949 SS-Obersturmführer , Second Protective Custody Camp Leader and leader of an evacuation transport Death penalty, executed January 14, 1949 Hans Eisele 1913-1967 SS-Hauptsturmführer , camp doctor Death penalty, later commuted to ten years in prison August Bender 1909-2005 SS-Sturmbannführer , camp doctor Ten years imprisonment, later commuted to three years imprisonment Werner Greunuss 1908 – unknown SS-Untersturmführer , camp doctor in the Ohrdruf sub-camp Life sentence, later converted to 20 years imprisonment Friedrich Karl Wilhelm 1890-1948 SS-Untersturmführer , senior SS medical officer Death penalty, executed November 26, 1948 Otto Barnewald 1896-1973 SS-Sturmbannführer , head of the site administration Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Philipp Grimm 1909-1984 SS-Obersturmführer , Arbeits Einsatzführer Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Albert Fredrich Schwartz 1905-1984 SS-Sturmbannführer , labor leader Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Franz Zinecker 1900 – unknown SS-Obersturmführer , Labor Service Leader lifelong prison sentence Richard Koehler 1916-1948 SS-Unterscharführer , member of Kommando 99, commando leader and supervisor of an evacuation transport Death penalty, executed November 26, 1948 Josef Kestel 1904-1948 SS-Hauptscharführer , Block and Command Leader Death penalty, executed November 19, 1948 Hubert Krautwurst 1924-1948 SS-Hauptscharführer , commanding officer of the nursery and the sewage treatment plant Death penalty, executed November 26, 1948 Gustav Heigel 1893 – unknown SS-Hauptscharführer , commando leader and head of the arrest block Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Anton Bergmeier 1919-1984 SS-Oberscharführer , detention supervisor in the bunker Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Hermann Helbig 1902-1948 SS-Hauptscharführer , commando leader in the crematorium Death penalty, executed November 19, 1948 Emil Pleissner 1913-1948 SS-Hauptscharführer , command leader of the crematorium Death penalty, executed November 26, 1948 Guido Reimer 1901 – unknown SS-Obersturmführer , commander of the SS-Sturmbann Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Helmut Roscher 1917-1992 SS-Oberscharführer , Rapportführer Death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment Arthur Dietzsch 1901-1974 Kapo and senior inmate attendant in Block 46 15 years imprisonment Hans Wolf 1902-1948 Function prisoner, camp elder in the Tröglitz satellite camp Death penalty, executed November 19, 1948 Edwin Katzenellenbogen 1882 – unknown Function prisoner, prisoner doctor Life sentence, later commuted to 15 years Walter Wendt 1907 – unknown Civilian, head of personnel at Erla Maschinenwerke in Leipzig 15 years imprisonment, later commuted to five years imprisonment Peter Merker 1890 – unknown SS-Oberscharführer , head of the Gustloff-Werke subsidiary camp Death penalty, later commuted to 20 years imprisonment