Walter Dürrfeld

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Walter Dürrfeld during the Nuremberg Trials

Walter Dürrfeld (born June 24, 1899 in Saarbrücken , † March 1, 1967 in Kettwig ); Occasionally in his first name also written Walther (with th), was a German engineer and manager of the Buna plant in Monowitz near Auschwitz .

Career

Dürrfeld finished his school career in 1917 with the Abitur and then took part in the First World War as a soldier . After the end of the war he trained as a locksmith and from 1919 studied mechanical engineering at the RWTH Aachen , which he completed in 1923. During his studies he became a member of the Association of German Students Aachen. He then worked as a production engineer for two years and was promoted to Dr. Ing. PhD .

Professional activities

Dürrfeld had been employed by IG Farben in Leuna since 1927 , where the production of synthetic fuel began. In 1937 he was a member of the NSDAP and Hauptsturmführer at the NSFK . 

From 1941 onwards, Dürrfeld was the provisional manager in charge of the large construction site of the IG Farben plant in Monowitz, which was built around six kilometers from Auschwitz I (main camp) . IG Farben had the Auschwitz III Monowitz concentration camp built there at its own expense , which was occupied by up to 11,000 mostly Jewish prisoners who were used for forced labor on the construction site. Between 1942 and 1945 a total of 35,000 concentration camp prisoners were housed there, of whom 20,000 to 25,000 probably did not survive. The life expectancy of a Jewish prisoner there was three or four months.

When the Red Army approached , the camp was evacuated. Dürrfeld took part in selections when the prisoners marched out.

Criminal penalties

Walter Dürrfeld was on trial in the IG Farben trial from August 14, 1947 to July 30, 1948. Rudolf Höß had previously said about Walter Dürrfeld:

“He was provisional director of Buna in Auschwitz until the completion of the operation. All matters relating to administration, construction and machinery were subordinate to him. He also visited the Auschwitz camp itself. He knew about the gassing of people in Birkenau and was concerned about the way in which he was supposed to explain these terrible things to his co-workers and subordinates. Dr. Dürrfeld, just like other company directors, was responsible for the bad treatment of the inmates to the same extent as I, as the commandant of the concentration camp, was responsible for the excesses of the last sergeant. "

Walter Dürrfeld was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment and thus received one of the highest sentences imposed in this process. After early release from the Landsberg war crimes prison , Dürrfeld was able to continue his professional career and eventually held several supervisory board mandates.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Louis Lange (Ed.): Kyffhäuser Association of German Student Associations. Address book 1931. Berlin 1931, p. 46.
  2. ^ Wollheim Memorial - biography of Walter Dürrfeld
  3. ↑ a b c Ernst Klee : The dictionary of persons on the Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945 . Updated edition edition. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2005, ISBN 3-596-16048-0 .
  4. ↑ Bernd C. Wagner: IG Auschwitz. Forced labor and extermination of prisoners from the Monowitz camp 1941-1945 . Munich 2000, ISBN 3-598-24032-5 , p. 187.
  5. ^ Raul Hilberg : The annihilation of the European Jews . fischer TB 10612, ext. Edition Frankfurt 1990, ISBN 3-596-24417-X Volume 2, pp. 994f.
  6. ↑ Broadcast “50 Years Ago ”, accessed June 15, 2007
personal data
SURNAME Dürrfeld, Walter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dürrfeld, Walther
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German engineer and operator of the Buna plant at Auschwitz III Monowitz concentration camp
DATE OF BIRTH June 24, 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH Saarbrücken
DATE OF DEATH March 1, 1967
Place of death Kettwig