World War II Selbstschutz

selbstschutz chiefs ready ss-aktionen in gdańsk pomerania

the selbstschutz reintroduced during late 1930s in poland , czechoslovakia. selbstschutz activists worked indoctrinate ethnic germans locally , commit acts of terrorism against czech population in sudetenland.

in interwar period, german minority organizations in poland such jungdeutsche partei, deutsche vereinigung, deutscher volksbund , deutscher volksverband actively cooperated nazi germany through espionage, sabotage, provocations , political indoctrination. maintained close contact , directed nsdap, auslandsorganisation, gestapo, sd , abwehr. estimated 25% of german minority in poland members of these organisations.

by october 1938, sd agents organizing selbstschutz in poland. ethnic germans polish citizenship trained in third reich in various sabotage methods , guerilla tactics. before war, selbstschutz activists poland helped organize lists of poles later arrested or executed in operation tannenberg.

with beginning of invasion of poland on 1 september 1939, selbstschutz units engaged in hostility towards polish population , military, , performed sabotage operations helping german attack on polish state. in mid-september, chaotic , autonomous activities of organization coordinated ss officers. himmler placed gustav berger, police official offenbach, in charge of organization , district commanders in occupied zones made german army put in place — west prussia, upper silesia , warthegau.

while ss leadership limited overseeing operations, local units remained under control of ethnic germans had proven commitment @ beginning of war.

participation in war crimes

selbstschutz set locations massacres of interned poles. @ times, organized in places wehrmacht , ordnungspolizei established concentration camps. there 19 such locations recorded in following polish cities: bydgoszcz (see bromberg-ost), brodnica (renamed strasburg), chełmno (see chełmno extermination camp), dorposz szlachecki, kamień krajeński, karolewo, lipno (renamed lippe), Łobżenica, nakło (nakel), nowy wiec near skarszew, nowe on vistula, piastoszyn, płutowo, sępólno krajeńskie, solec kujawski (schulitz), tuchola (tuchel), wąbrzeźno (briesen), wolental near skórcz, , wyrzysk (wirsitz). majority of arrested poles – men, women , youth – murdered on spot selbstschutz executioners.

people shot finished off blows delivered shovels , butts of assault rifles; buried in mass graves when still alive. mothers forced place children in pits shot together. before executions women , girls raped.(...) [the atrocities] evoked horror in germans, including soldiers. terrified @ saw in town of Świecie 2 of them felt compelled submit report (now in german federal archives).

after german invasion of poland selbstschutz worked einsatzgruppen in mass murder of ethnic poles. example, took part in massacres in piaśnica, first elimination aktion of polish intelligentsia. between 12,000 , 16,000 civilians murdered there. intelligenzaktion aimed @ eliminating poland s leadership in country. murder operations began after attack on poland , lasted fall of 1939 until spring of 1940. result of nazi genocidal policy, in 10 regional actions 60,000 polish teachers, entrepreneurs, landowners, social workers, military veterans, members of national organisations, priests, judges, , political activists killed. intelligenzaktion continued german ab-aktion operation in poland.

in west prussia, selbstschutz organization led ss-gruppenführer ludolf von alvensleben 17,667 men strong, , 5 october 1939 had executed 4,247 poles. notably, alvensleben complained selbstschutz officers few poles had been shot. german officers had reported him fraction of poles had been destroyed in region, total number of executed in west prussia during action being 20,000. 1 selbstschutz commander, wilhelm richardt, said in karolewo (karlhof) did not want build big camps poles , feed them, , honour poles fertilize german soil corpses. there visible enthusiasm activities of selbstschutz among involved in action. in 1 case selbstschutz commander relieved of duty after failing finish job 300 poles executed.

the total number of selbstschutz members in poland estimated historians @ 82,000. organization ordered dissolved on 26 november 1939 in favour of service ss, yet work continued until spring of 1940. among reasons dissolution selbstschutz extreme corruption, disorderly behaviour , conflicts other organizations excessive use of force.

the existence of large paramilitary organization of ethnic germans polish citizenship engaged in widespread massacres of ethnic poles in course of german war against poland 1 of reasons expulsion of germans after war. description of selbstschutz involvement made available polish state museum in sztutowo contains material compiled 3 years before war broke out, nazi authorities use in extermination of poles thereafter.