Commandant of auschwitz: the autobiography of rudolf hoess - rudolf hoess

Rudolf Hoess was a German SS officer during the Nazi era who, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, was convicted for war crimes.

He was the longest-serving commandant of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp (from 4 May 1940 to November 1943, and again from 8 May 1944 to 18 January 1945).

He tested and implemented means to accelerate Hitlers order to systematically exterminate the Jewish population of Nazi-occupied Europe, known as the Final Solution.

On the initiative of one of his subordinates Hoess introduced the pesticide Zyklon B to be used in gas chambers, where more than a million people were killed.

Hoess was hanged in 1947 following a trial before the Polish Supreme National Tribunal.

During his imprisonment, at the request of the Polish authorities, he wrote his memoirs, released in English under the title Commandant of Auschwitz: The Autobiography of Rudolf Hoess .

Like most things in his life, Hoess undertook the autobiography with great diligence.

A careful checking by researchers showed he took great pains to tell the truth.

The result: a vivid and unforgettable picture of the 20th centurys defining and most horrific event.