(1900-1945)

He associated himself with the Nazi movement almost from its beginnings: he took part in the Munich putsch in 1923, joined the SS two years later and, as Hitler’s confidant, became its leader in 1929. His influence in the party and state apparatuses grew systematically as he became among others head of the German police and minister of the interior. To a large degree, he was responsible for creating the system of state concentration camps, and for the extermination of the Jews during World War II.

He inspected Auschwitz twice—in March 1941 when he approved the decision to expand the camp and create the so-called interest zone and in July 1942 when he observed the process of murdering Jews deported from the Netherlands in the Little White House.

He committed suicide in May 1945.

(Mini dictionary of terms from the history of Auschwitz)