Major wilhelm trapp, nicknamed papa trapp by his subordinates nitzow, 4 september 1889 executed 18 december 1948, siedlce was a career policeman who commanded the reserve police battalion 101 formation of nazi germany uniformed police force known as order police ordnungspolizei. Two companies were commanded by police captains, the third by the senior reserve lieutenant in the battalion. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland browning. Reserve police battalion 101 was a unit of the german order police. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland christopher r.
This is one of the essential books of holocaust literature. The someone in ordinary men were the men of reserve police battalion 101, about 500 middleaged, workingclass men from hamburg. Brownings interest in police battalion 101 arose because unlike most of the other units that took part in the final solution, battalion 101s history was documented postwar by investigators who sought to press charges against certain members. Deportation 26 5 reserve police battalion 101 38 6 arrival in poland 49 7 initiation to mass murder. Beginning in midjuly 1942 with the roundup of jews in the town of jozefow near bilgoraj, members of police battalion 101 were utilized for the mass shooting of jewish civilians in towns throughout the lublin district. In june 1942, reserve battalion 101 was assigned another tour of duty in poland. It was not until the night before the shootings were to begin that major trapp reluctantly conveyed the orders to his policemen. Mar 23, 2017 ordinary men is the true story of reserve police battalion 101 of the german order police, which was responsible for mass shootings as well as roundups of jewish people for deportation to nazi death camps in poland in 1942. Jozefow provided the men of battalion 101 with their introduction to mass murder. In the early hours of july, 1942, the men of reserve police battalion 101, a unit of the german order police, entered the polish village of jozefow.
Major wilhelm trapp, nicknamed papa trapp by his subordinates nitzow, 4 september 1889 executed 18 december 1948, siedlce was a career policeman who commanded the reserve police battalion 101 formation of nazi germany uniformed police force known as order police ordnungspolizei a world war i veteran and recipient of the iron cross first class, an old party fighter, who joined the. The investigation and legal prosecution of reserve police battalion 101 had been a decadelong process. Nov 02, 2018 christopher brownings focus is on a reserve police ordnungspolizei battalion, number 101. On june 20, 1942, reserve police battalion 101 from hamburg, consisting of eleven officers, five administrators and 486 men set out by truck for poland. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland tells the story of battalion 101, a group of 500 policemen in their 30s and 40s who were sent into poland to participate in a special action without being told exactly what they are doing. In his book on one group of reserve policemen from the german city hamburg, ordinary men.
Petersons recommended reading list, because it provides an excellent case study of a group of people who have committed. In april 1941 german police executed, by shooting, about 90 jews. Trapp then explained to the men that the jews in jozefow would have to be. Reserve police battalion 101 jewish virtual library. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland. Reserve police battalion 101 was made up of the german equivalent of city. On june, 1942, the commanding officer of reserve police battalion 101 received orders to round up the jews in the polish town of josefow and shoot all but the ablebodied males. A few days later they arrived at the town of bilgoraj, south of lublin. Brownings shocking account of how a unit of average m. Far more memorable for reserve police battalion 101 was the deportation of 11,000 jews from miedzyrzec to treblinka on august 2526. In all, 210 former members of battalion 101 were interrogated between 196267 browning, 145. They knew perfectly well the moral norms of german society before the nazis. Ordinary men is the true story of reserve police battalion 101 of the german order police, which was responsible for mass shootings as well as roundups of jewish people for deportation to nazi death camps in poland in 1942. Two members of police battalion 101 who are guarding the.
Reserve police battalion 101 was a unit of the german order police ordnungspolizei or orpo that during the nazi occupation of poland played a central role in the implementation of the final solution against the jewish people and the repression of the polish population. Shocking as it is, this booka crucial source of original research used for the. Its an account of the reserve police battalion 101 s brutality in poland in 194243 when it 500 men shot 38,000 jews and sent 45,000 by train to treblinka. In july 1942 there remained in the camp some 1,800 jews. The first mass murder takes place in a polish town called jozefow. This battalion consisted of roughly five hundred men and was composed mostly of working class men from hamburg.
Heinz himmler hitler hiwis holocaust hsspf ideological indictment indoctrination interrogations j6zef6w jew hunt jewish action jews jozefow killers kilometers kock kurt large. Ordinary men, page 1 read online free books archive. Christopher r browning in the early hours of july, 1942, the men of reserve police battalion 101, a unit of the german order police, entered the polish village of jozefow. The jozefow massacre 55 8 reflections on a massacre 71. A world war i veteran and recipient of the iron cross. Jewish men, women, and children were murdered near their homes in surrounding fields and forests by german police forces and their local helpers. Russia 1941 9 4 the order police and the final solution. Not the antisemitic ravings of hitler, or the careerist banality of eichmann, but the physical labor of liquidating the jews of poland. Browning argues that most of the men of rpb 101 were not fanatical nazis but, rather, ordinary middleaged, workingclass. A remarkableand singularly chillingglimpse of human behavior.
Ordinary men with new afterword with 271 pg 98 edition. Police battalion 101s participation in the final solution culminated in the erntefest harvest festival massacre of november 34, 1943. Initiation to mass murder, in the path to genocide. He answered me only to the effect that everything was very terrible. By nightfall, they had rounded up jozefows 1,800 jews, selected several hundred men as work jews, and shot the restthat is, some 1,500. Reserve police battalion 101 facing history and ourselves. The killing of 1,500 jews from jozefow ghetto, approximately 100 kilometers south of lublin in southeastern. Reserve police battalion 101 executed 1500 jewish civilians in the woods outside of jozefow, poland in july 1942. Browning, 9780062303028, available at book depository with. Nov 19, 2010 reserve police battalion 101 was also involved in the jew hunts, in which those jews who had evaded deportation and execution were hunted down in order to cleanse the lublin district, which typically involved small deathsquads venturing into the forest in search of jews in hiding browning, 127. They had arrived in poland less than three weeks before, most of them recently drafted family men too old for combat service. The book helps understand how many ordinary men, nonpolicemen from different backgrounds all participated in various mass murder. Concerning jozefow, trapp later confined to his driver, if this jewish business is ever avenged on earth, then have mercy on us germans. Reserve police battalion 101 clears their first jewish ghetto.
Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in. He is a contributor to yad vashems official twentyfourvolume history of the holocaust and the author of two earlier books on the subject. Browning argues that most of the men of rpb 101 were not fanatical nazis but ordinary middleaged, workingclass men who committed these atrocities out of a mixture of. Students invariably like to know if they are right, so share with them slide 16 which is one historians recent view, christopher brownings, from his book ordinary men. The book discusses why ordinary men in midlife having grown up in the prenazi germany were willing to commit atrocities. Formed in hamburg, it was deployed in september 1939 along with the wehrmacht army in the invasion of poland. The battalion was divided into three companies each of approximately 140 men when at full strength. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland by the red phoenix on november 19, 2010. Ordinary men reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland. The men who pulled the triggers the new york times. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland paperback february 28, 2017.
Ordinary men reserve police battalion 101 and the final. These included in addition to jozefow lomazy august. They had arrived in poland less than three weeks before, most of them recently drafted family men too old for combat serviceworkers, artisans, salesmen, and clerks. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland it made me how quick a person can go from being innocent to guilty, which is the case of the book. In the course of this killing action, perhaps the largest directed against jews of the entire war, an estimated 42,000 jewish prisoners at the lublin district concentration camps of majdanek, trawniki and. Police battalion 101 s participation in the final solution culminated in the erntefest harvest festival massacre of november 34, 1943. Like any other unit, reserve police battalion 101 killed the jews they had been told to kill. Reserve police regiment 101 and the final solution 23 words 9 pages. By nightfall, they had rounded up jozefow s 1,800 jews, selected several. Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland new york, 1993.
Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland is a nonfiction account of the genocidal journey of a police battalion conscripted into hitlers final solution, mostly from firsthand accounts of the men themselves from their interrogations when they were put on trial in the 1960s. Christopher brownings focus is on a reserve police ordnungspolizei battalion, number 101. Reservepolizeibataillon 101 was in nazi germany a paramilitary formation of the uniformed police force known as order police ordnungspolizei, abbreviated as orpo, operating under the leadership of the ss. Nov 05, 2019 the men of police battalion 101 were educated and spent their formative years in the pre1933 period. He is a contributor to yad vashems official twentyfourvolume history of the. Jew hunt jewish action jews jozefow killers kilometers kock kurt. Reserve police battalion 101 clears their first jewish. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Apr 12, 1992 ordinary men reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland. Many came from a social milieu that was relatively unreceptive to national socialism. At the beginning of the month a selection took place in jozefow. During 16 months, reserve police battalion 101, a unit of just over 450 men from hamburg, was responsible in poland for the shooting of 39,000 jews and the deportation to treblinka of 44,000 more.
1432 1131 671 309 752 754 509 1240 1134 265 218 117 69 1317 66 675 1271 172 2 19 283 453 1329 822 966 286 220 1138 940 321 442 12 1102 708 796 562 303 756 591 316 1444 238 901 342 22 743 329 1002