Hössler, Franz

Franz Hössler (4 Feb. 1906 – 13 Dec. 1945), SS Obersturmführer, started his career at the SS as a cook at the Dachau Camp. He assumed that same role when transferred to Auschwitz in June 1940, then became Labor Service Leader in early 1941 at the Auschwitz Main Camp, and eventually leader of the women’s protective-custody camp at Birkenau in August 1943. After a short stint at a subcamp of the Natzweiler Camp, he returned to Auschwitz in June 1944, and was there leader of the Main Camp’s protective-custody section. After the evacuation of Auschwitz, he first served in the same role at the Dora Camp, and then ended up at the Bergen-Belsen Camp, where he was arrested by the British.

After the usual treatment by the British – commonly involving torture – Hössler compliantly wrote an affidavit, in which he pledged full cooperation with his captors. Hössler was incriminated by one of his former SS colleagues, Pery Broad, and by two former inmates (Michał Kula, Zygmunt Smużewski) of having organized the gassings at the old crematorium at the Main Camp (see Mattogno 2016c, pp. 58f.; 2022f, pp. 61, 63). In his affidavit, Hössler denied any responsibility for gassings, and explicitly stated that he knew of gassing only because “everyone […] knew about it” or because he had learned about it “through conversation with the doctors.” (See Phillips 1949, p. 714.)

Hössler was a defendant during the Bergen-Belsen Show Trial, where he was sentenced to death, despite his co-operation, and subsequently hanged.