Skip to playerSkip to main content
World History
Karl Chmielewski was one of the most brutal concentration camp commandants in Nazi Germany. As commandant of Gusen, a subcamp of Mauthausen, he became notorious for extreme violence, torture, and the murder of prisoners. His cruelty earned him the nickname "The Devil of Gusen."
Discover the story of Karl Chmielewski's rise through the SS, his role in the Mauthausen-Gusen camp system, the infamous "death baths" that claimed thousands of lives, his later command of Vught concentration camp in the occupied Netherlands, and the justice he eventually faced after the Second World War.

🎥 Watch the full documentary on WorldHistory.tv

“Devil of Gusen and the Ruthless Commandant of Vught: Karl Chmielewski”

🔗 Link in bio & comments 👇

#darkhistory #ww2history #historybuff #truecrimehistory #educational

Category

📚
Learning
Transcript
00:00Chmielewski was a twisted sadist, and his treatment of prisoners was unacceptable even
00:05to the other SS officers.
00:07Mauthausen camp commandant, his superior, Franz Tsirais, claimed after the war that
00:12Chmielewski had used the skin of prisoners to make things such as wallets and bookbindings,
00:16something Tsirais claimed was strictly forbidden by the Nazi authorities.
00:20Due to his inhumane behavior towards the prisoners, he earned the nickname The Devil of Gusen.
00:27Discover the full story on worldhistory.tv

Recommended