Ernst Misselwitz: Difference between revisions

Ernst Misselwitz
Ernst Misselwitz
Born	31 August 1909; Neumünster
Died	unknown
Conviction(s)	War crimes
Criminal penalty	imprisonment 5 yrs. (1952); (in absentia);
SS service
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Schutzstaffel
Rank	SS-Hauptscharführer

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Ernst Misselwitz (31 August 1909 –?) was an SS-Hauptscharführer who became head of the unit IV E of the RSHA – Reich Security Main Office of the Gestapo (secret state police) in occupied Paris, France, during World War II. In 1952 he was found guilty of having tortured French Resistance fighters. According to Serge Klarsfeld, French Intelligence employed Misselwitz after the war in helping them investigate Nazi war crimes and preparing court cases against wartime French collaborators.^[1]

Gestapo

Ernst Misselwitz arrived in July 1942 rue des Saussaies at the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), the intelligence services of the SS.^[2] In January 1943, he joined the Befehlshaber der Sipo-SD (BdS) located at 84 Avenue Foch.^[2] The BdS included the Gestapo for which he was in charge of unit IV E of the RSHA, whose remit was French Communists and French Resistance. Karl Bömelburg was his boss as chief of unit IV. As a senior Sicherheitsdienst (SD) officer, he was given freedom of action and autonomy to hunt anyone thought to be anti-Nazi. He became a trusted agent of the SD and led numerous operations against the French Resistance. Misselwitz ran the interrogation and torture chamber in Paris Gestapo HQ. Before working in Paris, Misselwitz worked in Gestapo HQ in Lyon.

On 3–4 July 1943 Jean Moulin was taken to the Gestapo headquarters in Paris where Misselwitz interrogated him along with Klaus Barbie.^[3] Jean Moulin officially died of his injuries on July 8, 1943.

Gilberte Brossolette, the widow of the Resistance hero, Pierre Brossolette, testified to Misselwitz' war crimes. In February 1944, Pierre Brossolette was arrested in Rennes. On 16 March, Misselwitz made the trip to identify him as they met in Lyon while Misselwitz was on a mission.^[4] He ordered the transfer of Brossolette to avenue Foch on 19 March. Brossolette was interrogated and tortured by Misselwitz and also Robert Krekeller.^[5] On 21 March, Forest Yeo-Thomas, an agent of the Special Operations Executive was captured by the Gestapo at the Passy tube station. He was on a mission to rescue Brossolette from the Rennes prison and Misselwitz would interrogate him.^[6] Since Brossolette was afraid of talking and betraying his cause under further torture, he jumped out of a sixth-floor window to his death on 22 March.

In May 1944, Jean Moulin's sister went to the Gestapo office in Paris to ask for her brother's ashes. Misselwitz dismissed her.^[7]

French agent

With the Liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944, Misselwitz fled from Paris to Germany. In October 1945, the 36-year-old Misselwitz reported to the French security services in northwest Berlin. Misselwitz was arrested and imprisoned for a short time and offered to spy among the inmates, starting in early 1946. In 1952 Misselwitz was convicted in a Paris court In absentia. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for the torture of Brossolette, but was never found or arrested. Serge and Beate Klarsfeld discovered that the French secret services employed Ernst Misselwitz beginning in 1945.^[8]^[9]^[10]

The time and place of his death are unknown.

References

^ Ernst Misselwitz, gouv.fr'
^ ^a ^b Chauvy, Gérard (1997). Aubrac: Lyon 1943 (in French). le Grand livre du mois. ISBN 978-2-226-08885-7.
^ Péan, Pierre (2014-04-01). Vies et morts de Jean Moulin (in French). Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-64470-7.
^ Roussel, Eric (2011-01-05). Pierre Brossolette (in French). Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-66515-3.
^ "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
^ Decèze, Dominique (1979). La lune est pleine d'éléphants verts: histoire des messages de Radio-Londres à la Résistance française, 1942-1944 (in French). J. Lanzmann.
^ "Le mystère des cendres de Jean Moulin". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
^ "Hunter of Nazis Says France Used Gestapo Man as Agent". The New York Times. Reuters. 1983-08-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
^ "Klarsfelds Accuse French Intelligence Units of Having Employed Notorious Nazis During the Post-war Y". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1983-08-26. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
^ "ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder imPUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl". www.zeit.de. Retrieved 2020-05-07.

[1] Ernst Misselwitz, gouv.fr'

[:0-2] Chauvy, Gérard (1997). Aubrac: Lyon 1943 (in French). le Grand livre du mois. ISBN 978-2-226-08885-7.

[3] Péan, Pierre (2014-04-01). Vies et morts de Jean Moulin (in French). Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-64470-7.

[4] Roussel, Eric (2011-01-05). Pierre Brossolette (in French). Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-66515-3.

[5] "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2020-05-07.

[6] Decèze, Dominique (1979). La lune est pleine d'éléphants verts: histoire des messages de Radio-Londres à la Résistance française, 1942-1944 (in French). J. Lanzmann.

[7] "Le mystère des cendres de Jean Moulin". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2020-05-07.

[8] "Hunter of Nazis Says France Used Gestapo Man as Agent". The New York Times. Reuters. 1983-08-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-06.

[9] "Klarsfelds Accuse French Intelligence Units of Having Employed Notorious Nazis During the Post-war Y". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1983-08-26. Retrieved 2020-05-06.

[10] "ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder imPUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl". www.zeit.de. Retrieved 2020-05-07.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{no footnotes|date=September 2016}}
-{{Use Oxford spelling|date=July 2021}}
 {{short description|SS Officer and War criminal}}
+{{Use Oxford spelling|date=July 2021}}
 {{Infobox criminal
 | name                = Ernst Misselwitz
@@ Line 12: / Line 11: @@
 | conviction          = War crimes
 | conviction_penalty  = {{Plainlist}}
-* [[imprisonment]] 5 yrs. (1952)<br />([[in absentia]])
+* [[imprisonment]] 5 yrs. (1952)<br />([[Trial in absentia|in absentia]])
 {{Endplainlist}}
 | conviction_status   =
@@ Line 25: / Line 24: @@
 }}
 }}
-'''Ernst Misselwitz''' (31 August 1909 –?) was an [[Schutzstaffel|SS]]-''[[Hauptscharführer]]'' who became head of the unit IV E of the RSHA -[[Reich Security Main Office]] of the [[Gestapo]] (Secret State Police) in [[Occupied France|occupied Paris, France]]  during [[World War II]]. In 1952 he was found guilty of having tortured [[French Resistance]] fighters. According to [[Serge Klarsfeld]], French [[Intelligence Agency|Intelligence]] employed Misselwitz after the war in helping them investigate [[German war crimes|Nazi war crimes]] and preparing court cases against wartime French [[Collaboration with the Axis powers|collaborators]].
+'''Ernst Misselwitz''' (31 August 1909 –?) was an [[Schutzstaffel|SS]]-''[[Hauptscharführer]]'' who became head of the unit IV E of the RSHA – [[Reich Security Main Office]] of the [[Gestapo]] (secret state police) in [[Occupied France|occupied Paris, France]], during [[World War II]]. In 1952 he was found guilty of having tortured [[French Resistance]] fighters. According to [[Serge Klarsfeld]], French [[Intelligence agency|Intelligence]] employed Misselwitz after the war in helping them investigate [[German war crimes|Nazi war crimes]] and preparing court cases against wartime French [[Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy|collaborators]].<ref>[https://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/en/german-police-and-agents-occupied-france Ernst Misselwitz, ''gouv.fr']</ref>
 == Gestapo ==
-Ernst Misselwitz arrived in July 1942 [[rue des Saussaies]] at the ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]'' (SD), the intelligence services of the SS.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Chauvy|first=Gérard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lP5mAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Ernst+Misselwitz%22|title=Aubrac: Lyon 1943|date=1997|publisher=le Grand livre du mois|isbn=978-2-226-08885-7|language=fr}}</ref> In January 1943, he joined the ''Befehlshaber der Sipo-SD'' (BdS) located at 84 avenue Foch.<ref name=":0" /> The BdS included the Gestapo for which he was in charge of unit IV E of the RSHA, whose remit was [[French Communist Party|French Communists]] and [[French Resistance]]. [[Karl Bömelburg]] was his boss as chief of unit IV. As a senior ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]'' ([[Sicherheitsdienst|SD]]) officer, he was given freedom of action and autonomy to hunt anyone thought to be anti-Nazi. He became a trusted agent of the SD and led numerous operations against the French Resistance. Misselwitz ran the interrogation and torture chamber in Paris Gestapo HQ. Before working in Paris, Misselwitz worked in Gestapo HQ in [[Lyon]].
+Ernst Misselwitz arrived in July 1942 [[rue des Saussaies]] at the ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]'' (SD), the intelligence services of the SS.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Chauvy|first=Gérard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lP5mAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Ernst+Misselwitz%22|title=Aubrac: Lyon 1943|date=1997|publisher=le Grand livre du mois|isbn=978-2-226-08885-7|language=fr}}</ref> In January 1943, he joined the ''Befehlshaber der Sipo-SD'' (BdS) located at [[84 Avenue Foch]].<ref name=":0" /> The BdS included the Gestapo for which he was in charge of unit IV E of the RSHA, whose remit was [[French Communist Party|French Communists]] and [[French Resistance]]. [[Karl Bömelburg]] was his boss as chief of unit IV. As a senior ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]'' ([[Sicherheitsdienst|SD]]) officer, he was given freedom of action and autonomy to hunt anyone thought to be anti-Nazi. He became a trusted agent of the SD and led numerous operations against the French Resistance. Misselwitz ran the interrogation and torture chamber in Paris Gestapo HQ. Before working in Paris, Misselwitz worked in Gestapo HQ in [[Lyon]].
 On 3–4 July 1943 [[Jean Moulin]] was taken to the Gestapo headquarters in Paris where Misselwitz interrogated him along with [[Klaus Barbie]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Péan|first=Pierre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R23N3Q-7_7EC&dq=Ernst+Misselwitz&pg=PT324|title=Vies et morts de Jean Moulin|date=2014-04-01|publisher=Fayard|isbn=978-2-213-64470-7|language=fr}}</ref> Jean Moulin officially died of his injuries on July 8, 1943.
@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 [[Gilberte Brossolette]], the widow of the Resistance hero, [[Pierre Brossolette]], testified to Misselwitz' war crimes.  In February 1944, Pierre Brossolette was arrested in [[Rennes]]. On 16 March, Misselwitz made the trip to identify him as they met in [[Lyon]] while Misselwitz was on a mission.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Roussel|first=Eric|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f83RjQHHtNwC&dq=%22Ernst+Misselwitz%22&pg=PT149|title=Pierre Brossolette|date=2011-01-05|publisher=Fayard|isbn=978-2-213-66515-3|language=fr}}</ref> He ordered the transfer of Brossolette to avenue Foch on 19 March. Brossolette was interrogated and tortured by Misselwitz and also [[Robert Krekeller]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19830826&id=WJ8fAAAAIBAJ&pg=2504,4627113&hl=en|website=news.google.com|access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref> On 21 March, [[F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas|Forest Yeo-Thomas]], an agent of the [[Special Operations Executive]] was captured by the Gestapo at the [[Passy]] tube station. He was on a mission to rescue Brossolette from the Rennes prison and Misselwitz would interrogate him.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Decèze|first=Dominique|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l-iEAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Ernst+Misselwitz%22|title=La lune est pleine d'éléphants verts: histoire des messages de Radio-Londres à la Résistance française, 1942-1944|date=1979|publisher=J. Lanzmann|language=fr}}</ref>  Since Brossolette was afraid of talking and betraying his cause under further torture, he jumped out of a sixth-floor window to his death on 22 March.
-In May 1944, Jean Moulin 's sister went to the Gestapo office in Paris to ask for her brother's ashes. Misselwitz dismissed her.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-12-19|title=Le mystère des cendres de Jean Moulin|language=fr|work=Le Monde.fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2014/12/19/le-mystere-des-cendres-de-jean-moulin_4544076_4497186.html|access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref>
+In May 1944, Jean Moulin's sister went to the Gestapo office in Paris to ask for her brother's ashes. Misselwitz dismissed her.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-12-19|title=Le mystère des cendres de Jean Moulin|language=fr|work=Le Monde.fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2014/12/19/le-mystere-des-cendres-de-jean-moulin_4544076_4497186.html|access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref>
 == French agent ==
-With the [[Liberation of Paris]] on 25 August 1944, Misselwitz fled from Paris to Germany. In October 1945, the 36-year-old Misselwitz reported to the French security services in northwest Berlin. Misselwitz was arrested and imprisoned for a short time and offered to spy among the inmates, starting in early 1946. In 1952 Misselwitz was convicted in a Paris court [[Trial in absentia|In absentia]]. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment<ref>{{Cite web|title=ZEIT ONLINE {{!}} Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder imPUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl.|url=https://www.zeit.de/zustimmung?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeit.de%2F1983%2F36%2Ffrankreich-enthuellung|website=www.zeit.de|access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref> for the torture of Brossolette, but was never found or arrested. [[Serge and Beate Klarsfeld]] discovered that the French secret services employed Ernst Misselwitz beginning in 1945. <ref>{{Cite news|last=Reuters|date=1983-08-26|title=Hunter of Nazis Says France Used Gestapo Man as Agent|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/26/world/hunter-of-nazis-says-france-used-gestapo-man-as-agent.html|access-date=2020-05-06|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Klarsfelds Accuse French Intelligence Units of Having Employed Notorious Nazis During the Post-war Y|url=https://www.jta.org/1983/08/26/archive/klarsfelds-accuse-french-intelligence-units-of-having-employed-notorious-nazis-during-the-post-war-y|date=1983-08-26|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref>
+With the [[Liberation of Paris]] on 25 August 1944, Misselwitz fled from Paris to Germany. In October 1945, the 36-year-old Misselwitz reported to the French security services in northwest Berlin. Misselwitz was arrested and imprisoned for a short time and offered to spy among the inmates, starting in early 1946. In 1952 Misselwitz was convicted in a Paris court [[Trial in absentia|In absentia]]. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for the torture of Brossolette, but was never found or arrested. [[Serge and Beate Klarsfeld]] discovered that the French secret services employed Ernst Misselwitz beginning in 1945.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=1983-08-26|title=Hunter of Nazis Says France Used Gestapo Man as Agent|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/26/world/hunter-of-nazis-says-france-used-gestapo-man-as-agent.html|access-date=2020-05-06|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Klarsfelds Accuse French Intelligence Units of Having Employed Notorious Nazis During the Post-war Y|url=https://www.jta.org/1983/08/26/archive/klarsfelds-accuse-french-intelligence-units-of-having-employed-notorious-nazis-during-the-post-war-y|date=1983-08-26|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=ZEIT ONLINE {{!}} Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder imPUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl.|url=https://www.zeit.de/zustimmung?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeit.de%2F1983%2F36%2Ffrankreich-enthuellung|website=www.zeit.de|access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref>
 The time and place of his death are unknown.
 ==See also==
+{{Portal|Biography|Germany}}
 * [[Pierre Paoli]]
 * [http://beaucoudray.free.fr/fabien.htm Colonel Fabien] (in French)
@@ Line 49: / Line 50: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Misselwitz, Ernst}}
-{{Portal|Biography|Germany|World War II}}
 [[Category:Gestapo personnel]]
 [[Category:Holocaust perpetrators in France]]
 [[Category:1909 births]]
 [[Category:Year of death missing]]
+[[Category:Nazis convicted in absentia]]