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The Georgian Gestapo

Most of us are familiar with the Nazi atrocities committed in the occupied European countries and the collaboration of certain European governments (e.g., Vichy France and Norway) that supported and assisted the occupiers. However, collaboration in Eastern Europe has largely gone unnoticed. In countries such as Croatia, the Nazi-supported government of Ante Pavelić and his fascist Ustaše organization committed such atrocities and genocide that even the Nazis were appalled at their brutality.

Joachim von Ribbentrop (left) and Ante Pavelić (right) in Venice during the Independent State of Croatia’s admission to the Tripartite Pact. Photo by anonymous (c. June 1941). PD-Author’s life plus 70 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons.
Joachim von Ribbentrop (left) and Ante Pavelić (right) in Venice during the Independent State of Croatia’s admission to the Tripartite Pact. Photo by anonymous (c. June 1941). PD-Author’s life plus 70 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons.

 Today, we will look at a Georgia military organization comprised of ethnic Georgians who fought under the Waffen-SS (the military arm of the Schutzstaffel, or the SS). It’s no wonder they were commonly referred to as “The Georgian Gestapo.”


Did You Know?

Did you know that soldiers of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops” received the Congressional Gold Medal? Two days ago, marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day ⏤ the invasion of Europe during World War II. This top-secret military unit was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of American soldiers who came ashore on 6 June 1944.

Commonly known as “The Ghost Army,” the unit’s mission was to deceive the Germans into thinking the invasion would take place on the beaches of Pas-de-Calais, France rather than Normandy. They were part of the Allied “Operation Fortitude.” Members of the Ghost Army were artists, designers, audio technicians, and other deception experts. The story of their deception was kept secret until 1996 when the files were declassified after more than fifty years.

There were seven known survivors of the Ghost Army at the time of the White House ceremony. Three of the seven attended the ceremony along with families of the deceased soldiers. Bernard Bluestein, John Christman, and Seymour Nussenbaum accepted the Gold Medal on behalf of all the men of the Ghost Army.

Ceremony awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Ghost Army. Photo by U.S. Army/Sgt. David Resnick (c.2022). The Association of the United States Army (AUSA). https://www.ausa.org.
Ceremony awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Ghost Army. Photo by U.S. Army/Sgt. David Resnick (c.2022). The Association of the United States Army (AUSA). https://www.ausa.org.

Please refer to our 2024 blog, The Double Cross System (click here to read) and the 2022 blog, The Ghost Army (click here to read).


Georgia

Georgia is a country on the Eastern border of Europe near the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains. Its language is part of the Kartvelian languages, and the alphabet is one of the world’s independent alphabets. Georgia is one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world dating to BC 8000. Its population of 3.7 million is dominated by indigenous Georgians.

Map of Europe with Georgia outlined in red. Map by anonymous (date unknown). https://www.asabbatical.com.
Map of Europe with Georgia outlined in red. Map by anonymous (date unknown). https://www.asabbatical.com.

Georgia is one of those countries that over the centuries has been ruled and inhabited by various surrounding regional powers. The Kingdom of Georgia reached its peak during the High Middle Ages (AD 1000 to 1300) before its disintegration and absorption by the Mongols, the Ottoman Empire, and Persia (today, Iran). By 1801, the Russian Empire had annexed the country. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Georgia became independent but in 1921, the Soviet Union broke the Treaty of Moscow (wherein the Soviets recognized Georgian independence) and invaded Georgia turning it into a Soviet satellite country. Read More The Georgian Gestapo

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The S-Bahn Serial Killer

In the past, I’ve written about several of France’s most infamous serial killers (The Parisian Bluebeard is Guillotined (click here to read) and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (click here to read). I thought with our blog today, we’ll move on to Berlin and introduce you to the “S-Bahn” serial killer. (The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit railway system akin to the RER, the Paris suburban train line⏤the U-Bahn is Berlin’s underground railway system.)

Like his French counterparts, this German killer met the same fate.


Did You Know?

Did you know that Hugo Boss (1885−1948) was a fanatical Nazi? Boss was a German fashion designer and founder of Hugo Boss AG. Prior to serving in the German army during World War I, Boss ran his parents’ lingerie shop in Metzingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg (southwest Germany). After the war, Boss returned to Metzingen and started his own company beginning with the creation of shirts, jackets, and work clothing. Boss joined the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP), or Nazi party in 1931 after more than three years of supplying the NSDAP with uniforms for Hitler’s Sturmabteilung (SA), or “Brownshirts.” He immediately became a sponsoring member of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and over the next ten years, Boss joined various Nazi sponsored organizations resulting in greater revenue for his company.

While the black uniforms of the SS were designed by members of the Schutzstaffel, the Hugo Boss company manufactured them (and likely had input to the design). By 1938, the company turned its attention to creating and manufacturing uniforms for the Wehrmacht, Hitler Youth, and the Waffen-SS (i.e., the armed division of the Schutzstaffel). About 180 Polish and French women were forced to work as slave labor in the Hugo Boss factory.

Heinrich Himmler (left) and Ernst Röhm (right). Röhm was the leader of the Sturmabteilung, or “Brown Shirts.” Both uniforms were supplied to Hitler by Hugo Boss and his company. Photo by anonymous (c. 1933). Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-14886/CC-BY-SA. PD-.CCA-Share Alike 3.0 Germany. Wikimedia Commons.
Heinrich Himmler (left) and Ernst Röhm (right). Röhm was the leader of the Sturmabteilung, or “Brown Shirts.” Both uniforms were supplied to Hitler by Hugo Boss and his company. Photo by anonymous (c. 1933). Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-14886/CC-BY-SA. PD-.CCA-Share Alike 3.0 Germany. Wikimedia Commons.

During the denazification process after the war, Boss was categorized as an “Offender” who profited from the Nazis and the war. However, upon appeal, he was re-classified as a “Follower” but still banned from running the business (his son-in-law took over). Why did it take until 2011 for the company to issue an apology for its role in the war and the use of forced labor? I could not find a section in the company’s website about its history or founder. This is not surprising. Most German companies do not highlight their activities or affiliations during the rise of the Third Reich or World War II (click here to read the blog, An African American in Paris).

I’d like to thank Martin B. for sharing the story of Hugo Boss with me and suggesting we incorporate it into one of the blogs.


Paul Ogorzow

Paul Ogorzow (1912−1941) was born in East Prussia (now Poland). He was the illegitimate son of a farm worker, Marie Saga. By the time he was twelve, Paul had been adopted by Johann Ogorzow and Paul eventually took Johann’s surname as his own. Working in a steel foundry, Ogorzow joined the Nazi party in 1931 and became a member of Hitler’s paramilitary Sturmabteilung (SA), or “Brownshirts.” After the Nazis took power in 1933, Ogorzow received promotions ultimately ending as a Scharführer, or SA squad leader. One year later, Ogorzow was hired to work for the national railroad, Deutsche Reichsbahn. Read More The S-Bahn Serial Killer