On this date, 22 May 1946, a SS Nazi War Criminal, Karl Hermann Frank was executed by hanging in public. I will post the information about him from Wikipedia and other links.
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Karl
Hermann Frank [PHOTO SOURCE: http://reinhardhimmler.tumblr.com/]
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Born
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24 January 1898
Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) |
Died
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22 May 1946 (aged 48)
Prague |
Allegiance
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Germany
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Years of service
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1918–1945
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Rank
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SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und
Polizei
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Awards
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Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross without Swords,
Golden Party Badge, SS-Ehrenring
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Karl Hermann Frank (24 January 1898 – 22 May 1946) was a prominent Sudeten
German Nazi official in Czechoslovakia prior to and during World War II and an
SS-Obergruppenführer. He was executed by hanging after World War II for
his role in organizing the massacres of the people of the Czech villages of
Lidice and Ležáky.
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| Karl Hermann Frank (Photo on September 1942) |
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Karl
Hermann Frank
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Early
life
Born
in Karlsbad, Bohemia in Austria-Hungary (present-day Karlovy Vary, Czech
Republic), Frank was taught by his father (a proponent of Georg Ritter von
Schönerer’s policies) about nationalist agitation. After spending an
unsuccessful year at the law school of the German language Charles University
in Prague, Frank served in the Austro-Hungarian Army at the end of World War I.
After the war, Frank operated a book store and joined various right wing groups
and societies, such as the Kameradschaftsbund.
An
extreme advocate of the incorporation of the Sudetenland into Germany, Frank
joined the Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei (Sudeten German
National Socialist Party or DNSAP) in 1919 and set up a book store from which
he distributed Nazi propaganda. When the party was suppressed by the
Czechoslovak government, Frank helped organize the Sudeten-German Homeland
Front in 1933, which officially became the Sudeten German Party (SdP) in 1935.
In
1935, Frank became deputy leader of the SdP and was elected a member of the
Czechoslovak Parliament. Coming to represent the most radical National
Socialists in the SdP, Frank was made Deputy Gauleiter of the
Sudetenland when it became part of Germany in October 1938. Frank's radicalism
gained him the favor of Heinrich Himmler, who made Frank an SS-Brigadeführer
in November 1938.
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Reinhard
Heydrich (left) & Karl Hermann Frank (right) [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/domaci/15859-konec-k-h-franka-obesen-jen-tri-hodiny-po-vyneseni-rozsudku/]
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Reinhard
Heydrich (left) & Karl Hermann Frank (right) [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/nazioccupation/lidice.html]
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Heydrich (left) with Karl Hermann Frank
at Prague Castle in 1941
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World
War II
In
1939, Frank was promoted to SS-Gruppenführer and appointed Secretary of
State of the Reich Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia under Reich Protector Konstantin von Neurath. Himmler also named
him the protectorate's Higher SS and Police Leader of the protectorate, making
him its ranking SS officer. Although nominally under Neurath, Frank wielded
great power in the protectorate due to his vast knowledge of Czech affairs and
Himmler's support.
As
Secretary of State and chief of police, Frank pursued a policy of harsh
suppression of dissident Czechs and pushed for the arrest of Bohemia and
Moravia's Prime Minister, Alois
Eliáš. These actions by Frank were countered by Neurath's "soft
approach" to the Czechs thereby encouraging anti-German resistance by
strikes and sabotage. This frustrated Frank and led to him secretly working to
discredit Neurath.
Hitler's
decision to adopt a more radical approach in Bohemia and Moravia should have
worked in Frank's favor. Hitler relieved Neurath of his active duties on 23
September 1941, though he still remained Reich Protector on paper. Frank hoped
to be appointed as Deputy Protector and day-to-day head of the protectorate,
but was passed over in favor of Reinhard Heydrich. Although the working
relationship between Frank and Heydrich was initially tense, even though they
both believed that the Czechs needed to be dealt with harshly. The two soon put
aside their differences and became an efficient and effective duo. The two
launched a reign of terror in the protectorate, arresting and killing dozens of
opponents and ramping up the deportation of Jews to concentration camps.
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Czech state president
of the Protectorate, dr. Emil Hácha (sitting), listening to a speech of
Reichsprotektor Kurt Daluege next to SS and Police General Karl Hermann Frank
in Prague, September 1942.
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Destruction of Lidice
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Bodies of some of the
men murdered in the Lidice massacre, a notorious crime against humanity
organized by Karl Frank and Kurt Daluege.
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Lidice
When
Heydrich was assassinated in May 1942, Frank was once again passed over for
promotion to Deputy Protector; Kurt Daluege was chosen instead. Daluege and
Frank were instrumental in initiating the destruction of the Czech villages of Lidice and Ležáky in order to take revenge on the
Czech populace for Heydrich's death. Under Daluege, Frank continued to
consolidate his power and by the time Wilhelm Frick was appointed Reich Protector
in 1943, Frank was the most powerful official in Bohemia and Moravia. In August
1942, he was made a Minister of State as Reich Minister for Bohemia and
Moravia. In June 1943, he was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer and
General of Police in Prague. Frank was also made a General of the Waffen-SS.
From
30 April to 1 May 1945, before the Prague Uprising, Frank announced over the
radio that he would drown any uprising in a "sea of blood". Later, as
rumors of an impending Allied approach reached the city, the people of Prague
streamed into the streets to welcome the victors. Frank ordered the streets to
be cleared and instructed the German army and police forces in Prague to fire
at anyone who disobeyed.
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Karl
Hermann Frank on trial [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/XB290654/Karl-Hermann-Frank?img=4&search=headphones&bool=phrase]
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Trial
and death
Frank
surrendered to the U.S. Army in Pilsen on 9 May 1945. He was extradited to the
People's Court in Prague and tried during March and April 1946. After being
convicted of war crimes and the obliteration of Lidice, Frank was sentenced to
death. He was hanged on 22 May 1946 in the courtyard of the Pankrác Prison in
Prague, before 5,000 onlookers. He was buried in an anonymous pit at Prague's
Ďáblice cemetery.
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Karl Herman Frank
hanging from the neck in Prague, 1946, for his role in organizing the massacres
of the people of the Czech villages of Lidice and Ležáky. He was the Higher SS
and Police Leader and Secretary of State of the Reich Protectorate of Bohemia
and Moravia. [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/538532067912340108/]
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Personal
life
Frank
was married twice. On 21 January 1925 he married Anna Müller (born 5 January
1899 in Karlsbad). They divorced on 17 February 1940 (later the same year
Müller remarried Karl-Hermann's successor as deputy Gauleiter of Sudetenland,
SA-Brigadeführer Dr. Fritz Köllner). The couple had two sons Harald, born 20
January 1926, and Gerhard, born 22 April 1931. Harald served as a
SS-Panzergrenadier with the 1. SS Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
and was severely wounded in March 1945 in Hungary. On 14 April 1940 Frank
remarried a physician, Karola Blaschek (born 13 August 1913 in Brüx). They had
one son, Wolf-Dietrich (born 20 August 1942), and two daughters Edda, (born 16
August 1941) and Holle-Sigrid (born 8 March 1944). After the war, Blaschek was
held a prisoner by the Soviets until 1956 and her children grew up in care
homes.
Summary
of SS career
Dates
of rank
- SS-Brigadeführer: 1 November 1938
- SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei: 9 November 1939
- SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und Polizei: 21 June 1943
Decorations
- Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross without Swords – 1 May 1945
- Golden Nazi Party Badge (?)
- War Merit Cross with Swords Second (?) and First (?) Classes
- Golden Badge of Hitler Youth
- Great Cross of the Slovakian Victory Cross – March 1943
- Merit Cross of German Red Cross, 2nd Class
- Sudetenland Medal (?) with Prague Castle Bar
- Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
- NSDAP Long Service Award in Silver
- SS Honour Ring (?)
- Anschluss Medal (1938)
- Iron Cross of 1939, 2nd class
- Wound Badge (1939) in Black
- Sword of honour of the Reichsführer-SS
OTHER LINKS:
PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE HIS
EXECUTION:
VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnfFKtu5Vqk
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