THE DEADLY COLLECTOR OF VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST: AUGUST HIRST (APRIL 28, 1898 TO JUNE 2, 1945)

On this date, June 2, 1948, August Hirt committed suicide in Schönenbach, Austria, with a gunshot to the head. He was the Chairman of the Reich University in Strasbourg, France. I will post the information about him from Wikipedia and other links.

August Hirst [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.die-namen-der-nummern.de/html/august_hirt.html]

Born	28 April 1898 Mannheim, Baden
Died	2 June 1945 (aged 47) Schluchsee, Baden-Württemberg
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Schutzstaffel
Rank	Hauptsturmführer

August Hirt (April 28, 1898 – June 2, 1945), an SS-Hauptsturmführer (captain), served as a chairman at the Reich University in Strasbourg during World War II.

Working with the Ahnenerbe division, Wolfram Sievers, Bruno Beger and Hirt together collected human corpses from among the Dachau inmates in order to create an anatomical specimen collection specifically of Jews. In 1943, Hirt had 79 Jewish men, 30 Jewish women, 2 Poles, and 4 "Asians" selected among the inmates at Auschwitz. These people were sent to Natzweiler-Struthof on July 30, 1943. Here they were gassed, by Josef Kramer, on August 17 and August 19, 1943. Their bodies were returned to Hirt at the anatomical laboratory of the Reich University in Strasbourg for preparation as an anthropological display, where they were re-discovered after the liberation.

Some speculate that the Asian victims were in fact Soviets, and there is mention that Hirt used this opportunity to test the effects of mescaline as a poison.

In the book, “Die Namen der Nummern“ (The Names of the Numbers), Hans-Joachim Lang describes this mass murder. He also recounts in detail the story of how he was able to determine the identities of 86 victims, 60 years after they were murdered.

Hirt committed suicide before he could be tried for war crimes. Some of his records prepared for the trial are in possession of the US National Archives, including "Photocopies of certificates of proof of ancestry, in connection with research on prisoners in the Konzentrationslager Natzweiler, ...Feb. 9-Nov. 3, 1942. Partial copies of slips for the admittance of prisoners into the Konzentrationslager Natzweiler, medical examinations on prisoners, and a death certificate, Dec. 9, 1942-Aug. 9, 1944. Feb. 9, 1942-Aug. 9, 1944".

August Hirst [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.holocaust-history.org/hirt/]

English: English translation of the inscription:

In memory of the 86 Jewish victims assassinated in 1943 at Struthof by August Hirt, professor at the Nazi Reichsuniversität Straßburg. Their remains rest in the Israeli cemetery in Cronenbourg. The French Faculty of Medicine of annexed Strasburg had moved to Clermont-Ferrand. Remember them so that never again medicine is misguided. Commemorative plaque unvailed December 11, 2005 by: Jean-Paul Faugere, Prefect of the Region of Alsace, Prefect of the Lower-Rhine Fabienne Keller, President of the Administrave Council of the University Hospitals of Strasbourg (rest of the inscription is unclear) Gerald Chaix, Rector of the Academy of Strasbourg, Chancellor of the Universities of Alsace

In the presence of:

·          Bernard Carriere, President of Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg

·          Bertrand Ludes, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Strasbourg

·          Paul Castel, Director-General of the University Hospitals of Strasbourg

·          Jean Kahn, President of the Isreali Central Consistory of France

OTHER LINKS:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Hirt.html

http://www.holocaust-history.org/hirt/

http://en.auschwitz.org/h/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=10&limit=1&limitstart=7