The Rise and Fall of SS-Obergruppenführer Theodor Eicke: From Loyalty to Infamy
Theodor Eicke, born on 17 October 1892, in Hampont (renamed Hudingen in 1915) near Château-Salins, had a humble beginning as the youngest of 11 children in a lower middle-class family. His father, known for his staunch German patriotism, worked as a station master. Despite his familial background, Eicke struggled academically and eventually dropped out of school at the age of 17, foregoing his graduation.
Choosing a different path, Eicke enlisted in the Bavarian Army, initially serving with the 23rd Bavarian Infantry Regiment at Landau before being transferred to the Bavarian 3rd Infantry Regiment in 1913. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Eicke found himself thrust into the Lorraine campaign, participating in pivotal battles such as the First and Second Battles of Ypres and the Battle of Verdun while serving with the 2nd Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment. Despite initially serving as a clerk and assistant paymaster, Eicke’s bravery on the front lines earned him the Iron Cross Second Class, although he spent much of the war behind the lines due to his role as a regimental paymaster.
In late 1914, Eicke obtained permission from his commanding officer to take a temporary leave to marry Bertha Schwebel of Ilmenau on 26 December 1914. Their union resulted in two children: a daughter named Irma born on 5 April 1916 and a son named Hermann born on 4 May 1920.
Following the conclusion of World War I, Eicke continued his military service as a paymaster for the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic until his resignation in 1919. He then attempted to pursue further education at a technical school in Ilmenau but was forced to abandon his studies due to financial constraints. Eicke subsequently embarked on a career in law enforcement, initially working as an informant and later as a regular policeman in various departments. However, his tenure in law enforcement was short-lived, as his vocal disdain for the Weimar Republic and his involvement in violent political demonstrations led to his dismissal in 1923.
In the same year, Eicke found employment at IG Farben in Ludwigshafen, where he served as a “security officer” until 1932. These early experiences in the military, law enforcement, and industry would shape Eicke’s future endeavors and ideological convictions, laying the groundwork for his infamous role in the SS during the tumultuous years that followed.
Nazi Activism, Early SS Membership, and Exile.
Theodor Eicke’s journey into the folds of Nazism commenced with a resonance that mirrored his disillusionment with the Weimar Republic. On December 1, 1928, he officially became a member of the Nazi Party, joining as number 114,901, and concurrently enlisted in the Sturmabteilung (SA), Ernst Röhm’s paramilitary force. However, by August 1930, Eicke transitioned his allegiance to the Schutzstaffel (SS), becoming member number 2,921. His ascent within the SS ranks was rapid, attributed to his adeptness in recruitment and organization-building, particularly in the Bavarian Palatinate region. Heinrich Himmler, the Reichsführer of the SS, recognized Eicke’s prowess and elevated him to the rank of SS-Standartenführer (colonel equivalent) in 1931.
However, Eicke’s burgeoning political activities didn’t go unnoticed by his employer, IG Farben, leading to his dismissal in early 1932. Simultaneously, his involvement in planning bomb attacks against political adversaries in Bavaria resulted in a two-year prison sentence. Yet, through the intervention of Bavarian Minister of Justice Franz Gürtner, an ardent Nazi sympathizer, Eicke eluded incarceration and sought refuge in Italy under Heinrich Himmler’s directives. Italy, already under fascist rule under Benito Mussolini, served as a fitting backdrop for Eicke’s endeavors. Entrusted with overseeing a “terrorist training camp for Austrian Nazis” at Lake Garda, Eicke even had the privilege of acquainting Mussolini with his operations.
His return to Germany in March 1933, shortly after Hitler’s ascension to power, marked a tumultuous period for Eicke. Engaging in political disputes with Gauleiter Joseph Bürckel led to his arrest and confinement in a mental asylum in Würzburg. Stripped of his SS membership and rank by Himmler due to alleged breaches of trust, Eicke found himself ensnared in a precarious situation. However, a declaration of his mental soundness by the asylum’s director prompted Himmler to reinstate Eicke into the SS fold, promoting him to SS-Oberführer (senior colonel equivalent). Subsequently, on June 26, 1933, Eicke assumed the role of commandant at the Dachau concentration camp, succeeding SS-Sturmbannführer Hilmar Wäckerle following investigations into detainee murders.
Eicke’s tenure at Dachau heralded significant reforms in the concentration camp system. Promoted to SS-Brigadeführer (brigadier general equivalent) on January 30, 1934, he undertook a comprehensive overhaul of Dachau’s operations, instituting stringent disciplinary measures and uniform regulations for both guards and prisoners. His introduction of the iconic blue and white striped pyjamas and the “death’s head” insignia on guard uniforms would come to epitomize the Nazi concentration camp system across Europe. Despite his reforms, Eicke’s draconian methods and unwavering loyalty to Hitler and the SS underscored his ruthless persona, earning him the moniker of the “inspector of concentration camps” by May 1934.
Eicke’s ascendancy within the SS culminated during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934. Tasked with assisting in the elimination of Ernst Röhm and other SA leaders, Eicke played a pivotal role in the purging of potential threats to Hitler’s regime. Following the purge, Himmler officially appointed Eicke as chief of the Inspektion der Konzentrationslager (Concentration Camps Inspectorate), solidifying his authority over the SS-run camps. Consequently, Dachau became the training ground for the SS’s concentration camp service, reflecting Eicke’s instrumental role in shaping the regime’s oppressive apparatus.
As the head of the Concentration Camps Inspectorate, Eicke orchestrated further reorganizations within the camp system, solidifying the SS’s control and introducing forced labor as a means of maximizing its efficacy. Despite opposition from figures like Reinhard Heydrich, Eicke’s influence prevailed, expanding the Death’s Head Troops and establishing new, larger camps across Germany and its annexed territories. His role as the architect of the SS-run camp system cemented his position as one of the regime’s most feared and influential figures, epitomizing the brutality and inhumanity of the Nazi regime.
As World War II erupted in 1939, the notable achievements of various SS formations prompted the expansion of the Waffen-SS. By October 1939, the success of units like the SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and the three Standarten of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) led to the establishment of three additional Waffen-SS divisions. Among these developments, Theodor Eicke was entrusted with the command of a newly formed division known as the SS Division Totenkopf.
Comprising elements from the 1st (Oberbayern), 2nd (Brandenburg), and 3rd (Thüringen) Standarten of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, alongside soldiers from the SS Heimwehr Danzig, the SS Division Totenkopf emerged from the ranks of concentration camp guards. With Eicke transitioning to combat duties, his deputy Richard Glücks assumed leadership of the Concentration Camps Inspectorate (CCI) under Himmler’s directives.
By 1940, administrative oversight of the CCI fell under the purview of the SS-Hauptamt Verwaltung und Wirtschaft (SS Office for Administration and Business), overseen by Oswald Pohl. Subsequently, in 1942, the CCI evolved into Amt D within the consolidated SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt (SS Economic and Administrative Department), still under Pohl’s command. This restructuring positioned the entire concentration camp system under the authority of the WVHA, with the Inspector of Concentration Camps now answering to the Chief of the WVHA.
Despite these changes, Pohl assured Eicke that the command structure he had implemented would remain insulated from the influence of the Gestapo or SD. However, the CCI and later Amt D operated under the jurisdiction of the SD and Gestapo concerning admittance and release of prisoners, while internal camp affairs fell under the purview of Amt D.
The SS Division Totenkopf, subsequently known as the Totenkopf Division, emerged as a formidable force on the Eastern Front. It distinguished itself during pivotal campaigns such as the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the summer offensive in 1942, the capture of Kharkov, operations within the Demyansk Pocket, the Vistula–Oder Offensive, and the Battle of Budapest in 1945.
However, the division’s effectiveness was tainted by allegations of brutality and war crimes, including the infamous massacre of 97 British prisoners of war in Le Paradis, France, in 1940, during their service on the Western Front. Additionally, the division gained notoriety for the widespread execution of captured Soviet soldiers and the systematic pillaging of Soviet villages throughout the conflict.
On February 26, 1943, Theodor Eicke met his end during the initial phases of the Third Battle of Kharkov. While piloting his Fieseler Fi 156 Storch reconnaissance aircraft, Eicke’s plane was downed by Red Army anti-aircraft artillery between the villages of Artil’ne and Mykolaivka, approximately 105 kilometers (65 mi) south of Kharkov near Lozova.
In the aftermath of his death, Eicke was eulogized as a hero in Axis propaganda. Shortly thereafter, one of the infantry regiments of the Totenkopf division was bestowed with the cuff title “Theodor Eicke” in his honor. Initially laid to rest at a German military cemetery near the village of Oddykhne (Оддихне) in the Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, Eicke’s remains were later relocated by Himmler to a cemetery in Hegewald, situated south of Zhitomir in Ukraine. However, as the tide turned against the German forces and the Red Army launched counterattacks, Eicke’s final resting place faced desecration. It is believed that his grave, like many others, fell victim to the bulldozing efforts of Soviet forces, who customarily obliterated German burial sites. Thus, the exact whereabouts of Eicke’s remains remain unknown, lost to the ravages of war and the passage of time.
