WWII Photograph Group – Josef Kramer, Auschwitz & Bergen-Belsen Commandant (Executed 1945) – British Custody, Unpublished
Original WWII photograph group depicting Josef Kramer, photographed in British custody in 1945 shortly after his capture.
Kramer (1906–1945) was an SS-Hauptsturmführer and commandant of several concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and later Bergen-Belsen. He became widely known as the “Beast of Belsen” due to his role in the extreme conditions and mass deaths at the camp.
The group comprises multiple original period prints showing Kramer under guard, including:
- Close-up portrait views
- Seated and standing custody scenes
- British personnel supervising
- An outdoor setting with distinctive brick archways, likely a detention or processing facility
These photographs correspond to documented post-capture imagery of Kramer; however, the present prints are previously unpublished examples, significantly enhancing their rarity and desirability.
Condition:
All photographs are original period prints, exhibiting typical age-related wear including minor creasing, edge wear, and handling marks. Overall well-preserved, with a consistent and untouched appearance.
Format & Dimensions:
- 3 photographs: 8.2 × 5.8 cm
- 1 photograph: 8.4 × 6.3 cm
- 3 photographs: 3.8 × 2.5 cm
A rare and historically significant photographic group, directly associated with one of the most notorious concentration camp commandants and the immediate aftermath of liberation and arrest.
€800,00
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Statement
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Historical Description
Josef Kramer (1906–1945) was an SS-Hauptsturmführer and commandant of several concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and later Bergen-Belsen. He became widely known as the “Beast of Belsen” due to his role in the extreme conditions and mass deaths at the camp.
When British forces liberated Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, Kramer was captured on site. Unlike many SS personnel, he did not flee and was immediately detained. He was subsequently tried during the Belsen Trial, where he was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death.
Kramer was executed by hanging on 13 December 1945 at Hamelin Prison by British executioner Albert Pierrepoint.
Photographs from this period—particularly those showing him in custody outside formal courtroom settings—are relatively scarce and form part of the visual documentation of the immediate aftermath of camp liberation and the prosecution of Nazi war criminals.
