The horrors committed during the Holocaust undoubtedly represent the ugliest and most horrific events in human history. While we often hear about the male perpetrators, there were also female Nazis who played a role in the brutal treatment of prisoners.
One such lady, Ilse Koch, is infamous for her vile actions while working as a guard at Buchenwald. Koch’s brutal treatment of inmates and sadistic traits earned her the name “The Beast of Buchenwald.” Koch was not alone, the Commandant of the camp, her husband, was also notorious for his savagery.
Despite the graphic and disturbing nature of Koch’s actions, it is important to acknowledge the reality of what occurred at the hands of this female concentration camp guard.
There are some out there who would argue that Koch’s punishment was not severe enough for all the wicked crimes she committed, but it’s important to acknowledge that justice was served for the crimes she committed against humanity.
This is the story of the female concentration camp guard so depraved even the Nazis arrested her.
Marrying An Equally Wicked Man
It’s hard to imagine what would drive someone to not only accept but actively support the horrific actions of the Nazi regime, but Ilse Köhler was such a person.
She had been an ordinary bookkeeper in the 1930s before joining the Nazi Party, and Karl-Otto Koch was someone she met while working for the party.
Karl-Otto quickly rose through the ranks to become a commander at several concentration camps, and Ilse seemed to revel in the power and authority that came with being associated with him.
In fact, instead of being appalled by the atrocities and crimes her husband was committing, Ilse actively involved herself in his work, supporting his actions.
Soon after getting married in 1936, Karl-Otto was appointed as the Commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, one of the largest camps used to detain and eventually exterminate Jews and others who were of the minority, homosexuals, and all kinds of other victims.
The iron gates to the entrance of the camp were emblazoned with a sadistic message to any who entered: “To each their own” or, more bluntly “, you’ll get what you deserve.”
Ilse saw this as an opportunity to get even more involved on a personal level, and she became a guard at Buchenwald. In doing so, she quickly gained a reputation for being even more sadistic than her husband — a truly chilling thought.
She had clearlyfound her match in Karl-Otto, and together they perpetrated untold horrors on those unlucky enough to cross their paths.
Ilse Koch Found Pleasure In Sadistic Cruelty
Ilse Koch’s twisted pleasure knew no bounds. Above all else, she relished in the suffering of prisoners, deriving pleasure from both their physical and emotional pain.
It was as though she had an unquenchable thirst for malice that could only be soothed by the other suffering of other people.
Riding through the camp, she would taunt prisoners, wielding her riding crop as a symbol of her power. If anyone dared to meet her gaze, they would be met with a brutal lashing.
Her laughter echoed throughout the camp as she watched prisoners being sent to their deaths in the gas chambers. It was almost as if she took pleasure in their final moments of terror.
But it was the children who seemed to bring her the most sadistic pleasure. Survivors recall that Ilse would become most excited when children were about to be taken away to be killed.
She would draw out their terror when selecting prisoners to have their tattoos removed, relishing in their fear.
Ilse’s house loomed ominously over the entire camp, a constant reminder of the terror that she wrought.
Koch’s Love Of Pain, Torture, And Sexual Abuse
The horrifying and unimaginable atrocities carried out by Ilse, the infamous “Witch” of Buchenwald. One of her sickening pastimes was to delight in watching prisoners inflict harm upon each other, often over tattoos that she deemed unsatisfactory.
If none were to her liking, she would cruelly force one prisoner to tattoo another, only to have them killed and their newly inked skin taken as a twisted trophy.
But her depravity did not end there. Ilse would also derive sick pleasure from sexually taunting and torturing the already starved and tortured male inmates.
She would dress provocatively in short skirts and tight sweaters and shamelessly flaunt herself around them like a movie star. In her twisted mind, it was amusing to watch as they performed physically gruelling activities or to force them to perform sexual acts on each other for her own twisted gratification.
The kind of depravity that could motivate someone to commit such heinous acts is hard to fathom. The acts of Ilse insulted the most fundamental standards of human decency on the face and caused the already suffering inmates great bodily pain and trauma.
Ilse Koch’s Controversial Sexual Deviancy and Scandals
Ilse Koch had a notorious reputation at the concentration camp for her alleged promiscuity and sexual deviancy. It was said that she engaged in sexual activities with doctors and guards while her husband turned a blind eye. In fact, it’s been rumored that Ilse had several children with different fathers.
But that’s not all. Ilse’s sexual exploits didn’t just stop with her personal affairs. Apparently, she and her husband would host orgies for SS officers and guards at their home, which had a prime view of the concentration camp.
And to make matters even more scandalous, there were rumors that Ilse’s husband had homosexual tendencies and had even contracted syphilis while serving as Commandant. Interestingly enough, Ilse herself never contracted the disease.
Overall, it seems that Ilse Koch had a very active and controversial sex life during her time at the concentration camp. Her behavior was widely talked about and garnered her a reputation as a sexually deviant figure.
Koch Collected Human Organs And Decorated Them At Her Home
Ilse Koch, a name that sends shivers down the spine of many, is infamous for her gruesome hobbies involving human body parts. While most people collect stamps or coins, Ilse had a unique penchant for collecting human skin and organs.
Her passion for using human skin to fashion household items like book covers, gloves, and even lampshades was one of the most horrifying aspects of her.
It is said that when prisoners with tattoos were killed in the concentration camp, the SS guards would tan their skin and give it to Ilse, who would then turn it into these macabre creations. She also made shrunken heads and skulls for display in her home, which was a reflection of her sick fascination with death.
However, what is perhaps the most disturbing item in her personal collection was a lady’s handbag made from human skin, which Ilse was extremely proud of. She would carry it around for others to see, flaunting her twisted sense of fashion.
Apart from skin, Ilse also collected human body parts and organs, which she used to decorate her home and the homes of other guards. She had a close relationship with the doctors and guards of the concentration camp, which made it easier for her to obtain these items.
Lungs, brains, hearts, livers, and more, were all preserved and used as decorations. While some of the organs had previously been experimented on, most were taken solely for decoration.
Despite the horrific nature of her hobbies, Ilse was never caught in the act, and many of her skin lamps were never recovered. However, her collection of organs had been preserved so well that they were later found and used as evidence against her in future trials.
Ilse Koch Prefered Skin With Tattoos On Them
One of Koch’s particularly sadistic tendencies was to seek out prisoners with tattoos. Some reports suggest that a doctor at the camp asked her to do this for his research on the supposed correlation between tattoos and criminality, which he later turned into a dissertation. However, it’s also possible that Koch did it purely for her own sick enjoyment.
It’s chilling to imagine Koch riding her horse through the camp, scouting for distinctive tattoos that caught her eye. When she found one that pleased her, she would have the prisoner captured and stripped of their skin in order to preserve the tattoo.
The prisoner would then be killed and incinerated, while Koch kept several of the skin patches as grim trophies in her home.
The Infamous Trial for War Crimes and Atrocities Of Ilse Koch
Ilse Koch was detained by the allies as the war came to a conclusion, and they accused her of committing crimes against humanity. In 1947, she stood trial before the American Military court at Dachau. What happened next was shocking, to say the least.
Many others came forward to give evidence against Ilse Koch. They spoke of the horrific acts of tattoo collecting, organ harvesting, whippings, and even orgies that had taken place under her watch.
Not surprisingly when Ilse Koch appeared in her initial trial, the strength of their testimony was sufficient to convict her, and she was given a life sentence.
However, Ilse wasn’t ready to give up just yet, and she had one final trick up her sleeve — which was that she is expecting a child. Many were shocked by this, not just because she was 41 years old but also because she had spent a large portion of her time in solitary confinement.
It was unclear who the father was; some suggested her doctor friend, an American guard, or even a fellow prisoner.
Her plea did not, however, convince the court, which upheld the guilty conviction. While still imprisoned, she gave birth to a child, her imprisonment was eventually eased. But wait! The story was not over, though.
Ilse was put through a second trial, where more testimonies and physical evidence were presented, further solidifying her lifetime imprisonment.
Conclusion
At the Buchenwald concentration camp, Ilse Koch’s actions as the commandant’s wife were nothing short of horrific. She was known by the name of The Witch of Buchenwald because of her inhumane and degrading treatment of inmates.
She was prosecuted and found guilty of war crimes, but before she could be punished for all of her atrocities, she allegedly committed suicide while in jail.
The legacy of Koch serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and the necessity of making people in positions of authority answerable for their actions.
