Even the SS Had Enough of Him: The End of Karl Otto Koch

Karl Otto Koch rose through the SS concentration camp system to become commandant of Sachsenhausen and later Buchenwald, where he exercised enormous power over thousands of prisoners. His career offers a disturbing insight into the corruption, exploitation and violence that developed within the concentration camp system of Nazi Germany. This World History documentary follows Karl-Otto Koch from his early life and service during the First World War to his membership of the Nazi Party and SS. It examines his appointment as commandant of Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, the expansion of the camp, and the system of forced labour and persecution imposed on its prisoners. Alongside Koch was his wife, Ilse Koch, who became one of the most notorious figures associated with Buchenwald. The couple lived in considerable comfort near the camp, using prisoner labour and property taken from inmates while Koch diverted money and valuables for his own benefit. Their lifestyle eventually attracted the attention of senior SS officials. The documentary also explores Koch’s transfer to Majdanek concentration camp, the investigation led by SS judge Georg Konrad Morgen, and the evidence connecting Koch to corruption and the deaths of prisoners who knew too much about his activities. His downfall reveals an extraordinary contradiction within the Third Reich: the SS tolerated systematic persecution and mass murder, yet pursued Koch after determining that he had stolen from the organisation and concealed his own crimes. This is the story of Karl-Otto Koch, Ilse Koch and the concentration camp system they served—and of how one of Buchenwald’s most powerful commandants ultimately became a prisoner of the organisation that had given him his authority. Join World History channel and get access to benefits: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKy_pNKZBX4KcCct8505HA/join Disclaimer: All opinions and comments below are from members of the public and do not reflect the views of the World