Lange, Herbert - Commander of Kulmhof Extermination Camp

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Introduction to Herbert Lange

Herbert Lange oversaw the infamous Sonderkommando Lange and subsequently assumed command at the Kulmhof (Chełmno) extermination camp. In this capacity, he bore the responsibility for orchestrating the systematic slaughter of both inmates of asylums and Jews within the Warthegau region.

Facts Sheet

Name: Herbert Lange

Birth: 29.09.1909 in Menzlin/Vorpommern

Death: April 1945 in Niederbarnim (near Berlin)

Role: Commander of Sonderkommando Lange (1940-1941), Commander of Kulmhof extermination camp (01/09/1941 – 01/04/1942)

Agency: Stapo Posen

Rank: SS-U’stuf. 09.11.1938, SS-O’stuf. 20.04.1940, SS-H’stuf. 01.09.1941, SS-Stubaf. 01.10.1944

Memberships: NSDAP (01.05.1932 #1159583), SD, SS (01.03.1933 #93501)

Awards: KVK II and KVK I Kl. m.Schw.

Education:

Profession:

Family: 27.09.1935 married to Ella F.

Herbert Lange (BArch R 9361-III/235305

Quotes

“Lange and Bothmann were generally calm and deliberate – except when they had been drinking.”

Fritz IsmerLAS, Abt. 352.3, Nr. 16507

“From the glaring emptiness, a high male voice with a slight Saxon accent addressed me.”

Christabel BielenbergBielenberg, Als ich Deutsche war: 1934 – 1945 ; eine Engländerin erzählt, p. 255

“It was no longer just a disembodied fistula voice, but a small, stocky, even younger man with a pear-shaped head. He had dark, thinning hair over a high, narrow forehead, round cheeks, and a small mouth with plump lips. He was certainly no beauty, but it was the expression in his eyes that made him so horrifying. They were close together, very small, very blue, very cold, and stared at me intensely and watchfully.”

Christabel BielenbergBielenberg, Als ich Deutsche war: 1934 – 1945 ; eine Engländerin erzählt, p. 255

“A strange transformation was taking place on his flaccid face. It was as if an earthquake had occurred beneath those thick cheeks. Could it be a smile?”

Christabel BielenbergBielenberg, Als ich Deutsche war: 1934 – 1945 ; eine Engländerin erzählt, p. 257

“Lange and I were primarily connected by a shared interest in sports. We played tennis together now and then. Lange was by nature a quiet and reserved person.”

Alfred Trenkerinterrogation of 21 March 1962, BArch B 162/15612, p. 125

“As soon as the box space of the vehicle was filled with about 30 to 40 people, the door was closed…. While Lange was there, there might have been some hitting, but Bothmann had forbidden it.”

Walter BurmeisterBArch B 162/3248, p. 71

“Regarding the commanders of Kulmhof, I would like to add the following:
The first of them, Lange, was of smaller stature… I believe he was somehow sadistically inclined. He always wanted to be involved in the entire process of the extermination actions. He also did not mind that the Jews were beaten by the Polish work commando. He was also strict in service.”

Walter BurmeisterBArch B 162/3248, p. 81

When I previously said that Lange was strict as a boss, I meant that he was always present during duty, not just letting things run on their own. He inspected all activities and demanded compliance with his instructions. He was practically on the premises from the start of the duty until the end, and I was usually with him if I had nothing else to do. Lange could indeed get angry and scold if something did not go as planned.

Walter BurmeisterBArch B 162/3248, p. 81

“I would also like to note that under the command leader SS-Hptstuf. Lange, whips were issued to all the guard posts of the command.”

Alois HäfeleLAS, Abt. 352.3, Nr.16490

“I was to keep a 15-man Jewish labor detail ready. I was responsible for “looking after” them. According to an order from Lange, they were to be “rotated” every 14 days.”

Alois HäfeleHS-NRW, Rep.206 Nr. 189

I was truly terrified of the command leader Lange, who was there first. He was a strict fellow, and I avoided him whenever I could. He was the right type for such things; he would walk over dead bodies. I say this not so much based on specific incidents as because of his entire demeanor and the way he conducted himself.

Alois HäfeleHS-NRW, Rep.295 Nr. 251

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Supplementary Sources

Public prosecutor’s office in Bonn to special commission of Baden-Würrtemberg on 23 May 1961:

The investigations have provided various indications that Herbert Lange fell during the battles for Berlin in April 1945.
a) His…wife has been examined. No indications have emerged that she is still in contact with her husband, who is living in hiding.
b) Herbert Lange’s mother-in-law stated that in 1947, the War Victims Registration Office handed over the paybook and personal belongings of her son-in-law Herbert Lange. A master carpenter is said to have informed the War Victims Registration Office that Lange fell on May 8, 1945, in Niederbarnim. Assigned as a private to Wehrmacht Combat Battalion. The Wehrmacht Information Office informed me that it is noted in their records that the district administrator of Niederbarnim sent a letter in 1946 addressed to Mrs. Eli Lange. The Wehrmacht Information Office is of the opinion that the circumstances leading to the discovery of the letter make Lange’s death appear probable.
c) Various witness statements have revealed that in 1945, Lange was assigned to an SS combat battalion as a simple rifleman.
d) Witness Dr. Trenker…stated that the battalion commander informed the Police School in Fürstenberg that Lange had fallen.”

(BArch B 162/3247)