German Forces

SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Höcker.

Karl Hoecker, Adjutant at the Auschwitz Camp in 1944-'45 under commandant Sturmbannfuhrer Richard Baer. Apart from his central administrative role in the Camp as adjutant, Hoecker's interest lies in his association with an album of photographs, dating from mid and late-1944, which is now held by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. The provenance is not entirely established, and some doubts persist as to original ownership. However, the fact that Hoecker appears in a very high proportion of the 'photos makes it a reasonable working assumption that he was the original owner (though, of course, not the photographer on the whole). Also, the presence of identifiable individuals in the 'photos leaves no real doubt as to their authenticity. Apart from the present 'photo, my last Auschwitz post - the 'photo of Hoess, Baer and Hoecker before the opening of the new SS infirmary at the Camp (which I gather some people can read properly and comment on, but I cannot due to a technical issue) - comes from this album, as do a number of earlier posts by a number of posters on this site. In relation to my last Auschwitz post ("The A(uschwitz) Team, 1944"), it has been suggested that I had exhibited very "black" humour. Indeed. Had I been able to reply to that observation directly, I would have referred to the content of the album. While, close by, gas chambers and crematoria strained to "process" an ever-increasing flow of humanity, the album shows the more privileged SS attending parties and opening ceremonies, relaxing with the SS-Helferrinen girls, taking recreation at their nearby dedicated getaway lodge, eating staff dinners and drinking wine from fine glasses, going on hunting trips and "school outing" type visits to a local coal mine, playing with dogs ... oh yes, and marching and parading as well, just a little. As I said previously, a good time was, evidently, had by all while, nearby, the death factory churned on and, a little further off, the Soviet Operation Bagration and its follow-ups were dismantling German Army Group Centre and bringing the Red Terror ever closer to their playground. Yes, I do see a certain black humour in this - the black humour of madness. That does not make it, in the usual sense, exactly funny. The "Hoecker album" can be viewed at the USHMM website (at least, by those with up-to-date Flash software) and, for anybody who has not done so already, is well worth a look. Best regards, JR.