Julian Scherner
Encyclopedia
Julian Scherner was a Nazi Party official who served in the SS
as an SS-Oberführer
(Senior Colonel). Scherner is most notorious for his career as SS and Police Leader
of Kraków
, Poland
.
, German East Africa
, Scherner attended a Kadettenschule or military cadet school in Imperial Germany from 1905 to 1914. In 1914 he joined the Reichsheer or Imperial army. After retiring from the military in 1920 he joined the Freikorps Oberland
and in 1923 he took part in the Hitler-Ludendorff Putsch. In 1932 he joined the SS and the Nazi Party. In 1937 he became head of the Dachau
SS-Führerschule or SS officers school. From September 1939 to 11 November 1939 he was regimental commander of the SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich". From summer to the winter of 1940 he was commander of the 8 Totenkopf-Standarte. As an SS garrison commander of Prague
Scherner was busy between January to September 1941 in the preparations for the establishment of the SS-Truppenübungsplatz Böhmen
at Beneschau, Bohemia
.
On 4 August 1941 Scherner was appointed SS- und Polizeiführer (SS and Police Leader
) in Nazi occupied Kraków
. As such he was responsible for the deportations to the Bełżec extermination camp, the mass shootings in Tarnów
and all 'evacuations' that took place during his time there - including Aktion Krakau
. He dissolved the ghetto in his own district (Kraków Ghetto)
by deportating the population to Auschwitz.
His position afforded him a great deal of authority in many areas, as the title of SS and Police Leader
was conferred to high-ranking Nazi Party members, reporting directly to Himmler's deputy. Like Amon Göth
, however, Scherner was far too interested in the confiscated goods from the Plaszow camp. Scherner was transferred to Dachau
in April 1944 and appeared before an SS Court (the dreaded Hauptamt SS-Gericht
) on the 16th October 1944. As a result Scherner was demoted from SS-Oberführer der Reserve in the Waffen-SS
to SS Hauptsturmführer
der Reserve and transferred to the Dirlewanger Brigade (formally the 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS) under SS-Oberführer Dr. Oskar Dirlewanger
.
Scherner's rank in the Allgemeine SS
was not changed, however.
His death was as murky and obscure as his career. He was found dead shortly before the war ended in a wooded area near Niepołomice in southern Poland
.
Scherner's stagnant career, where he held the rank of Oberführer for nearly eight years while many of his junior SS brethren passed into the ranks of SS-Generals, is speculated by historians as a result of Scherner making enemies in the SS leadership and thus he was never recommended for a higher rank. (Source: Mark Yerger)
, Julian Scherner's character was played by Polish actor Andrzej Seweryn
. Oskar Schindler
was carrying out his work in the area under Scherner's supervision, and the two knew each other formally. In the film he is portrayed as a cold and calculating man, if somewhat coarse, and the extent of their relationship is detailed in the movie.
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
as an SS-Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
(Senior Colonel). Scherner is most notorious for his career as SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Life and Death
Born in colonial BagamoyoBagamoyo
The town of Bagamoyo, Tanzania, was founded at the end of the 18th century. It was the original capital of German East Africa and was one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast...
, German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
, Scherner attended a Kadettenschule or military cadet school in Imperial Germany from 1905 to 1914. In 1914 he joined the Reichsheer or Imperial army. After retiring from the military in 1920 he joined the Freikorps Oberland
Freikorps Oberland
The Freikorps Oberland was a free corps in the early years of the Weimar Republic, fighting against Communist and Polish insurgents...
and in 1923 he took part in the Hitler-Ludendorff Putsch. In 1932 he joined the SS and the Nazi Party. In 1937 he became head of the Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
SS-Führerschule or SS officers school. From September 1939 to 11 November 1939 he was regimental commander of the SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich". From summer to the winter of 1940 he was commander of the 8 Totenkopf-Standarte. As an SS garrison commander of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
Scherner was busy between January to September 1941 in the preparations for the establishment of the SS-Truppenübungsplatz Böhmen
SS-Truppenübungsplatz Böhmen
SS-Truppenübungsplatz Böhmen was one of Waffen-SS training area in the territory of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in time of World War II...
at Beneschau, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
.
On 4 August 1941 Scherner was appointed SS- und Polizeiführer (SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
) in Nazi occupied Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. As such he was responsible for the deportations to the Bełżec extermination camp, the mass shootings in Tarnów
Tarnów
Tarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...
and all 'evacuations' that took place during his time there - including Aktion Krakau
Aktion Krakau
Operation Reinhard in Kraków was a major 1942 German Nazi anti-Jewish operation in Kraków, Poland, headed by SS-Oberführer Julian Scherner as part of the countrywide Aktion Reinhard , mass murder of Polish Jews in General Government under the command of SS and Polizeifuhrer Odilo...
. He dissolved the ghetto in his own district (Kraków Ghetto)
Kraków Ghetto
The Kraków Ghetto was one of five major, metropolitan Jewish ghettos created by Nazi Germany in the General Government territory for the purpose of persecution, terror, and exploitation of Polish Jews during the German occupation of Poland in World War II...
by deportating the population to Auschwitz.
His position afforded him a great deal of authority in many areas, as the title of SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
was conferred to high-ranking Nazi Party members, reporting directly to Himmler's deputy. Like Amon Göth
Amon Göth
Amon Leopold Göth was an Austrian Nazi and the commandant of the Nazi concentration camp at Płaszów, General Government...
, however, Scherner was far too interested in the confiscated goods from the Plaszow camp. Scherner was transferred to Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
in April 1944 and appeared before an SS Court (the dreaded Hauptamt SS-Gericht
Hauptamt SS-Gericht
The Hauptamt SS-Gericht was the legal department of the SS during the Third Reich. It was responsible for formulating the laws and codes that the SS and various other groups of the secret police and Wehrmacht were to adhere to, as well as administering the SS and Police Courts and penal...
) on the 16th October 1944. As a result Scherner was demoted from SS-Oberführer der Reserve in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
to SS Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
der Reserve and transferred to the Dirlewanger Brigade (formally the 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS) under SS-Oberführer Dr. Oskar Dirlewanger
Oskar Dirlewanger
Oskar Paul Dirlewanger was a World War II officer of the SS who commanded the SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger, a penal battalion composed of German criminals...
.
Scherner's rank in the Allgemeine SS
Allgemeine SS
The Allgemeine SS was the most numerous branch of the Schutzstaffel paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany. It was managed by the SS-Hauptamt...
was not changed, however.
His death was as murky and obscure as his career. He was found dead shortly before the war ended in a wooded area near Niepołomice in southern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Dates of rank
- SS-UntersturmführerUntersturmführerUntersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
- July 31, 1933 - SS-ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
- December 24, 1933 - SS-HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
- March 1, 1934 - SS-SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
- August 12, 1934 - SS-ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
- January 1, 1935 - SS-StandartenführerStandartenführerStandartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
- January 30, 1936 - SS-OberführerOberführerOberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
- September 12, 1937
Scherner's stagnant career, where he held the rank of Oberführer for nearly eight years while many of his junior SS brethren passed into the ranks of SS-Generals, is speculated by historians as a result of Scherner making enemies in the SS leadership and thus he was never recommended for a higher rank. (Source: Mark Yerger)
Notable decorations
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
Second Class - SS-Honour Ring
- War Merit Cross First Class with SwordsWar Merit CrossThe War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
- War Merit Cross Second Class with SwordsWar Merit CrossThe War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
- Cross of HonorCross of HonorThe Cross of Honor, also known as the Honor Cross or, popularly, the Hindenburg Cross, was a commemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 by Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg for those soldiers of Imperial Germany who fought in World War I...
- Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in Black - Honor Sword of Reichsführer SS
- Coburg BadgeCoburg BadgeThe Coburg Badge is one of the highest ranked awards in the Nazi Party. It consists in the form of a simple looking badge in bronze with a little village on top of a wreath and a sword placed tip downward across the face of a swastika within the wreath...
- Blood OrderBlood OrderThe Blood Order , officially known as the Decoration of 9 November 1923 , was one of the most prestigious decorations in the Nazi Party...
In popular culture
In the film Schindler's ListSchindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
, Julian Scherner's character was played by Polish actor Andrzej Seweryn
Andrzej Seweryn
Andrzej Seweryn is a Polish and French actor and director. One of the most successful Polish theatre actors, he starred in over 50 films, mostly in Poland, France and Germany. He is also one of only three non-French actors to be hired by the Paris-based Comédie-Française.- Biography :Andrzej...
. Oskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler was an ethnic German industrialist born in Moravia. He is credited with saving over 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories, which were located in what is now Poland and the Czech Republic respectively.He is the subject of the...
was carrying out his work in the area under Scherner's supervision, and the two knew each other formally. In the film he is portrayed as a cold and calculating man, if somewhat coarse, and the extent of their relationship is detailed in the movie.