Wilhelm Höttl
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Höttl or Hoettl (March 19, 1915 – June 27, 1999) was an Austria
n Nazi Party member, SS
officer, secret agent, author and doctor of history.
Höttl was born in Vienna
in March 1915. In 1938, at the age of only 23, he received a doctorate in history from the University of Vienna
. While still a student there, he joined the Nazi Party (member 6309616) and the SS (no. 309510). From 1939 until the end of the war in Europe, Höttl was employed almost without interruption by Germany's central intelligence and security agency, the RSHA
. The RSHA was made up of seven main departments, including: the Sicherheitsdienst
(SD) or Security Service; the Sicherheitspolizei
(SiPo) or Security Police, composed of the Gestapo
(Secret State Police) and the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) or Criminal Police.
Höttl was first stationed in Vienna with the SD foreign bureau and then moved to Berlin where he was promoted to the SS rank of Sturmbannführer
(Major).
In 1944 Höttl became the Ausland-SD's Acting Head of Intelligence and Counter Espionage in Central and South-East Europe. In March he was assigned to Budapest
, where he served as second in command to Reichsführer-SS
Heinrich Himmler
's SS representative in Hungary
, and as political advisor to Hitler's ambassador there, Edmund Veesenmayer
, who reported to Berlin, for example, on the large-scale deportations in 1944 of Jews from Hungary.
After the war, Höttl figured prominently as a prosecution witness at the Nuremberg Trials
. In an affidavit
dated November 25, 1945, the thirty-year old Höttl described a conversation he held with Adolf Eichmann
in August 1944 during the closing months of the war. The meeting of the two men took place at Höttl's office in Budapest:
"Approximately 4,000,000 Jews had been killed in the various concentration camps, while an additional 2,000,000 met death in other ways, the major part of whom were shot by operational squads of the Security Police during the campaign against Russia."
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Nazi Party member, SS
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...
officer, secret agent, author and doctor of history.
Höttl was born in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in March 1915. In 1938, at the age of only 23, he received a doctorate in history from the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. While still a student there, he joined the Nazi Party (member 6309616) and the SS (no. 309510). From 1939 until the end of the war in Europe, Höttl was employed almost without interruption by Germany's central intelligence and security agency, the RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
. The RSHA was made up of seven main departments, including: the Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
(SD) or Security Service; the Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
(SiPo) or Security Police, composed of the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
(Secret State Police) and the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) or Criminal Police.
Höttl was first stationed in Vienna with the SD foreign bureau and then moved to Berlin where he was promoted to the SS rank of Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major).
In 1944 Höttl became the Ausland-SD's Acting Head of Intelligence and Counter Espionage in Central and South-East Europe. In March he was assigned to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, where he served as second in command to Reichsführer-SS
Reichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
's SS representative in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and as political advisor to Hitler's ambassador there, Edmund Veesenmayer
Edmund Veesenmayer
Edmund Veesenmayer was a German politician, officer and war criminal. He significantly contributed to The Holocaust in Hungary and Croatia...
, who reported to Berlin, for example, on the large-scale deportations in 1944 of Jews from Hungary.
After the war, Höttl figured prominently as a prosecution witness at the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
. In an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
dated November 25, 1945, the thirty-year old Höttl described a conversation he held with Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
in August 1944 during the closing months of the war. The meeting of the two men took place at Höttl's office in Budapest:
"Approximately 4,000,000 Jews had been killed in the various concentration camps, while an additional 2,000,000 met death in other ways, the major part of whom were shot by operational squads of the Security Police during the campaign against Russia."