What is Willi Auerswald?
'''Willi Auerswald''' (1894–1956) was a member of the [[Germany|German]] [[SS]] in the rank of a SS-Oberscharführer. Auerswald belonged to the guards of the Mauthausen [[Concentration camp]]. Between spring 1942 and November 1944 he was one of the leaders of the subcamp Steyr-Münichholz. Auerswald was feared by the prisoners due to his brutality. Executions and brutal punishments made him one of the most terrible guards at Mauthausen. After the end of [[World War II]] Auerswald was charged by an US-military tribunal in [[Dachau]]. The trial document lists a case where a Russian prisoner, begging for his life, was pushed by Auerswald into a fence secured by high voltage. He died immediately. The documentation also mentioned that 300 healthy prisoners were brought from Mauthausen to the sub-camp St. Aegyd. More than 50% died within the next few weeks or became severely sick so that they were brought back to Mauthausen where they died. Auerswald was the head of the St. Aegyd sub-camp at that time. Auerswald was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. Later it was changed to life imprisonment. == Other websites == * [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/dachmautrials.html Concentration-camp Mauthausen] * [http://www.icwc.de/fileadmin/quellen/000-50-5-08.pdf Document about the trial (United States of America v. Willi Auerswald et al. - Case No. 000.50.5.08)]{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{bio-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Auerswald, Willi}} [[Category:1895 births]] [[Category:1956 deaths]] [[Category:German prisoners]] [[Category:German war criminals]] [[Category:Holocaust perpetrators]] [[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment]] [[Category:SS officers]]