Karl (also Carl ) is an originally Germanic variant of the male given name Charles, meaning "free man". For further details on origin and meaning, see Churl and Charles.
Notable people with the name include:
Karl-Otto Koch was a mid-ranking commander in the Schutzstaffel (SS) of Nazi Germany who was the first commandant of the Nazi concentration camps at Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen. From September 1941 until August 1942, he served as the first commandant of the Majdanek concentration camp in occupied Poland, stealing vast amounts of valuables and money from murdered Jews. His wife, Ilse Koch, also participated with the crimes at Buchenwald.
Fritz originated as a German diminutive of Friedrich or Frederick, as well as of similar names including Fridolin and, less commonly, Francis. Fritz (Fryc) was also a name given to German troops by the Entente powers equivalent to the derogative Tommy. Other common bases for which the name Fritz was used include the surnames Fritsche, Fritzsche, Fritsch, Frisch(e) and Frycz.
Dachau was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, social democrats, and other dissidents. It is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory northeast of the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany. After its opening by Heinrich Himmler, its purpose was enlarged to include forced labor, and eventually, the imprisonment of Jews, Romani, German and Austrian criminals, and, finally, foreign nationals from countries that Germany occupied or invaded. The Dachau camp system grew to include nearly 100 sub-camps, which were mostly work camps or Arbeitskommandos, and were located throughout southern Germany and Austria. The main camp was liberated by U.S. forces on 29 April 1945.
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form of Germanic names beginning in aud-, an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The Dachau trials, also known as the Dachau Military Tribunal, handled the prosecution of almost every war criminal captured in the U.S. military zones in Allied-occupied Germany and in Allied-occupied Austria, and the prosecutions of military personnel and civilian persons who committed war crimes against the American military and American citizens. The war-crime trials were held within the compound of the former Dachau concentration camp by military tribunals authorized by the Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Third Army.
Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include:
Hans is a Germanic male given name in Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Faroese, German, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swedish-speaking populations. It was originally short for Johannes (John), but is now also recognized as a name in its own right for official purposes. The earliest documented usage was in 1356 in Sweden, 1360 in Norway, and the 14th century in Denmark.
Alois is an Old Occitan form of the name Louis. Modern variants include Aloïs (French), Aloys (German), Alois (Czech), Alojz, Alojzy (Polish), Aloísio, Alajos (Hungarian), and Aloyzas (Lithuanian).
Friedrich is a German given name and the origin of the English Frederick. People with the name include:
The Stutthof trials were a series of war crime tribunals held in postwar Poland for the prosecution of Stutthof concentration camp staff and officials, responsible for the murder of up to 85,000 prisoners during the occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany in World War II. None of the Stutthof commandants were ever tried in Poland. SS-Sturmbannführer Max Pauly was put on trial by a British military court in Germany but not for the crimes committed at Stutthof; only as the commandant of the Neuengamme concentration camp in Hamburg. Nevertheless, Pauly was executed in 1946.
Events in the year 1945 in Germany.
Anton is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Latin name Antonius, and used in various languages.
Wilhelm is a German given name, and a cognate of the English name William. The feminine form is Wilhelmine.
Franz is a German name and cognate of the given name Francis. Notable people named Franz include:
Heinrich is a German given name of ancient Germanic origin and cognate of Henry. Female forms are Henrike and Henriette. The most famous patron saint is Henry, as the German Emperor Henry II.
Eduard is a male given name, which is a German and Dutch form of the English name Edward. Notable persons with that name include :
Josef is a variant of the masculine given name Joseph, notably used in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, and also in Scandinavia.