Elisabeth Volkenrath

Elisabeth Volkenrath (née Mühlau; 5 September 1919 – 13 December 1945) was a German supervisor at several Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

Elisabeth Volkenrath
Volkenrath in 1945
Born	Elisabeth Mühlau (1919-09-05)5 September 1919 Schönau an der Katzbach, Silesia, Prussia, German Republic
Died	13 December 1945(1945-12-13) (aged 26) Hamelin Prison, Hamelin, Allied-occupied Germany
Cause of death	Execution by hanging
Known for	War crimes
Political party	Nazi Party (1941–1945)
Criminal status	Executed
Motive	Nazism
Conviction	War crimes
Trial	Belsen trial
Criminal penalty	Death
Military career
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	SS-Gefolge
Rank	Oberaufseherin SS-Helferin
Unit	Ravensbrück Auschwitz Bergen-Belsen

Volkenrath, née Mühlau, was an ungelernte Hilfskraft (unskilled worker) when she volunteered for service in a concentration camp.^[1] In October 1941 she began working at Ravensbrück concentration camp as a guard. In March 1942, she was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp where she worked in the same function as at Ravensbrück.^[2] At Auschwitz, she met SS-Rottenführer Heinz Volkenrath, who had worked there since 1941 as SS-Blockführer. The couple married in 1943. She participated in the selection of prisoners for the gas chambers and, in November 1944, was promoted to Oberaufseherin for all camp sections for female prisoners at Auschwitz.^[3]

Volkenrath was transferred to Bergen-Belsen when Auschwitz was closed. From February 1945, she was Oberaufseherin (supervising wardress) at Bergen-Belsen.^[3]

Belsen trial and execution

In April 1945, Volkenrath was arrested by the British Army, and was tried in the Belsen trials, at which she was convicted of war crimes.^[4] She claimed during her testimony that "it was really awful in the camps, but it was awful for us too. We were punished just like the prisoners."^[5] Sentenced to death, she was the first woman to be executed by hanging at Hamelin Prison by British official executioner Albert Pierrepoint^[6] on 13 December 1945 at 09:34.^[7]