Hamann was of Baltic German parentage.^[3] Trained as a chemist, he had difficulties finding a job due to the Great Depression. He joined the SA in August 1931, the Nazi Party in December 1932, and the SS in July 1938.^[4] He served in the Luftwaffe during the invasion of Poland and Battle of France as a paratrooper (Fallschirmjäger).^[5] He returned to Berlin where he joined the SS and completed training courses. In March 1941, he was promoted to SS-Obersturmführer (first lieutenant).^[4]

After the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Hamann organized and commanded Rollkommando Hamann which killed at least 39,000 Jews in various locations across Lithuania^[2] and 9,102 people, almost all of whom were Jews, from the Daugavpils Ghetto.^[6] Hamann's superior Karl Jäger documented these killings in the Jäger Report. Nevertheless, Martin C. Dean estimates the death toll of Rollkommando Hamann as 60,000 Jews in Lithuania alone.^[7]

Hamann left Lithuania in October 1941 and continued his SS career.^[8] In 1942, Hamann participated in Operation Zeppelin, a scheme to recruit Soviet POWs for espionage behind Russian lines.^[9] From 1943 he worked at Amt IV of RSHA (Gestapo). He was involved in apprehending and executing suspected members of the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler.^[8] He was appointed aide to Ernst Kaltenbrunner, director of the Reich Security Main Office.^[5] Two months after Germany's surrender Hamann committed suicide.^[5]

Biography

References