Who Is Rudolf Höss? Age, Biography and Wiki
As of 2025, if Rudolf Höss were alive, he would be 124 years old. His early life began in Germany, where he became embroiled in the ideology of the Nazi regime. Höss's role as the Auschwitz commandant from 1940 to 1943 made him one of the most notorious figures of World War II. He was responsible for the implementation of mass extermination, which led to the deaths of over a million people. His biography serves as a chilling reminder of the impact of hatred and totalitarianism.
| Occupation | Murderers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | November 25, 1901 |
| Age | 45 Years |
| Birth Place | Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | Poland |
| Date of death | 16 April, 1947 |
| Died Place | Auschwitz, Oświęcim, Republic of Poland |
Popularity
Rudolf Höss's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Though specifics about Rudolf Höss's physical stature are largely irrelevant in modern discussions, historical accounts suggest he had an average height for his time, standing around 5 feet 11 inches tall, with a weight that reflected a standard physique. These measurements, however, hold little significance compared to the impact of his actions during the Holocaust.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Rudolf Höss was married to Hedwig Höss, with whom he had five children. Their family life offers a glimpse into the dichotomy of domesticity and the atrocity of the human experience during the era he thrived in. The context of his relationships is often overshadowed by his notorious professional life, illustrating the complex interplay between private and public personas.
He lived with his parents, Lina (née Speck) and Franz Xaver Höss. Höss was the eldest of three children and the only son. He was baptized Rudolf Franz Ferdinand on 11 December 1901. Höss was a lonely child with no companions of his own age until he entered elementary school; all of his associations were with adults.
Höss claimed in his autobiography that he was briefly abducted by Romanies in his youth. Franz was a former army officer who served in German East Africa, and ran a tea and coffee business. He brought his son up on strict religious principles and with military discipline, having decided that he would enter the priesthood.
Höss grew up with an almost fanatical belief in the central role of duty in a moral life. During his early years, there was a constant emphasis on sin, guilt, and the need to do penance.
Net Worth and Salary
In reimagining Rudolf Höss's net worth, one might consider the extent of his power and resources during his tenure as commandant rather than a traditional salary. Although imprisoned after the war, Höss's financial legacy is a topic of grim fascination, as one assesses how a historical figure's actions were financed by the suffering of millions.
Four days before being executed, Höss' acknowledgement of the enormity of his crimes was revealed in a message to the state prosecutor: "My conscience compels me to make the following declaration. In the solitude of my prison cell, I have come to the bitter recognition that I have sinned gravely against humanity.
As Commandant of Auschwitz, I was responsible for carrying out part of the cruel plans of the 'Third Reich' for human destruction. In so doing I have inflicted terrible wounds on humanity. I caused unspeakable suffering for the Polish people in particular. I am to pay for this with my life. May the Lord God forgive one day what I have done.
I ask the Polish people for forgiveness. In Polish prisons I experienced for the first time what human kindness is. Despite all that has happened I have experienced humane treatment which I could never have expected, and which has deeply shamed me.
May the facts which are now coming out about the horrible crimes against humanity make the repetition of such cruel acts impossible for all time."
Career, Business and Investments
Höss's career was singularly marked by his role at Auschwitz. He started as a soldier in World War I and later joined the SS, which led to his appointment as commandant. His business acumen, if examined through a metaphorical lens, would include the chilling efficiency with which he operated the concentration camp system. The investments he made in infrastructure for the camp played a significant role in the machinery of the Holocaust.
Höss participated in the armed terror attacks on Polish people during the Silesian uprisings against the Germans, and on French nationals during the French Occupation of the Ruhr.
The Roßbach Freikorps transformed into a feeder group for the early Nazi movement once its activities were unequivocally banned following their participation in the Third Silesian Uprising. The group's leader, Gerard Rossbach, became the first adjustant of the SA.
After hearing a speech by Adolf Hitler in Munich, Höss joined the Nazi Party in 1922 (member number 3240) and renounced his affiliation with the Catholic Church.
Social Network
Given that Rudolf Höss's era predated modern social media, his network consisted of fellow Nazi leaders, military officers, and those within the SS hierarchy. The connections he formed were largely instrumental in propagating the ideologies of the Nazi regime, emphasizing loyalty and obedience within a toxic environment.
On 1 April 1934, Höss joined the SS, on Himmler's effective call-to-action, and in the same year moved to the Death's Head Units. Höss was assigned to the Dachau concentration camp in December 1934, where he held the post of Block leader.
His mentor at Dachau was the then SS-brigadier general Theodor Eicke, the reorganizer of the Nazi concentration camp system. In 1938, Höss was promoted to SS-captain and was made adjutant to Hermann Baranowski in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
There he led the firing squad that, on Himmler's orders on 15 September 1939, killed August Dickmann, a Jehovah's Witness who was the first conscientious objector to be executed after the start of the War. Höss fired the finishing shot from his pistol. He joined the Waffen-SS in 1939 after the invasion of Poland.
Höss excelled in that capacity and was recommended by his superiors for further responsibility and promotion. By the end of his tour of duty there, Höss was serving as administrator of prisoners' property.
On 18 January 1940, as head of the protective custody camp at Sachsenhausen, Höss ordered all prisoners not assigned to work details to stand outside in frigid conditions reaching -26 C. Most of the inmates had no coats or gloves. When block elders dragged some of the frozen inmates to the infirmary, Höss ordered the infirmary doors to be closed.
During the day, 78 inmates died; another 67 died that night.
Education
Höss's education was typical for his time and area, with a background that emphasized military discipline rather than academic achievement. Like many of his contemporaries, his indoctrination into extremist views came more from his environment and peers than from formal educational settings.
After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Höss completed his secondary education and soon joined some of the emerging nationalist paramilitary groups, first the East Prussian Volunteer Corps, and then the Freikorps unit associated with the Baltic area, Silesia and the Ruhr—the Roßbach Freikorps. Höss recalled this early mission into the Baltic later when he was on trial at Nuremberg:
