English source-aligned edition
Elisabeth Marschall
Elisabeth Marschall served as head nurse in the Ravensbrück camp infirmary. The profile reconstructs the person’s function in Ravensbrück concentration camp · Germany through documented office, decisions, supervision or operational conduct. It does not assign every crime committed by an institution or region to one individual.
Confirmed findings
- Elisabeth Marschall was born on 27 May 1886 in Meiningen, worked as a nurse from 1910 and joined the NSDAP on 1 January 1931. (Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315)
- On 13 April 1943 she arrived at Ravensbrück as Oberschwester, the head nurse of the camp infirmary. (Source: Lund University Library — Alvin, archival catalogue pp. 24–25 and 38, Elisabeth Marschall account dated 24 November 1946 and trial-material inventory; Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315; Source: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial — Curiohaus exhibition, exhibition sheet 20, “Ravensbrück Camp Case No. 1”, list of defendants and trial outcome)
- The archival description of her account says that her duties included selecting prisoners for labour transports and supervising medical experiments. Schäfer records prisoner accounts that she denied aid to sick women and did not care for women used in experiments. (Source: Lund University Library — Alvin, archival catalogue pp. 24–25 and 38, Elisabeth Marschall account dated 24 November 1946 and trial-material inventory; Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315)
- The British military court found her guilty in the first Ravensbrück trial and sentenced her to death. The sentence was confirmed on 31 March and carried out at Hameln on 2 May 1947. (Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315; Source: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial — Curiohaus exhibition, exhibition sheet 20, “Ravensbrück Camp Case No. 1”, list of defendants and trial outcome)
Place in the chain of responsibility
Marschall’s responsibility is described through her senior medical role, individualised duties in the archival material, prisoner accounts and the judgment. The profile does not equate selection for labour transports with selection for death and does not claim that she personally performed experiments. (Source: Lund University Library — Alvin, archival catalogue pp. 24–25 and 38, Elisabeth Marschall account dated 24 November 1946 and trial-material inventory; Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315; Source: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial — Curiohaus exhibition, exhibition sheet 20, “Ravensbrück Camp Case No. 1”, list of defendants and trial outcome)
Key events and mechanisms
- 13 April 1943 – became Oberschwester at Ravensbrück (Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315)
- 1943–1945 – directed infirmary work and held duties in selecting prisoners for labour transports and supervising experiments (Source: Lund University Library — Alvin, archival catalogue pp. 24–25 and 38, Elisabeth Marschall account dated 24 November 1946 and trial-material inventory; Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315)
- 3 February 1947 – sentenced to death in the first Ravensbrück trial (Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315; Source: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial — Curiohaus exhibition, exhibition sheet 20, “Ravensbrück Camp Case No. 1”, list of defendants and trial outcome)
- 2 May 1947 – sentence carried out at Hameln (Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315; Source: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial — Curiohaus exhibition, exhibition sheet 20, “Ravensbrück Camp Case No. 1”, list of defendants and trial outcome)
The circle records authority, function and agency. Several profiles may describe different parts of the same persecution chain, so profile-level totals must not be added together.
Postwar accountability
The British military court in the first Ravensbrück trial found Marschall guilty and imposed a death sentence. It was confirmed on 31 March 1947 and carried out at Hameln on 2 May 1947. (Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315; Source: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial — Curiohaus exhibition, exhibition sheet 20, “Ravensbrück Camp Case No. 1”, list of defendants and trial outcome)
Limits of the evidence
The Alvin item is a catalogue summary of preserved testimony, not a full transcript. Schäfer notes that a harsh prosecutorial quotation printed in the press could not be confirmed in the trial material; this profile does not use it. The sources do not establish a personal victim total or that Marschall performed every infirmary act herself. (Source: Lund University Library — Alvin, archival catalogue pp. 24–25 and 38, Elisabeth Marschall account dated 24 November 1946 and trial-material inventory; Source: Technische Universität Berlin — Silke Schäfer dissertation, printed pp. 158–159; biographical entry for Elisabeth Marschall, with references to TNA WO 235/305, 307 and 315; Source: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial — Curiohaus exhibition, exhibition sheet 20, “Ravensbrück Camp Case No. 1”, list of defendants and trial outcome)
Sources
The source set combines institutional, archival, trial or scholarly material from at least two independent publishers.