Fritz Klein

Confirmed findings

• Fritz Klein was born at Zeiden on 24 November 1888. IPN identifies him as a physician and a Waffen-SS member from 26 May 1943. (Source: Polish Institute of National Remembrance, Auschwitz SS staff record ‘KLEIN Fritz’, lines 47–90: birth, profession and Waffen-SS service.)
• USHMM names Klein among SS physicians who selected Jews on the Auschwitz arrival ramp. The Auschwitz museum also identifies his participation in selections of women in the camp hospital. (Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, ‘Selections of Jews Upon Arrival at Auschwitz’, lines 139–170 and 180–185, especially ‘Who Carried out Selections at Auschwitz?’.; Source: Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, ‘Women in Auschwitz’, ‘Selections in hospital and in camp itself’, paragraph naming SS physician Fritz Klein.)
• He was a physician at Bergen-Belsen from January 1945 and its last camp doctor before liberation. (Source: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothek, Niedersächsische Personen, ‘Klein, Fritz’, lines 24–40: vital dates, camp postings and Belsen Trial; cites Klee (2003), p. 314.; Source: Bergen-Belsen Memorial, ‘Prosecution’, ‘Belsen Trial’, lines 181–191: Lüneburg proceedings, Klein’s sentence and Hamelin execution.)

Place in the chain of responsibility

Ramp and hospital selections directly formed part of the extermination mechanism; these sources do not establish Klein’s individual victim count. (Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, ‘Selections of Jews Upon Arrival at Auschwitz’, lines 139–170 and 180–185, especially ‘Who Carried out Selections at Auschwitz?’.; Source: Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, ‘Women in Auschwitz’, ‘Selections in hospital and in camp itself’, paragraph naming SS physician Fritz Klein.)

Key events and mechanisms

• 24 November 1888 – born at Zeiden (Source: Polish Institute of National Remembrance, Auschwitz SS staff record ‘KLEIN Fritz’, lines 47–90: birth, profession and Waffen-SS service.; Source: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothek, Niedersächsische Personen, ‘Klein, Fritz’, lines 24–40: vital dates, camp postings and Belsen Trial; cites Klee (2003), p. 314.)
• From December 1943 – SS medical service at Auschwitz (Source: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothek, Niedersächsische Personen, ‘Klein, Fritz’, lines 24–40: vital dates, camp postings and Belsen Trial; cites Klee (2003), p. 314.)
• January 1945 – camp physician at Bergen-Belsen (Source: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothek, Niedersächsische Personen, ‘Klein, Fritz’, lines 24–40: vital dates, camp postings and Belsen Trial; cites Klee (2003), p. 314.; Source: Bergen-Belsen Memorial, ‘Prosecution’, ‘Belsen Trial’, lines 181–191: Lüneburg proceedings, Klein’s sentence and Hamelin execution.)
• 17 November 1945 – death sentence in the first Belsen Trial (Source: Bergen-Belsen Memorial, ‘Prosecution’, ‘Belsen Trial’, lines 181–191: Lüneburg proceedings, Klein’s sentence and Hamelin execution.)
• 13 December 1945 – execution at Hamelin (Source: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothek, Niedersächsische Personen, ‘Klein, Fritz’, lines 24–40: vital dates, camp postings and Belsen Trial; cites Klee (2003), p. 314.; Source: Bergen-Belsen Memorial, ‘Prosecution’, ‘Belsen Trial’, lines 181–191: Lüneburg proceedings, Klein’s sentence and Hamelin execution.)

Postwar accountability

The British military tribunal at Lüneburg sentenced Klein to death in the first Belsen Trial, which ended on 17 November 1945 and also covered Auschwitz crimes. The sentence was carried out at Hamelin prison on 13 December 1945. (Source: Bergen-Belsen Memorial, ‘Prosecution’, ‘Belsen Trial’, lines 181–191: Lüneburg proceedings, Klein’s sentence and Hamelin execution.)

Limits of the evidence

Sources

The source set combines institutional, archival, trial or scholarly material from at least two independent publishers.

• truthaboutcamps.eu
• personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• bergen-belsen.de
• lekcja.auschwitz.org
• filmmuseum.at