The horrors of the Holocaust were perpetrated not just by men but also by women who served as guards in Nazi concentration camps. Stutthof, one of the most infamous camps, housed several female guards whose cruelty became legendary. Following the end of World War II, some of these women were held accountable for their crimes, facing justice in the form of trials and, for many, executions. The fates of these guards reveal the intense retribution that awaited those who had participated in the atrocities of the Nazi regime.
The Role of Female Guards in Stutthof
Stutthof, located near Gdańsk in modern-day Poland, was operational from 1939 to 1945. It was initially intended to detain Polish political prisoners but later became a full-fledged concentration camp, where tens of thousands perished from forced labor, starvation, disease, and systematic murder.
Several women served as guards (Aufseherinnen) at Stutthof, a grim anomaly considering the predominantly male-dominated SS. These female guards often participated in brutal acts of violence, such as beating prisoners to death, unleashing dogs on inmates, and assisting in mass executions. Some of the most infamous female guards included:
Jenny Wanda Barkmann: Known as the "Beautiful Specter," she was notorious for her sadistic behavior, often choosing victims for the gas chambers.
Ewa Paradies: Another guard known for her excessive cruelty toward inmates.
Elisabeth Becker: A secretary turned guard, she actively participated in atrocities despite claiming she was coerced into her role.
The Stutthof Trials
After the war, several female guards were captured and tried for war crimes. The Stutthof trials, held in Poland in 1946, marked one of the first instances where female perpetrators faced justice. The trials documented the horrors of the camp and the active roles these women played in the suffering of prisoners.
The evidence presented during the trials painted a damning picture. Witnesses described how these guards carried out unspeakable acts, including beating women and children, assisting in mass executions, and selecting inmates for gassing or lethal injections.
The Executions
Following the trials, several female guards were sentenced to death for their crimes. On July 4, 1946, executions were carried out in Gdańsk. Jenny Wanda Barkmann, Ewa Paradies, Elisabeth Becker, and other convicted guards were hanged in public—a rare occurrence meant to serve as both retribution and a deterrent.
The executions were designed to be symbolic. Thousands of onlookers gathered to witness the event, a stark reminder of the consequences of participating in the Nazi regime’s machinery of death. Many of the guards showed little remorse, and some reportedly maintained a stoic demeanor until the very end.