From Ordinary German to Mass Murderer

Johann Niemann joined the Nazi Party at age 18. He was not only a true believer in Nazi racist ideology, but also an opportunist seeking to rise above his humble origins. Niemann demonstrated his loyalty by becoming a guard at a concentration camp, participating in the systematic murder of people with disabilities at “euthanasia” facilities, and then facilitating the mass slaughter of tens of thousands of Polish Jews. For this, he was rewarded with a promotion to deputy commandant of the Sobibor killing center when he was just 29. Niemann was so proud of his "glory days" that he documented his journey in private photo albums, which are now part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s collection. Join USHMM on the anniversary of the prisoner uprising at Sobibor to learn how an “ordinary German” so quickly became a professional killer and died at the hands of those he sought to obliterate.

Speaker
Anatol Steck, Project Director of International Archival Programs, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Moderator
Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Watch live at facebook.com/holocaustmuseum. You do not need a Facebook account to view their program. After the live broadcast, the recording will be available to watch on demand on the USHMM's Facebook page.