18 Facts About Otto Rasch

Emil Otto Rasch was a high-ranking German Nazi official and Holocaust perpetrator, who commanded Einsatzgruppe C in northern and central Ukraine until October 1941.

In 1931, Otto Rasch became a private sector lawyer, with a practice based in Dresden.

In 1933, Otto Rasch became mayor of Radeberg, followed shortly in 1935 by becoming lord mayor of Wittenberg.

On 1 October 1937, as commissioner, Otto Rasch assumed leadership of the State Police in Frankfurt am Main.

In March 1938, again as commissioner, Otto Rasch became director of security for Upper Austria.

In June 1938, Otto Rasch was assigned various responsibilities within the RSHA and was appointed chief of the Security Police and SD in Prague.

In November 1939, as inspector of the SiPo and SD, Otto Rasch was transferred to Konigsberg.

Otto Rasch suggested and oversaw the liquidation of Polish political prisoners who had been arrested by the Einsatzgruppen.

In June 1941, shortly before the invasion of the Soviet Union, Rasch took command of Einsatzgruppe C In this capacity, he perpetrated extermination "actions" against Jews.

Otto Rasch ordered the leaders to participate personally in the shootings.

Otto Rasch made sure that all Einsatzgruppen personnel, including the commanding officers, personally shot Jews, so that all members were culpable.

The commando leaders subordinate to Otto Rasch met with him to discuss this order.

Paul Blobel later testified that Otto Rasch basically quoted what had been stated by Friedrich Jeckeln, that "the measures against the Jewish population had to be sharper and that he disapproved of the manner in which they had been carried out until now because it was too mild".

Otto Rasch was discharged from his position in October 1941, and at the beginning of 1942, he became the director of Continental Oil, Inc in Berlin.

Otto Rasch was indicted at the Einsatzgruppen trial at the end of September 1947.

However, the case against Otto Rasch was discontinued on 5 February 1948, since his physical and mental health were rapidly deteriorating from Parkinson's disease and associated dementia.

Otto Rasch was transferred back to an internment camp in the British zone.

Otto Rasch died of his illness at his home in Wehrstedt, Lower Saxony in November 1948.