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Erwin Lambert
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Erwin Hermann Lambert (7 December 1909 – 15 October 1976) was a German perpetrator of the Holocaust. By trade, he was a master mason, building trades foreman, Nazi Party member and member of the Schutzstaffel with the rank of SS-Unterscharführer (corporal). He supervised construction of the gas chambers for the Action T4 euthanasia program at Hartheim, Sonnenstein, Bernburg and Hadamar, and then at Sobibór and Treblinka extermination camps during Operation Reinhard. He specialized in building larger gas chambers that killed more people than previous efforts in the extermination program.
Key Information
Biography
[edit]Lambert was born on 7 December 1909 in Schildow, a small town in Mühlenbecker Land, in the Niederbarnim district. His father was killed in the First World War; his stepfather owned a construction firm in Schildow. After basic schooling, Lambert became an apprentice, first to a locksmith, and then to a mason. After passing his apprentice exam, he attended a school for the building trades in Berlin in the mid-1920s and passed his examination for master masonry in the mid-1930s. He was always employed as a mason and, after becoming a master mason, as a foreman for various Berlin construction firms.[2]
Lambert joined the Nazi Party in March 1933, after Hitler's assumption of national power, and first worked within the Party as a Blockleiter in Schildow.[3] Lambert was not yet a member of any of the party's paramilitary organizations.
Late in 1939, the Action T4 program tried to recruit Lambert, who had been recommended by the local office of the German Labour Front. He accepted the offer in January 1940. Lambert was hired to serve as a construction foreman who supervised the other workers; he was "the traveling construction boss of Action T4".[2]
Construction of gas chambers
[edit]
Lambert's primary task was to direct construction work at the T4 killing centres, particularly the construction of gas chambers and crematoria. In testimony Lambert claimed that he merely erected room dividers and installed doors, a claim largely discredited. Since Brandenburg and Grafeneck had already been completed before Lambert joined the T4 program, he worked at Hartheim, Sonnenstein, Bernburg, and Hadamar as the program's "expert for the construction of gas chambers".[2]
After T4's termination, Lambert was posted to Operation Reinhard in Lublin reservation for the purpose of bricklaying assignments which constructed the gas chambers in Sobibór and Treblinka extermination camps. At Lublin Lambert joined the SS. During this time, however, his work was often interrupted for further construction jobs in Germany and Austria involving the still-ongoing Action 14f13. With the help of Ukrainian volunteers and condemned Jewish prisoners, Lambert constructed solid gassing facilities at Sobibor and Treblinka: "Using his expert knowledge about gassing installations, Lambert was able rapidly to complete all work on the big gas house [in Treblinka]".[2]
During his testimony at the Sobibór trial in Hagen, Germany (whose lead defendant was Kurt Bolender), lasting from 6 September 1965 until 20 December 1966, Lambert stated:
I was in the extermination camp of Jews for about two to three weeks. It was sometime in autumn 1942, but I don’t remember exactly when. At that time I was assigned by Wirth to enlarge the gassing structure according to the model of Treblinka.
I went to Sobibor together with Lorenz Hackenholt, who was at that time in Treblinka. First of all, I went with Hackenholt to a sawmill near Warsaw. There Hackenholt ordered a large consignment of wood for reconstruction in Sobibor.
Finally, both of us went to Sobibor. We reported there to the camp commander, Reichleitner. He gave us the exact directives for the construction of the gassing installations. The camp was already in operation, and there was a gassing installation. Probably the old installation was not big enough, and reconstruction was necessary.
Today I cannot tell exactly who participated in the reconstruction work. However, I do remember that Jewish prisoners and so-called Askaries (Ukrainian auxiliaries) took part in the work.
During this time that building was in progress, no transports with Jews arrived.[4]
In addition, Lambert directed construction at several nearby forced labour camps such as Dohorucza and the Poniatowa concentration camp. Reportedly, Lambert attempted to remain an uninvolved expert devoted solely to his work and not interested in the conditions which surrounded it. According to one survivor, Jankiel Wiernik, Lambert avoided looking at dead bodies and treated his Jewish workers in a professional manner.
Unterscharführer Herman [sic] was humane and likeable. He understood us and was considerate of us. When he first entered Camp II and saw the piles [of bodies] that had been suffocated by the gas, he was stunned. He turned pale and a frightened look of suffering fell over his face. He quickly took me from the place so as not to see what was going on. With regard to us, the workers, he treated us very well. Frequently he would bring us food on the side from the German kitchen. In his eyes one could see his good-heartedness... but he feared his friends. All his deeds and movements expressed his gentle soul.[5][6]
At the conclusion of Operation Reinhard, Lambert was posted to Trieste, where he continued installing cremation facilities at the concentration camp Risiera di San Sabba.
After the war, Lambert was arrested on 28 March 1962. At the First Treblinka Trial in 1965, Lambert was tried for the first time and sentenced to four years' imprisonment for aiding and abetting the murder of at least 300,000 people.[7] Having already served this time, he was allowed to live as a free man. At the Sobibór Trial in 1966, Lambert was acquitted.[8] At the trials Lambert denied involvement in the killing operation and claimed that he merely suspected that the buildings would be used for killing. Lambert died on 15 October 1976.
References
[edit]- ^ H.E.A.R.T. Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
- ^ a b c d Henry Friedlander (1995). The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, pp. 214–215. ISBN 0-8078-2208-6
- ^ Klee, Ernst: Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich. Wer war was vor und nach 1945?. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Zweite aktualisierte Auflage, Frankfurt am Main 2003 ISBN 3-10-039309-0
- ^ In the Name of the People: Perpetrators of Genocide in the Reflection of Their Post-War Prosecution in West Germany the 'Euthanasia' and Aktion Reinhard Trial Cases. Dick Mildt Publisher: Brill ISBN
- ^ Yitzhak Arad (1987). Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka: The Operation Reinhard Death Camps, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, p. 196.
- ^ Jankiel Wiernik (1944). A Year in Treblinka, New York, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Treblinka Trial
- ^ Sobibor Trial at the Holocaust Research Project.
External links
[edit]
Erwin Lambert
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Early Life and Pre-War Career
Birth, Family, and Education
Erwin Hermann Lambert was born on December 7, 1909.[6] He underwent vocational training in the masonry trade, qualifying as a Maurermeister (master mason) and later working as a foreman in building construction.[7][8] Historical records provide scant details on his family background or any formal academic education beyond this practical apprenticeship system typical for tradesmen in Weimar-era Germany.Professional Training as a Mason
Erwin Lambert began his vocational training after completing basic schooling in Schildow, initially entering a one-year apprenticeship in locksmithing before switching to masonry. He then undertook a standard three-year apprenticeship (Maurerlehre) in the masonry trade, culminating in the journeyman's examination (Gesellenprüfung), which he passed in the mid-1920s.[9][10] This qualification enabled him to work as a skilled mason in the building sector during the late Weimar Republic era. Following his journeyman's certification, Lambert advanced his expertise through attendance at a building trade school for three semesters, focusing on construction techniques relevant to larger-scale projects. By the early 1930s, he had risen to the position of master mason (Maurermeister) and building foreman, overseeing teams in masonry and structural work.[11] His professional trajectory reflected the structured German dual education system, emphasizing practical skills in bricklaying, stonework, and site management, which later informed his specialized construction roles. Trial records from postwar proceedings confirm his pre-war experience as a foreman in civilian building trades, distinct from his subsequent involvement in state-directed projects.[10]Entry into Nazi Structures
Nazi Party Membership
Erwin Lambert joined the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), the Nazi Party, in 1933 shortly after the party's accession to power under Adolf Hitler.[12] [13] His membership number, 3,287,569, reflects enrollment during the mass influx following the Enabling Act of March 1933, distinguishing him from pre-1933 "old fighters" with lower numbers.[13] Initially, he functioned as a Blockleiter (block leader) in his hometown of Schildow near Berlin, a grassroots role involving surveillance, propaganda dissemination, and mobilization of local residents for party initiatives.[13] This position aligned with his employment as a mason and foreman, facilitating integration into the regime's hierarchical structures without prior ideological commitment evident in party records. Lambert's party affiliation provided access to subsequent SS membership (number 77,379) and assignments in state programs, though his primary expertise remained in construction rather than political agitation.[12]Recruitment into Aktion T4
In late 1939, as Aktion T4—the Nazi euthanasia program targeting the disabled and mentally ill—ramped up its operations, Erwin Lambert was recruited following a recommendation from the local office of the Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF), the Nazi-controlled German Labour Front.[14] As a qualified master mason and building trades foreman with Nazi Party membership, Lambert's technical expertise in construction aligned with the program's need for discreet personnel to erect specialized facilities, including gas chambers, without drawing public attention.[14] Recruitment into T4's ancillary staff, such as masons, emphasized reliability and party loyalty over specialized medical knowledge, often facilitated through voluntary channels like DAF or personal networks rather than direct coercion.[14] Lambert accepted the position in early 1940, transitioning from civilian work to T4 assignments that involved supervising the covert installation of carbon monoxide gassing infrastructure at euthanasia centers like Hartheim and Bernburg.[15] His role exemplified how the program drew on tradesmen from the broader Nazi apparatus to support its expansion, which by mid-1940 had established six central killing sites responsible for over 70,000 deaths using systematic gassing methods.[14] This recruitment process maintained operational secrecy, with participants sworn to confidentiality under threat of severe penalties.[14]Contributions to Aktion T4
Design and Construction of Euthanasia Gas Chambers
Erwin Lambert, a master mason recruited into the central administration of Aktion T4 in Berlin, served as the primary construction specialist responsible for erecting and adapting gas chambers in multiple euthanasia killing centers. His expertise involved modifying existing institutional rooms or building annexes to create sealed, disguised gassing facilities, ensuring structural integrity for the introduction and containment of carbon monoxide gas. These installations were engineered to mimic shower rooms, with tiled interiors, sloped floors for drainage, and deceptive fixtures to maintain operational secrecy and victim compliance.[2] The gas chambers Lambert constructed typically featured reinforced doors equipped with rubber gaskets for airtight seals, small portholes for observation, and integrated ventilation systems to extract lethal gas after use. At the Bernburg euthanasia center, Lambert directly participated in the construction of the gas chamber, integrated into a sanatorium extension, where victims—deceived into believing they were entering showers—were killed using carbon monoxide from steel cylinders, with operations commencing on November 21, 1941. Similar adaptations under his supervision occurred at Hartheim, where he oversaw the building of the gas chamber and associated crematorium, enabling killings to begin on May 5, 1940, and at Sonnenstein, operational from June 1940.[2][16] Lambert's work extended to at least four T4 centers, including Hadamar, where he handled the masonry for gas-tight enclosures and related infrastructure, contributing to the program's efficiency in murdering approximately 70,000 individuals deemed disabled by Nazi criteria between 1940 and 1941. His technical modifications, derived from iterative improvements across sites, emphasized durability and camouflage, with walls bricked or plastered to prevent leaks and facilitate rapid cleanup. Post-war investigations confirmed his role through his own statements and trial evidence, underscoring his pivotal position in operationalizing the centralized killing process.[3]Specific Facilities Built
Erwin Lambert, as a master mason recruited for Aktion T4, oversaw the construction of gas chambers at multiple euthanasia centers, earning the moniker "flying master builder" for his rapid deployment across sites.[17] His work involved designing and erecting brick structures disguised as shower facilities, equipped with carbon monoxide delivery systems from engines or bottles, to facilitate the systematic killing of institutionalized patients deemed "unworthy of life."[18] At Hartheim Castle near Linz, Austria, Lambert managed the construction of the gas chamber in early 1940, integrating it into the castle's existing infrastructure with tiled walls and a capacity for group gassings.[16] The facility began operations in May 1940, processing victims from surrounding mental institutions.[19] Lambert contributed to the gas chamber at Sonnenstein near Pirna, Saxony, where he laid the brickwork for the killing room as part of the center's expansion for T4 operations starting in June 1940.[20] In Bernburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Lambert helped construct the gas chamber in a purpose-built extension to the State Sanatorium and Nursing Home, completed by late 1941, which featured a deceptive showerhead setup and exhaust system.[2] This center became operational on January 21, 1942, targeting adult patients primarily.[2] Lambert also worked on the gas chamber installation at Hadamar near Limburg, Hesse, adapting an existing building for gassing purposes in 1941, prior to the center's full activation in January 1941 for children and later adults.[21] His expertise ensured these structures were efficient and concealable within medical facades.[18]Role in Operation Reinhard
Adaptation of Expertise to Extermination Camps
Following the official halt of Aktion T4 in August 1941, personnel with specialized knowledge in gassing installations, including master mason Erwin Lambert, were reassigned to support the escalating extermination efforts under Operation Reinhard, directed by SS-Obergruppenführer Odilo Globocnik from the Lublin headquarters.[22] Lambert's prior experience in fabricating discreet, airtight brick and concrete structures disguised as civilian facilities—such as shower rooms with non-functional plumbing at T4 centers like Bernburg and Hartheim—was directly leveraged to construct scaled-up killing installations capable of processing thousands daily, transitioning from the euthanasia program's targeted murders of the institutionalized disabled to the systematic annihilation of entire Jewish populations.[4] This adaptation emphasized efficiency in deception and ventilation, retaining carbon monoxide delivery via engine exhaust while expanding chamber dimensions and integrating them into forested, rail-adjacent sites to minimize detection.[23] Lambert, holding the rank of SS-Unterscharführer, was dispatched to the Belzec site in early 1942 as the lead technical expert for gas chamber erection, drawing on T4 blueprints to erect initial wooden prototypes before reinforcing them with masonry for durability amid high-volume operations that began on March 17, 1942.[4] His role extended to Sobibor by April 1942, where he collaborated with camp engineers to install three parallel gas chambers, each approximately 4 by 4 meters, connected by corridors mimicking shower paths, which enabled the facility to murder up to 1,300 victims per cycle using a captured Soviet tank engine for exhaust piping—a refinement of T4's bottled gas systems for logistical simplicity in remote locations.[22] By August 1942, following operational bottlenecks at Treblinka under initial commandant Irmfried Eberl, Lambert was summoned by Christian Wirth to oversee the replacement of primitive tent-based gassings with a permanent brick complex on a concrete foundation, comprising 8 to 10 chambers totaling around 480 square meters, which processed up to 2,000 individuals simultaneously and marked a maturation of T4-derived designs for industrialized genocide.[24] [25] This transfer of expertise not only accelerated Reinhard camp functionality—contributing to the estimated 1.7 million deaths across the three sites by late 1943—but also exemplified the Nazi regime's pragmatic repurposing of euthanasia infrastructure for the "Final Solution," with Lambert's masonry ensuring structural integrity under continuous use despite rudimentary materials and forced Jewish labor.[17] Postwar testimony from Lambert during the 1965 Sobibor trial confirmed his oversight of these adaptations, describing installations as "gas chamber barracks" engineered for rapid assembly and camouflage, though he minimized personal initiative in favor of following SS directives.[26]Gas Chamber Construction at Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka
Erwin Lambert, serving as an SS-Unterscharführer and leveraging his expertise as a master mason from the Aktion T4 euthanasia program, contributed to gas chamber construction under Operation Reinhard, the Nazi initiative to exterminate Jews in camps including Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka.[22] His technical skills in designing and building sealed, efficient killing facilities were applied to enhance capacities at these sites, drawing directly from T4 prototypes that used carbon monoxide for mass murder.[2] At Treblinka, Lambert arrived in late May or early June 1942 to assist SS-Unterscharführer Richard Thomalla, under the oversight of Inspector Christian Wirth, in erecting gas chambers.[22] By September 1942, they completed a new brick structure housing 10 chambers with a combined floor area of 320 square meters and 2 meters in height, designed to accommodate up to 4,000 victims simultaneously via engine-exhaust gassing.[22] [25] This expansion addressed initial inefficiencies in the camp's provisional facilities, enabling higher throughput during peak deportations from Warsaw.[22] Lambert's involvement extended to Sobibor in September 1942, where he supervised the replacement of rudimentary gas chambers with a more robust installation.[22] Working alongside Lorenz Hackenholt, he oversaw the construction of a single building containing six chambers, each 4 by 4 meters, which raised the site's capacity to 1,200–1,300 persons per gassing cycle.[22] These upgrades incorporated reinforced brickwork and disguised exteriors resembling showers to facilitate deception and streamline operations.[2] For Belzec, the first Operation Reinhard camp operational from March 1942, Lambert provided construction assistance as a T4 specialist transferred for technical support in gas chamber building, though primary erection predated his arrival and occurred under separate initial oversight.[22] His role aligned with broader efforts to standardize and scale extermination infrastructure across the camps, prioritizing durability and capacity over prior experimental setups.[23]Later Wartime Activities and Demobilization
Additional Assignments
Following the cessation of his primary duties in Operation Reinhard, Erwin Lambert was transferred to Trieste, Italy, in late 1943, where he undertook the design and supervision of cremation facilities at the Risiera di San Sabba Polizeihaftlager (police detention camp). Established on October 20, 1943, under SS control to combat partisan activity and facilitate deportations, the camp required infrastructure for body disposal amid executions of hostages, Resistance fighters, political prisoners, and Jews from the Adriatic region. Lambert, leveraging his technical experience from Aktion T4 euthanasia centers and extermination camps, converted an existing rice-drying structure into a crematorium oven with an enlarged capacity and chimney, working from January to March 1944 under the orders of Odilo Globocnik, the Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer Adriatisches Küstenland.[27][28] The crematorium was tested on April 4, 1944, and operated until its destruction by retreating German forces on April 29, 1945, enabling the incineration of an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 victims whose bodies were otherwise buried or left exposed. This assignment marked the only such cremation installation constructed inside an Italian concentration camp, distinct from Lambert's earlier gas chamber work, and aligned with Globocnik's broader efforts to suppress resistance in northern Italy after his relocation from Poland in September 1943.[27][28][29] No further specialized construction tasks beyond this crematorium project are documented for Lambert during the war, though the facility's role in concealing evidence of killings paralleled post-dismantlement camouflage efforts at Reinhard sites like Treblinka. His involvement underscored the transfer of euthanasia and extermination personnel to auxiliary SS operations as the eastern front intensified.[27][28]End of War Service
In 1944, following the dismantling of the Operation Reinhard extermination camps, Erwin Lambert was deployed to Trieste, Italy, with other transferred personnel from the program to support SS operations against partisans and in detention facilities. There, he oversaw the construction of a cremation oven at the Risiera di San Sabba camp, adapting techniques from prior euthanasia and extermination sites to enable the incineration of executed prisoners, including Italian partisans, Jews, and political opponents.[30][31] The facility processed remains from late 1944 until its hurried evacuation by German forces on April 29, 1945, when SS personnel dynamited the crematorium to conceal evidence amid the Allied advance.[29] Lambert's assignment concluded with the unconditional surrender of German troops in Italy on May 2, 1945, and the broader capitulation of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945. As an SS-Unterscharführer with specialized technical expertise rather than combat duties, he avoided frontline conscription in the war's final months and returned to his native region in southwestern Germany, where he initially escaped detection by occupation authorities.[27] This demobilization allowed him to blend into civilian society, resuming masonry work without immediate denazification scrutiny, despite his documented role in mass killing infrastructure.[2]Post-War Life
Immediate Aftermath and Denazification
Following the capitulation of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945, Erwin Lambert returned to West Germany and resumed his pre-war profession as a master mason, operating without initial detention or prosecution by Allied authorities. As a longtime NSDAP member since 1933 who had served in technical roles rather than political or command positions, Lambert navigated the denazification campaign—administered by the Western Allies from 1945 to 1949—with relative leniency, avoiding internment camps or severe economic restrictions imposed on higher-ranking Nazis. Denazification questionnaires and local tribunals assessed Lambert's party involvement and wartime service, classifying many similar mid-level technical personnel as nominal followers (Mitläufer) rather than active offenders, resulting in minor penalties such as temporary revocation of voting rights or professional licensing delays, if any. This administrative process prioritized purging ideological elites and public officials, often overlooking functionaries in specialized killing operations like Aktion T4 unless evidence of direct ideological zeal emerged. Lambert thus reintegrated into civilian society, working in construction in the Stuttgart area, where his skills were in demand amid post-war reconstruction. Criminal investigations into his specific contributions to gas chamber construction did not materialize until the early 1960s, amid renewed West German efforts to prosecute Holocaust perpetrators through ordinary courts rather than denazification boards. In the Düsseldorf Treblinka trial of 1964–1965, Lambert was convicted of aiding and abetting the murder of at least 300,000 people through his expertise in extermination facilities and sentenced to four years' hard labor; he had already begun serving this term by September 1965. A subsequent Hagen court ruling in December 1966 added a three-year sentence for complicity in 53,000 killings at Sobibor, though time served likely overlapped.[32][33]Resumption of Civilian Work
After completing denazification processes, which classified him as a lesser collaborator without prolonged internment, Lambert returned to his profession as a Maurermeister (master mason) in the construction industry. He established himself in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, where he operated as a self-employed builder and foreman, undertaking masonry and bricklaying projects typical of postwar reconstruction efforts in West Germany. This period of civilian employment lasted until his arrest on 28 March 1962 by authorities investigating Aktion T4 and Operation Reinhard crimes, during which time he maintained a low profile and avoided scrutiny for nearly two decades.[15] Following a brief period of pretrial detention and subsequent light sentencing, Lambert briefly returned to limited construction work before retiring due to health issues. He resided in Stuttgart until his death there on 15 October 1976 from natural causes.[15]Legal Accountability
Investigation and Trial Proceedings
Erwin Lambert's post-war investigation arose from broader West German probes into Operation Reinhard personnel, coordinated by the Central Office for the Investigation of National Socialist Crimes established in 1958. His involvement in constructing gas chambers at Treblinka and Sobibor was substantiated through cross-referenced confessions from other perpetrators, such as SS officers, and limited survivor testimonies preserved from the camps' dismantlement. Arrested in the early 1960s, Lambert's case exemplified the delayed scrutiny of technical specialists who facilitated extermination without direct participation in selections or executions. The primary proceedings against Lambert occurred in the Treblinka trial at the Düsseldorf State Court, commencing on October 12, 1964, and concluding with verdicts on August 24, 1965. As one of ten defendants, primarily former SS men, he faced charges of aiding and abetting the murder of over 700,000 Jews through his role in designing, building, and disguising the camp's gas chambers to resemble showers, enabling efficient mass gassings with engine exhaust. The prosecution presented architectural plans, material requisitions, and Lambert's own admissions of adapting T4 euthanasia structures for Reinhard operations, arguing his expertise made him complicit in the foreseeable lethal purpose.[34] Parallel to his Treblinka case, Lambert was indicted in the Sobibor trial at the Hagen State Court, running from September 6, 1965, to December 20, 1966, involving eleven defendants for crimes at that site where he similarly erected gas chamber facilities in 1942. Proceedings incorporated overlapping evidence from Reinhard investigations, emphasizing Lambert's iterative refinements in chamber construction across Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka to enhance capacity and secrecy. These trials, amid the era's Frankfurt Auschwitz proceedings, underscored challenges in attributing culpability to non-combatant functionaries under Nazi hierarchical orders, with courts applying accessory liability standards from West German penal code.[35][32]