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From May until August, I went on a search for Himmler. Finally, I gave myself up voluntarily in August 1945. I went from one village to another looking for Himmler in order to kill him. I also wanted to find my family, whose whereabouts I did not know. I didn't know what the future held in store for me. At that time, I thought it was certain that since I was an SS general, I would be taken prisoner and executed at once.

Erich von dem Bach#3

FamilyJustice

About this quote

What does it mean?
He describes his 1945 search for Himmler to kill him and to locate his family, fearing immediate execution as an SS general.
In plain terms
He hunted Himmler while fearing execution and seeking his family.
What can you take from it?
Desperation can drive risky missions after war.

Where it applies

  • displaced persons
  • war crime investigations

Putting it to work

  • plan escape routes
  • secure family contacts

Questions to consider

  • What motivated his pursuit of Himmler?
  • How did former SS members navigate post‑war life?

Another view

His narrative may omit broader context of post‑war conditions.

More from Erich von dem Bach

  1. I was the only SS leader in Russia who was not assassinated or upon whom an assassination was never attempted. I could walk anywhere without a bodyguard.

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  2. Germany could not win this war because it was in league with the devil. This war would not have ended without revolution.

    Permalink to quote #4
  3. I am the only living witness but I must say the truth. Contrary to the opinion of the National Socialists that the Jews were a highly organized group, the appa…

    Permalink to quote #1

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