Many men, soldiers, and supporters of Hitler and his politics, helped Germany do the damage it did during World War II. One of those men was Joachim Peiper.
A young teenager when Hitler first rose to power in his home nation of Germany, Peiper joined the SS after serving as a member of the Hitler Youth. His rise to prominence within the Nazi Party occurred quickly, and he held important positions as a member of the SS by the ages of 18 and 19 years old. Peiper spent his adulthood rising through the ranks of the SS, and in doing so, racked up many accomplishments — and many deaths of his nation’s enemies. Post-World War II, Peiper spent his years in prison and sitting on trial for his actions, leaving behind a legacy of war crimes.
Post-World War II, Peiper spent his years in prison and sitting on trial for his actions, leaving behind a legacy of war crimes. Yet Joachim Peiper lived a life filled with interesting moments and facts beyond his work as an SS official. Autocratic power in connection with the trial and conviction of. Hear me, my colleagues, and my fel. Ochmann, Joachim Peiper, Hans Pletz.
Yet Joachim Peiper lived a life filled with interesting moments and facts beyond his work as an SS official. These are ten facts about Peiper that offer insight into the man, the SS legend, and the war criminal. Medals Peiper earned more than 20 military awards and honors during his service as a member of the Nazi regime’s SS — and many of those achievements were accomplished before Peiper reached his mid-twenties in age. Almost as quickly as his career in the SS began, Peiper was earning both the admiration of his superiors and military awards. He was honored for his skill and expertise in leading Nazi troops upon the battlefield, earning awards that included the Eastern Front Medal in September of 1942; the Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze in the fall of 1940; the Close Combat Clasp; and the prestigious Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Peiper also earned accolades for his success as an SS member, achieving accomplishments like the Sudetenland Medal in 1938; the SS-Honour Ring; two SS Long Service Awards for four and eight years of service; and the Panzer Badge. The list of his honors and awards is lengthy, and it is clear he was among the most highly decorated SS officials by the war’s end.
Himmler’s Right Hand Man Himmler (center) Dietrich (left) and Peiper (right). By Bundesarchiv – CC BY-SA 3.0 de Peiper acted as high-ranking SS official Heinrich Himmler’s right-hand man for many of his years. During his very early years within the Nazi Party, Peiper formed a relationship, if not friendship, with Himmler that served him well during his years of service as an SS officer. Soon after officially becoming a full-fledged member of the SS, Peiper was placed in the post of adjutant to Himmler, working in his anteroom alongside the highest ranking members of the SS. Himmler liked Peiper and took him under his wing. Once Germany invaded Poland in September of 1939, Himmler began to bring Peiper everywhere he went on official SS business. This allowed Peiper to be present at the execution of 20 Polish citizens just weeks later in Bydgoszcz Blomberg, an event that was part of Hitler’s special assignment for Himmler to “eliminate intellectuals.” In the months that followed, Peiper took on, even more, power under Himmler’s watch as he began to assist in the creation and implementation of policies intended to control the Polish populace.
Peiper was present at the gassing of Polish psychiatric facilities; alongside SS troops at the Battle of France; and meetings of Reich leaders, during which Peiper was privy to Hitler’s plans for war. As Germany’s quest for power intensified, Peiper opted to join the forces on the battlefront, and Himmler gave his young mentee permission to fight as a company commander in the 11th Company of 1st SS Division. Once the fighting died down, Peiper returned to Himmler’s side and accompanied his superior on meetings with international politicians and figureheads, and on inspections of Hitler’s concentration camps. It wasn’t until the war with the USSR began that Peiper left Himmler’s employ for good, once again choosing to see combat.
Fanatical Nazi Peiper never rescinded his support of Hitler, or his adherence to the Nazi mindset, and kept close ties to his former SS allies and friends despite undergoing mandated rehabilitation. Although Peiper faced great accusations, and significant judgment, for his actions while a member of the SS, he did not waver in his political stance or associations — he remained a man of the SS throughout his entire life. After serving out his post-war sentence in a Belgium prison, Peiper was required to secure a job to prove that he was working towards rehabilitation. With the help of the SS allies, Peiper earned his first job at a car manufacturer. This, however, was not his last contact with his former SS friends. In his life after prison, and after the war, Peiper maintained regular contact with those in the SS whom he was close with, top-ranking SS officials like Kurt “Panzer” Meyer, Sepp Dietrich, and Paul Hausser.
Peiper even tried to help restore glory to the SS by hiding information about its dirtiest deeds. Perhaps most indicative of Peiper’s mindset, though, was a remark he once shared with a friend: “I personally think that every attempt at rehabilitation during our lifetime is unrealistic.” 4. Blowtorch Battalion Peiper was the man responsible for developing a particular enemy attack: he was the first to attack enemy-controlled villages from all sides during the dark cover of nightfall while simultaneously advancing his armored tanks at full speed and firing at all visible buildings. Thanks to this innovative battle tactic, which he first used in February of 1943, Peiper was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold award in May of that same year. When Peiper and his troops began to use this new strategy on a regular basis, they became known as the “Blowtorch Battalion” — they were recognized for setting large-scale fires in villages, torching them in their entirety and murdering the residents. This attack-on-all-sides method also became Peiper’s calling card and was believed to represent his “win at all costs” mentally in combat. War Crimes By Bundesarchiv – CC BY-SA 3.0 de When World War II ended, Peiper was accused of a variety of war crimes committed in Germany, Italy, and Belgium.
However, he escaped sentencing for many of these and served time in prison for only the crimes he committed while in Belgium. Luckily for Peiper, the courts of Italy and Germany decided that the charges against him lacked enough evidence to allow for fair prosecution, and he escaped those trials unscathed.
When standing trial for war crimes, he denied almost nothing By Bundesarchiv – CC BY-SA 3.0 de Instead, he welcomed the charges — or, as he did in his older years, claimed he could not remember the facts of what, exactly, it was that he did. Over the course of his post-wartime trials, Peiper faced accusations of war crimes in the vein of POW murders, violations of wartime treaties, and even playing witness to some greater war crimes. He did not outright deny any of these charges; in fact, he took responsibility for both his actions and those of the men under his command. Though he faced much questioning, and even torture tactics, by those conducting the investigation, Peiper admitted that he accepted all responsibility for the actions of the men under his command — even if it was brutal and uncalled for.
In his later years, Peiper was called before trials and juries who wanted to convict other SS officials; instead of offering details or admonitions of guilt, Peiper claimed that his failing memory prevented him from recalling specifics, which the courts believed. Sentenced to Death Peiper was sentenced to death by hanging, but the sentence was never carried out. Truthfully, and with great fortune, Peiper evaded death; though he was convicted by a jury, controversy befell the court proceedings.
Because of this, United States’ officials changed Peiper’s sentence from immediate death to lengthy imprisonment. It was thought that Peiper and other defendants had earned their “guilty” verdicts due to a flawed judicial process, so all of Peiper’s war crimes were commuted in their sentencing. By the end of these trials and the time period, Peiper was required to serve 12 years in prison for his war crimes in Belgium alone. Freelance writer and book translator His work was published under the pen name, or nom de plume, Rainer Buschmann. After trying his hand as an automobile salesman and other professions, Peiper decided to publish written works under a fake name. He wrote for the French magazine Auto, Motor und Sport, and became a self–employed translator for French book publisher Stuttgarter Motor-Buch Verlag.
During his time as a translator and writer, Peiper published a number of works translated from German to English. After the War When his prison sentence ended, and he rejoined the civilian world, Peiper worked for both Porsche and Volkswagen. That’s right — the former Nazi, the former high-ranking SS officer, took an average job within the production facilities of Porsche.
Once released from prison and tasked with finding employment to prove he was on the path to rehabilitation, Peiper enlisted the help of his former SS friends to secure a job at Porsche. He began his new career in January of 1957, in the company’s technical department. Much like the years of his involvement with the SS, Peiper quickly rose through the ranks at Porsche — however, because he was a criminal during wartime, he was never allowed to travel beyond European borders when he was promoted and required to travel. In his later years, after parting ways with Porsche, Peiper became an auto salesman for another German car company, Volkswagen.
Peiper did not die of old age He was murdered by attackers who, to this day, are still unnamed and unknown. Though he was initially sentenced to death by hanging, as mentioned above, Peiper evaded this fate and lived a long, fruitful life after World War II. He met his end not by hanging during the outcome of his military tribes, but instead at the hand of unknown assailants. While living in France in the later years of his life, Peiper was shot in July 1976 by strangers. Once certain Peiper was dead, his attackers took their vengeance a step further by setting his residence and home alight with fire. It was in that blaze, with a gunshot wound, that Peiper finally met his end.
Joachim Peiper led quite an eventful life — not only was he a high-ranking member of the SS and renowned military leader during the years of Hitler’s reign, but he also spent his lifetime rubbing elbows with even more notorious and powerful men within the Nazi Party. However, he was a man with many murders attributed to his name, such as those American soldiers he massacred at Malmedy, and the civilians he killed in Belgium, and it is that reputation that he is remembered by today. Despite these crimes and the horrors that occurred during World War II, Peiper was certainly an intriguing figure in history. Controversial even today, he was also a courageous and dedicated member of the German military, and highly respected by those whom he worked alongside. Piper left behind a complex legacy, one mixed with both good and evil, a product of the regime that he both supported and worked within.
St Anna's Church, Allegiance Service/ branch Years of service 1934–45 Rank colonel ( ) SS #132,496 Unit 1st SS Panzer Regiment, Battles/wars Awards Other work Technical and Sales Manager at, Sales Trainer at Joachim Peiper (30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976), also known as Jochen Peiper, was a in the during and personal to between November 1940 and August 1941. Peiper fought on both the against the and the against the, and was awarded by the. Peiper was convicted of committed in and imprisoned for almost 12 years. He was accused of war crimes in, but Italian and German courts concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution.
After his release from prison, Peiper worked for both and, before moving to France, where he translated books from English to German under the 'Rainer Buschmann'. Peiper was murdered in in July 1976. Peiper and are received by, October 1940. Peiper returned to his duties as Himmler's adjutant on 21 June 1940. On 10 July 1940, he accompanied Himmler to the, where Reich leaders discussed the war and Hitler's plans.
In October 1940, Peiper accompanied Himmler to where Himmler met with Franco. After passing through, they stopped in, where Himmler met with, the commander of the SS division. Shortly afterward, on 14 November 1940, Peiper was appointed first adjutant to Himmler.
In January 1941, Peiper accompanied Himmler when he inspected and concentration camps. In March 1941, together with Karl Wolff and, they visited.
Himmler and his staff then travelled to, Poland, the. This trip included a visit to the, about which Peiper wrote: 'It was a macabre image: we saw how the Jewish Ghetto police, who wore hats without rims and were armed with wooden clubs, inconsiderately made room for us. The Jewish elders also presented Himmler with a bouquet of flowers.' Invasion of the Soviet Union In February 1941, Himmler told Peiper about the German plan, to invade the. The operation began on 22 June 1941. Behind the front lines, the death squads, under the control of the (RSHA), committed mass murder against the so-called ', which included, gypsies and partisans. Peiper's duties as first adjutant included providing Himmler with statistics from the Einsatzgruppen units about the mass killings on the.
During the later summer of 1941, Peiper was transferred to a combat unit of the LSSAH, which by this time was part of the Waffen-SS. Peiper remained in close contact with Himmler as shown by their ongoing correspondence through to the end of the war. Himmler addressed Peiper as 'my dear Jochen'. Although no longer Himmler's official first adjutant, Peiper continued to write in Himmler’s diary until mid-September 1941. Peiper may have been dispatched to the LSSAH earlier as an observer for Himmler, but available records show that he formally transferred to the LSSAH before October 1941.
When he rejoined the LSSAH, it was engaged on the Eastern Front near the. Peiper spent several days at its headquarters when an injury to a unit commander gave Peiper an opportunity to take command of the 11th Company. Transfer to combat unit The 11th Company fought at. Peiper was noted for his fighting spirit, although his unit suffered high casualties as a consequence of his aggressive tactics. The company killed a number of. During its combat action, the LSSAH was followed by Einsatzgruppe D, responsible for organising the extermination of Jews and communists.
Einsatzgruppe D continued its operations even when winter weather suspended active military operations. It shared the same winter quarters at on the as the LSSAH and, on occasion, the division assisted Einsatzgruppe D with its operations. In May 1942, Peiper learned of the death of his brother Hans-Hasso. During the same month, the LSSAH was transferred to France for rest and refit. En route to France, Peiper left his unit and met with Himmler at his headquarters on 1 June. The meeting included a dinner attended by Himmler's secretary and, a member of the staff headquarters of the SS Division Totenkopf. In July 1942, Peiper again met with Himmler and did not rejoin his battalion until August 1942.
During its stay in France, the LSSAH was reorganised into a division and Peiper was promoted to commander of its 3rd Battalion. At the end of 1942, Peiper received permission to visit his family. On 30 January 1943, he was promoted to SS-. Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, the German situation had seriously worsened, especially in the. Peiper’s battalion left its quarters in France on 31 January 1943 for Lyubotin, near. It was immediately dispatched to the front. Relief of 320th Infantry Division.
E tanks (with roadwheels) of the I SS Panzer Corps Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler close to (June 1944) The Allied necessitated the return of the LSSAH to the. On 17 June, the division began its move to the area of, but some parts of the panzer regiment had to stay in Belgium awaiting new tanks. The whole division did not reach its rally zone before 6 July 1944.
On 28 June, the 1st SS Panzer Regiment of Peiper arrived at the front and was immediately engaged in combat. As with the other German units of the area, they essentially fought a defensive battle until the by the US Army at the end of July and beginning of August. Having gone to the front with 19,618 men, the LSSAH lost 25% of its men and all its tanks. As with most of the Waffen-SS divisions engaged in, the LSSAH lost its operational ability and was described in the official tables of the available units prepared by the on 16 September 1944 not as a division but as a. Peiper was not in command of his panzer regiment during the near. Suffering from a he had been discreetly evacuated to a military hospital in the area of at 70 km of the frontline. According to the official diagnosis, he was suffering from.
He would eventually be dispatched to the rear and from September 1944 forward was in a military hospital near the in Upper Bavaria. This was not far from his family home. He stayed there until 7 October. Battle of the Bulge. The bodies of the, covered by snow, were found on 14 January 1945. During the 1st SS Panzer Division's advance on 17 December 1944, his armored units and halftracks confronted a lightly armed convoy of about 30 American vehicles at the Baugnez crossroads near. The troops, mainly elements of the American, were quickly overcome and captured.
Along with other American POWs previously captured, they were ordered to stand in a meadow when the Germans opened fire on the prisoners with machine guns, killing 84 soldiers, and leaving the bodies in the snow. The survivors were able to reach American lines later that day, and their story spread rapidly throughout the American front lines. Author Richard Gallagher reported that during the briefing held before the operation, Peiper clearly stated that no quarter should be given nor prisoners taken and that no pity should be shown towards the Belgian civilians.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Hal McCown, commander of the, testified about the treatment his unit was given after being captured on 21 December by Peiper's Kampfgruppe at Froidcour between La Gleize. McCown said he met Peiper in person and based on his observations, American prisoners were at no time mistreated by the SS and the food given to them was nearly as good as that used by the Germans themselves. Other murders.