Egon Zill: Nazi Camp Commandant Who Tortured and Sexually Abused Prisoners

Egon Zill, nicknamed “Little Zill” because of his short stature, was a veteran SS officer who served at numerous Nazi concentration camps and became notorious for personally torturing prisoners and sexually abusing female inmates.Born in Plauen in 1906, Zill joined the Nazi Party and SA in 1923 before entering the SS three years later as member number 535. His exceptionally low SS membership number reflected his early involvement in the Nazi movement.Zill served successively at Hohnstein, Sachsenburg, Dachau, Lichtenburg, and Ravensbrück concentration camps. At Ravensbrück, the major concentration camp for women, he served as the commandant’s adjutant from its opening in 1939. Prisoners later described his brutal treatment and sexual harassment of female inmates.At Dachau, Zill became notorious for devising methods of punishment and torture. Rather than merely ordering violence, he reportedly participated personally or watched as prisoners were subjected to brutal treatment by guards.His career subsequently took him into the highest leadership positions within the concentration camp system. In December 1941, Zill succeeded Hermann Pister as commandant of Hinzert. In April 1942, he became commandant of Natzweiler-Struthof, the only Nazi concentration camp established in the territory of pre-war France.By September 1942, Zill had been appointed commandant of Flossenbürg concentration camp. Prisoners there were exploited through forced labour, initially in granite quarries and increasingly in armaments production, including the manufacture of components for Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft.This documentary examines Egon Zill’s long career within the Nazi concentration camp system, his brutality toward prisoners, and his rise from an early SS member to commandant of several concentration camps.This episode is part of the series The Nazi Camp Commandants.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv