Fritz Becher: Murderer of Catholic Priests at Dachau Concentration Camp

Fritz Becher was a brutal Kapo at Dachau concentration camp who was executed for Nazi war crimes after the Second World War. A German prisoner functionary turned Kapo, Becher became infamous at Dachau concentration camp for his extreme cruelty toward fellow inmates, particularly Catholic priests and Soviet prisoners of war. Originally imprisoned as a political detainee himself, Becher quickly aligned with SS authority, using his position to terrorize those under his control. Witnesses testified that he routinely beat prisoners, kicked them unconscious, forced them into exhausting punishment exercises, and deliberately withheld medical care. Several priests died directly as a result of his violence, while many others succumbed to injuries and exhaustion caused by his abuse. At Dachau, Becher oversaw barracks where systematic humiliation and physical torment were daily occurrences. He conducted sadistic “sport exercises” designed to break prisoners physically and mentally, often lasting for hours. In the Russian prisoner blocks, his brutality intensified, reflecting Nazi racial ideology that viewed Slavs as expendable. Survivors recalled beatings with wooden objects, fists, and boots, frequently carried out under the supervision or approval of SS guards. When Dachau was liberated by U.S. forces in April 1945, the scale of the camp’s horrors shocked the world. Becher was arrested and later tried in the Dachau war crimes trials conducted by the United States Army. Despite attempting to downplay his actions, overwhelming testimony exposed his lies. Found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Fritz Becher was sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging in 1946 at Landsberg Prison. His case stands as a stark example of how ordinary individuals, empowered by ideology and opportunity, became willing participants in Nazi terror.This episode is part of the series Male Fascist Guards and Camp Auxiliaries.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv