As part of the latter operation, Kappler successfully extorted 50 kilograms of gold (110 lbs.) This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Kappler's post-war time seeking asylum in the Vatican, and his resultant friendship with his former enemy Monsignor O'Flaherty, was dramatised in the radio play The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican by Robin Glendinning. They deposed Mussolini and freed all Allied POWs. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Mr. Kappler, who died yesterday, was serving a life term for ordering the 1944 reprisal killing of 335 Italians when his wife, Anneliese, helped him escape from a prison hospital in Rome six months ago. Kappler was also never affiliated with the Waffen-SS and spent the war performing "behind the lines" police and security duty. The Irish War of Independence broke out in 1919, making life difficult. Kappler and his first wife divorced while he was serving his sentence. On a visit in August 1977, Kappler's wife carried him out in a large suitcase (Kappler weighed about 47kg (104lb) at the time) and escaped to West Germany, assisted by apparently unwitting carabinieri. He was intelligent earning a scholarship to a teacher training college. In January 1936, he was assigned to duty at the Gestapo main office in Stuttgart. Without hesitation, O'Flaherty took up Kappler's invitation and in prison the two men chatted over coffee. He served as head of German police and security services ( Sicherheitspolizei and SD) in Rome during the Second World War and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre. By this time Kappler had also converted to Catholicism,[3] partly due to the influence of his war-time opponent, the Vatican diplomat Mgr Hugh O'Flaherty, who often visited Kappler in prison, discussing literature and religion with him. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. The Italians demanded that Kappler be returned, but the West Germany authorities refused to extradite him and did not prosecute Kappler for any further war crimes, reportedly owing to ill-health. Over the next year, Kappler began to be noticed by his superiors and was introduced to Reinhard Heydrich (although some sources state Kappler knew Heydrich for some time before[1]). Herbert Kappler (23 September 1907 - 9 February 1978) was a key German SS functionary and war criminal during the Nazi era. [6][7][10][13], Kappler was arrested by British authorities in 1945, turned over to the Italian government in 1947, and tried the following year. Despite this O'Flaherty assisted in helping members of Kapplers family in escaping from Rome at Liberation. Family of Kappler, ExSS Colonel, Withholds plans for His Funeral, https://www.nytimes.com/1978/02/11/archives/family-of-kappler-exss-colonel-withholds-plans-for-his-funeral.html. While serving his sentence in prison, Herbert Kappler divorced his first wife and married his nurse, Anneliese, in 1972. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. He rose to the rank of SS- Obersturmbannfhrer and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre as well as dealing with Vatican City over its neutrality. from the Jews of Rome, which Kappler later alleged was an attempt to prevent the deportations.[3][8][9]. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The two lived at an address on Tbingern, Kurzestrasse 15, before later moving to an apartment listed at Stuttgart-Degerloch, Reutlingerstrasse 98. What happened to Herbert Kappler? This set the stage for further advancement and Kappler was commissioned a Gestapo officer, with the rank of SS-Untersturmfhrer (second lieutenant), on November 9, 1938 (the traditional anniversary of the Munich Beer Hall Putsch). Berlin directed him to have 10 times as many Italians shot in retaliation. One of the most notorious actions Kappler undertook while in Rome was the organization of the Ardeatine massacre where over three hundred Italian civilians were killed on 24-03-1944 in collective punishment for an attack by resistance fighters against an SS formation in Rome. Anyone can read what you share. iie. Kurtna, however, turned the tables on Kappler by stealing the top secret Sicherheitsdienst codebooks from his office during the chaos that surrounded the Liberation of Rome. He was only obeying orders.. In 1968 she visited him for the first time in the fortress of Gaeta. SOLTAU, West Germany, Feb. 9 (Reuters)Herbert Kappler; a_convicted Nazi war criminal, died of stomach cancer here today, six months after- a daring escape from a Rome military hospital. He was head of German police and security services (Sicherheitspolizei and SD) in Rome during the Second World War and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre. Kappler came into direct conflict with the neutral Vatican under Pope Pius XII, which Kappler correctly believed was harbouring escaped Allied POWs, members of the Italian Resistance, and Jews. Fortunately, they did not storm the Vatican because of its unique status. In 1937, Kappler (now an SS-Oberscharfhrer (staff sergeant)) was sent by his Gestapo superiors to attend the Fhrerschule der Sicherheitspolzei (Leadership School of the Security Police) in Berlin from which he graduated in the summer of 1937 as a certified Kriminalkommissar (Criminal Commissioner). In retaliation for the armistice between Italy and the Allies on 8 September 1943, the German military occupied Rome and Kappler was appointed as Chief of the Security Police and Security Service (Oberbefehlshaber des Sicherheitspolizei und SD) for all SS and Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units deployed in Rome. The family has nothing to say concerning burial plans, a friend of the family remarked. By 1943, the Italians had suffered a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of the Allied powers. By 1929, he was a certified electrician, still living in Stuttgart. Despite this O'Flaherty assisted in helping members of Kapplers family in escaping from Rome at Liberation. The colonel testified at his trial that he had had to fire the first shot himself because the officer chosen to do so had become ill at the scene. What happened to Herbert Kappler, SS Colonel, after WWII? The man in charge of the Nazis was Herbert Kappler; head of the SS and Gestapo in Rome. World War II Therefore, he was allowed to visit POW camps throughout Italy. David Alvarez and Robert A. Graham, S.J. Wellwishers showered the Kappler apartment with flowers and telegrams, and young neoNazis marched along the street below with, Fascist and antiJewish banners. Instead, he stayed to work for the Holy See, serving as a Vatican diplomat in Egypt, Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Czechoslovakia. As Rome fell to Allied forces, Kappler unsuccessfully tried to seek refuge in the Vatican, but he was arrested by British authorities in 1945 and later turned over to the Italian government in 1947. Despite the Fascist dictatorship, the war, and racial legislation, the family . 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Ironically, Kurtna's Soviet masters failed to appreciate or reward his loyalty. Herbert Kappler joined the Nazi Party on 1 August 1931 at the age of twenty three. In 1931, Herbert Kappler formally became a Nazi Party member. Retrieved from Wikimedia . Kappler was in charge of Jewish roundups for deportations to Auschwitz. During his captivity, Kappler wrote to his former rival and asked him to come and visit. In 1947, Kappler was tried by an Italian military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment in the military prison of Gaeta. Kappler was born to a middle-class family in Stuttgart in what was still the German Empire. During those same years, Kurtna covertly spied for the Soviet Union, with devastating results for the many underground priests and faithful whose names he passed to the NKVD. Appeals by both his wife and the West German government to release him were denied by Italian authorities, but earned him a transfer to a hospital. [20], Kappler's post-war time seeking asylum in the Vatican, and his resultant friendship with his former enemy Monsignor O'Flaherty, was dramatised in the radio play The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican by Robin Glendinning. While there, he asked to speak to the Monsignor and was probably surprised when OFlaherty agreed. Vittorio Lattanzio resigned from his position as Minister of Defense in the aftermath of the escape. Because of Kapplers deteriorating condition and his wifes nursing skills, Anneliese Kappler had been allowed almost unlimited access to him during his time in the Italian hospital. Herbert Kappler (23 September 1907 9 February 1978) was a key German SS functionary and war criminal during the Nazi era. She also denied receiving financial aid for the escape from any group, but admitted, during a TV interview, that she had received money from various groups representing former SS members. She smuggled him into West Germany by car. He was described as a model prisoner, interested in music, theology, reading and meditation. After serving as an SS-Anwrter from December 1932 to May 1933, Kappler was appointed an SS-Mann and assigned the SS membership number 55,211. His wife divorced him while he was serving his sentence. He served as head of German police and security services (Sicherheitspolizei and SD) in Rome during the Second World War and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre.[1][2]. He escaped from prison shortly before his death in West Germany in 1978. In 1934, O'Flaherty received the title of Monsignor. He was head of German police and security services (Sicherheitspolizei and SD) in Rome during the Second World War and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre.[1][2]. Following the armistice between Italy and the Allies on September 8, 1943, the German military occupied Rome and Kappler was appointed as Chief of the Security Police and Security Service (Oberbefehlshaber des Sicherheitspolizei und SD) for all SS and Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units deployed in Rome. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Kappler and his first wife divorced while Kappler was serving his sentence, but he was married again to Anneliese Kappler, a nurse who had carried on a lengthy correspondence with Kappler before marrying him in a prison wedding ceremony in 1972. Kappler was arrested by British authorities in 1945, turned over to the Italian government in 1947, and tried the following year by an Italian military tribunal. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. . Kappler converted to Roman Catholicism. On a prison visit in August 1977, Kappler's wife carried him out in a large suitcase (Kappler weighed less than 105 pounds at the time) and escaped to West Germany, assisted by apparently unwitting carabinieri. Comment * what is insensible water loss. See the article in its original context from. "First a great fear, then a great calm, an enormous lucidity. He later married Anneliese Kappler, a nurse who had carried on a lengthy correspondence with him, before marrying him at a prison ceremony in 1972. In 1937, Kappler graduated from the Fhrerschule der Sicherheitspolizei (Leadership School of the Security Police) in Berlin as a Kriminalkommissar (criminal commissioner). Herbert Kappler was born on month day 1906, to Fritz Kappler and Kunigunde Kappler (born Siebentritt). Mr. Kappler's wife, Anneliese, who said she had lowered him with ropes from the third floor of the hospital, explained that it had been her greatest wish that her husband, whom she called a Christbike figure, should not die in captivity. Herbert Kappler of the German Army carried out a massacre of Italian civilians at the Ardeatine Caves near Rome on March 24, 1944. SOLTAU, West Germany, Feb. 10 (UPI) The family of Herbert Kappler, a former Nazi SS colonel, withheld plans for his funeral today to prevent pro- and antiNazi demonstrators from appearing at the rites. Among them was his future wife, Carla Capponi (1918-2000). The Italians unsuccessfully demanded that Kappler be returned, but the West Germany authorities refused to extradite him and did not prosecute Kappler for any further war crimes, reportedly due to his ill health. He mingled with Victor Emmanuel III, the King of Italy and he also became friendly with Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini; the founder of Italian Fascism. SOLTAU, West Germany, Feb. 9 (Reuters)Herbert Kappler; a_convicted Nazi war criminal, died of stomach cancer here today, six months after- a daring escape from a Rome military hospital. In 1975, he was diagnosed with cancer. With a portion of Italy under German occupation, those POWs were at risk of being recaptured. Impressed with his abilities, he was appointed to the Holy See; the Vaticans governing body. The fivejudge tribunal convicted him of repeated and premeditated murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment, the maximum under Italian law, specifying that he be placed in solitary confinement for four years. [17], Six months after his escape, Kappler died at home in Soltau, on 9 February 1978, aged 70. For his role in several atrocities, including the Ardeatine Massacre (the slaughter of 335 civilians in the Ardeatine Caves), the Nazi chief was sentenced to life in prison. German SS functionary and war criminal during the Nazi Party member part of the membership. 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