Lieutenant Albert Battel used Wehrmacht military trucks and the threat of armed force to challenge the SS during the liquidation of the Przemyśl Ghetto in 1942. By blocking a strategic bridge and personally entering the cordoned zone, he secured the safety of approximately 500 Jewish residents and their families, shielding them within military barracks.
Early Career and Education
Born in 1891 in Prężynka, Battel initially served in the Imperial German Army during World War I, where he earned an Iron Cross. Following his service, he pursued higher education at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and the University of Wrocław, focusing on economics and jurisprudence. He established himself as a lawyer and notary during the interwar years, though he joined the Nazi Party in the 1930s before being called up as a Wehrmacht reserve officer in 1942.
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When SS units sealed the Przemyśl Ghetto on July 15, 1942, Battel served as adjutant to the local military commandant, Major Max Liedtke. On July 26, he leveraged his position to protect Jewish workers essential to war production. He persuaded his superior to block the main bridge into the ghetto with military personnel, successfully forcing an SS column to retreat under threat of fire. He then utilized army vehicles to evacuate approximately 100 workers and their families, eventually placing a total of 500 individuals under military protection.
SS Investigation and Post-War Life
Battel’s defiance of the SS triggered a closed investigation overseen by Heinrich Himmler, who sent documentation to Martin Bormann with orders for Battel’s post-war arrest. While the Wehrmacht imposed only disciplinary measures—specifically house arrest and a transfer—the SS remained hostile. In 1944, Battel was discharged from military service due to a heart condition and returned to Wrocław. Following a period as a prisoner of war in Soviet captivity, he attempted to resume his legal career in West Germany, but a denazification court denied him permission. He spent his final years working in a glass factory.
Recognition
Battel died of a heart attack in 1952 in Frankfurt at the age of 61. His actions remained largely unrecognized for decades until researcher Dr. Zeev Goshen investigated his wartime record. On January 22, 1981, Yad Vashem posthumously awarded Albert Battel the title of Righteous Among the Nations.
Fast facts
- Born: 1891, Prężynka
- Died: 1952, Frankfurt
- Rank: Oberleutnant
- Education: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; University of Wrocław
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1981)
- Primary Occupation: Lawyer and notary
Questions readers ask
Why was Battel not executed by the Nazis for his intervention?
The Wehrmacht treated his actions as a disciplinary issue because an order mandating an uncompromising attitude toward Jews had not yet been issued at the time of the incident.
What happened to the Jews who were not saved by Battel?
The remaining residents of the Przemyśl Ghetto were deported by the SS and perished in the Bełżec extermination camp.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1981
- Worked as lawyer, military officer and jurist
- Educated at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and University of Wrocław
