The Collector’s Encyclopaedia · Signatories · SS & Police
Odilo Globocnik (1904–1945): Signature, Documents and Historical Profile
| Born | 24 April 1904, Trieste |
|---|---|
| Died | 31 May 1945, Paternion, Carinthia (suicide) |
| Key offices | Gauleiter of Vienna (1938); SS and Police Leader, Lublin (November 1939); Higher SS and Police Leader, Adriatic Coastal Zone (1943) |
| Documents bearing his name | SS and police documents of Lublin and Trieste |
| In the collection | No pieces currently available |
Odilo Globocnik directed Operation Reinhard, the murder of Jews in the death camps of Bełżec, Sobibór and Treblinka. Documents connected with him are evidence of the core of the Holocaust in occupied Poland.
Who Was Odilo Globocnik?
Globocnik was born in Trieste in 1904. After the annexation of Austria he was briefly Gauleiter of Vienna. In November 1939 he became SS and Police Leader in Lublin, where he led Operation Reinhard. In 1943 he became Higher SS and Police Leader in the Adriatic Coastal Zone, where crimes under his command included the Risiera di San Sabba camp.
What Documents Bear Globocnik’s Signature?
His signature appears on SS and police documents from Lublin and Trieste. Such material is primarily of archival and memorial significance. See concentration camp correspondence.
What Should Collectors Watch For?
- Documents must be described with full historical context.
- Any attribution needs exceptional provenance.
- Such material often belongs in memorial archives.
Responsibility and Fate
Operation Reinhard claimed an estimated 1.4 to 1.8 million lives. Globocnik took poison when captured by British forces at Paternion on 31 May 1945.
Collector’s Note
I include Globocnik because researchers encounter his name in documents. Any such document is evidence of genocide.
Related Entries and Pieces
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was Operation Reinhard?
The murder of Jews in the Bełżec, Sobibór and Treblinka death camps, directed by Globocnik.
Where was Globocnik based?
In Lublin from 1939 and in Trieste from 1943.
How did Globocnik die?
He took poison when captured on 31 May 1945.
Historical Responsibility Notice: this entry documents historical figures and artefacts of the National Socialist period for collecting, preservation, education and research. It does not endorse or glorify any ideology, and it is written in memory of the victims of the regime.
References & Further Reading
- Möhrle, R. (2023) Odilo Lotario Ludwig Globocnik, The German Massacres in Occupied Italy (1943–45).