Joachim Peiper | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Jochen |
Born |
Berlin, German Empire |
30 January 1915
Died | 14 July 1976 Traves, Haute-Saône, France |
(aged 61)
Buried at | St Anna's Church Schondorf, Germany |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/branch | Waffen-SS |
Years of service | 1933–45 |
Rank | Standartenführer |
Service number | SS #132,496 |
Unit | SS Division Leibstandarte |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Other work | Porsche and Volkswagen |
Joachim Peiper (German pronunciation: [ˈjoːaxɪm ˈpaɪpɐ]; 30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976), also known as Jochen Peiper, was a field officer in the Waffen-SS during World War II and personal adjutant to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler between November 1940 and August 1941.
Peiper fought on both the Eastern Front against the Red Army and the Western Front against the Western Allies, and was awarded by Nazi Germany the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.
Peiper was convicted of war crimes committed in Belgium and imprisoned for almost 12 years. He was accused of war crimes in Italy, but Italian and German courts concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution.
After his release from prison, Peiper worked for both Porsche and Volkswagen, before moving to France, where he translated books from English to German under the nom de plume "Rainer Buschmann". Peiper was killed in France in July 1976, when unknown assailants burned his house to the ground.
Peiper was born on 30 January 1915 into a middle class family from the Silesian region of Germany. His father, Captain Waldemar Peiper, served in the Imperial German Army and fought in the colonial campaigns in East Africa. In 1915, he retired from active duty for health reasons after contracting malaria. After the war, Waldemar Peiper joined the Freikorps and took part in the Silesian Uprisings.