Oskar Dirlewanger: The Infamous War Criminal and His SS Sonderkommando

Oskar Dirlewanger is one of the most reviled war criminals in history. A tall, gaunt, ghoulish-looking man, he commanded a penal unit of the Waffen-SS. The Sonderkommando "Dirlewanger" grew from a company of men previously jailed for poaching into a formation of thousands, the majority of whom were former concentration camp inmates. Ranks comprised a diverse array of convicted persons, ranging from soldiers who committed minor breaches of discipline, to political prisoners, to foreign prisoners of war, to eventually even murderers and rapists. Dr. Soraya Kuklińska has studied Dirlewanger for longer and in more critical detail than any other historian. This includes images, 100 of which are included in this book. The work answers the decades-old questions about Dirlewanger's character and personality, his life, and his death. Further, the book provides new insight into who the men who served under him were, and how they conducted themselves on campaign.

Author: Soraya Kuklińska
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
Published: 11/28/2025
Pages: 464
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.69lbs
Size: 9.25h x 6.40w x 1.71d
ISBN: 9780764369889

About the Author
Kuklińska, Soraya: - Dr. Soraya Kuklińska received her PhD in history from Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz in 2019. She is a full-time, professional historian at the Institute of National Remembrance in Warsaw and the Pilecki Institute. She lives in Bydgoszcz, Poland.