Frank (1900-1946), Hans
Member of the Thule secret society then of the DAP (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei – German Workers’ Party), in 1920 he participated alongside Drexler, Eckart and Feder in the writing of the 25 points’ political program of the NSDAP. He moreover participated in the Hitler putsch in 1923. In 1926, he was involved in the reorganization of the Nazi party when Hitler was freed from Landsberg. He occupied several administrative functions in the Nazi party and then was nominated general governor of Poland and Reich minister without attribution. When he was general governor, he liquidated the Polish intelligentsia and participated in the extermination of Jews. Frank wanted to preserve the economical potential of occupied Poland at the benefit of Germany but he also wanted to get rid of Jews as soon as possible: “We must destroy the Jews where we can find them and when the opportunity is offered to us. We cannot shoot 3,5 million Jews or poison them all, but we can bring them in one way or another to extermination, all this, in accordance with the measures debated in the Reich. The General Government must become as judenfrei as the Reich” (speech dated December 16, 1941). During the Wannsee Conference, Josef Bühler, his representative, suggested that the Final Solution should be applied first in the General Government. However, Frank was not Hitler’s first armed gun in occupied Poland. Krüger played that role partly, which explained why he and Frank (representing the civil administration) were frequently in conflict. Frank managed to suspend the deportations and also to dismantle Globocnik’s auxiliary police, which increased resentment and anti German feelings among the population. The outcome of the conflict was that Frank fell into disfavor with Hitler and was forbidden to hold public speeches. From 1944, the General Government could not be ruled in normally anymore as a result of the war. After the war, Hans Frank was judged and condemned to death. He was hanged in October 1946.
Schenk, D., 2006, Hitlers Kronjurist und General-Gouverneur. Frankfurt: Fischer.
Prag, W., Jacobmeyer, W., 1975, Das Diensttagebuch des deutschen Generalgouverneurs in Polen. 1939- 1945. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlagsanstalt.
