Reinhard Heydrich
High-ranking Nazi official and principal architect of the Holocaust.
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich was a high-ranking SS and police official in Nazi Germany and one of the principal architects of the Holocaust. He held the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei and was described by Adolf Hitler as 'the man with the iron heart'. Many historians regard him as one of the most sinister figures within the Nazi regime.
- born
- 7 March 1904, Halle an der Saale
- died
- 4 June 1942, Prague (from wounds sustained in Operation Anthropoid)
- field
- SS and police official, intelligence chief
- nationality
- German
- known_for
- Chief architect of the Holocaust; chaired Wannsee Conference; head of Reich Security Main Office; led Einsatzgruppen
Lore & Background
Heydrich was born in Halle an der Saale to a musical family; his father founded the Halle Conservatory. He was trained in piano and violin, and excelled in sports, particularly swimming and fencing. He joined the German Navy in 1922 but was dismissed in 1931 for 'conduct unbecoming an officer' after a breach of promise. He then joined the Nazi Party and the SS, rising quickly. He became founding head of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) and helped organise Kristallnacht in November 1938. From September 1939, he was chief of the Reich Security Main Office, which included the Gestapo, Kripo, and SD. He also served as Deputy Reich-Protector of Bohemia and Moravia and chaired the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, which formalised plans for the 'Final Solution'.
Reader's Guide
Heydrich's significance lies in his central role in planning and executing the Holocaust. As head of the Reich Security Main Office, he oversaw the Gestapo, Kripo, and SD, and directly commanded the Einsatzgruppen, which murdered over two million people, including 1.3 million Jews. He chaired the Wannsee Conference, which coordinated the deportation and genocide of all Jews in German-occupied Europe. His assassination in Prague by Czech and Slovak soldiers (Operation Anthropoid) led to brutal reprisals: the villages of Lidice and Ležáky were razed, their male inhabitants shot, and women and children deported to concentration camps. Heydrich's legacy is that of a ruthless enforcer of Nazi terror and a key figure in the systematic murder of millions.
Did You Know?
- Heydrich was an accomplished violinist and was trained in music by his father, a composer and opera singer.
- He was dismissed from the German Navy in 1931 for 'conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman' due to a breach of promise.
- He helped organise Kristallnacht, the coordinated attacks against Jews on 9–10 November 1938.
- Heydrich was mortally wounded on 27 May 1942 in Prague by a team of Czech and Slovak soldiers trained by the British Special Operations Executive.
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