In Hamburg, a multitude of authorities and organizations were actively involved in the organization and implementation of the deportations in the name of the National Socialist regime. Responsible for the actual implementation was a close cooperation between Gestapo, the regular police, the central revenue department, and the Reich Railway.

The main force in the deportation of the Roma and Sinti was the Criminal Investigations Department, which cooperated closely with the social administration, the Reich Criminal Investigations Bureau and the “Research Center for Racial Hygiene,” the public health offices, local courts and the Hamburg court enforcement officers. It is unknown whether members of the institutions mentioned here defied any orders to carry out deportations, or whether they resisted in other ways. Information about these people is often sparse. After the war, some escaped by committing suicide or by fleeing their responsibility, others received – mostly minor – prison sentences, and many were acquitted or remained untouched.

The exemplary selection of biographical sketches of perpetrators gives an impression of their diverse backgrounds and motives, as well as their diverse roles and degrees of participation in the mass murder of Jews, Roma and Sinti.

Born on 29 March 1888 in Bosatz (Ratibor). Joined the police force with the Harburg Municipal Police Department in March 1913; appointed Kriminalwachtmeister in January 1920; promoted to Kriminalassistent in April 1926; promoted to Kriminalsekretär in May 1927 and to Kriminalobersekretär in December 1939; promoted to Kriminalinspektor (detective inspector) in April 1944.

Member of the Nazi Party from May 1937. Worked for the police records department of the Hamburg criminal police from March 1938 and the “gypsy agency” from October 1938, soon becoming the head of the latter (Krause was nicknamed “gypsy Krause”). As of 1 April 1940 deputy chief of the Kriminalkommissariat BK 2 (criminal investigations department). Krause conducted a series of arrests prior to the deportation transport on 20 May 1940 to the “Generalgouvernement,” accompanying this transport as well as the transport to Auschwitz on 11 March 1943.

Arrested in late September 1945, interned in the military prison in Altona for one month, then in Neumünster until February 1946. As of May 1946, chief police inspector Krause once again took up his work with the criminal investigations department of the Hamburg Police Department until a number of Roma and Sinti filed charges against him and the head of the criminal investigations department suspended him from his job. Criminal proceedings were initiated against Krause in the course of the Hinselmann trial.

Although sentenced to a three-year prison sentence in December 1946 and suspended from police service for political reasons by the military government, Krause was released in March 1949. During his denazification process the committee of experts VIIIb classified him as Category V (exonerated person). Krause died on 29 September 1954.

Born on 25 June 1890 in Altona. After beginning an apprenticeship with a Hamburg-based grain company in 1905 he worked as a shipping clerk in several companies until 1939. Unemployed from 1930 until 1936. Nazi Party member as of May 1933 (cell leader 1938-1943), member of the SA storm troopers (Scharführer since 1936). Employed as an office clerk for the Hamburg criminal investigations department in October 1939, from March 1940 employed as a clerk in the “gypsy office” as well as in field service, i.e. on site in the apartments or at the encampments. Everding was actively involved in a series of arrests of Roma and Sinti on 16 May 1940 and in their registration at a fruit warehouse prior to their deportation to Auschwitz on 11 March 1943. He prepared the deportation of 26 Sinti to Auschwitz on 18 April 1944 and accompanied the transport.

Similar to his superior Kurt Krause, after the war Everding also issued certificates to Roma and Sinti in Hamburg documenting their deportation to concentration camps. Everding was removed from office by the chief of the Hamburg police Bruno Georges on 31 December 1945. In a written notice addressed to the Housing Office, Department Eppendorf-Winterhude, and dated 18 November 1946, the Hamburg Police Department’s personnel office stated, “E. was arrested by order of the British military government on charges of assault, selection of gypsies for deportation to concentration camps and extortion of jewelry from gypsies on the basis of false promises.”

Sentenced to three years in prison after the Hinselmann trial, released early in March 1949 after being pardoned. Upon completion of the denazification process in February 1950 he was classified Category IV (follower), which was changed to Category V (exonerated person) on 1 July 1950. Everding died on 14 June 1965.