Origins & Early Life

Irma Ilse Ida Grese (7 October 1923 – 13 December 1945) was a German Nazi concentration camp guard at Ravensbrück, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Bergen-Belsen. She has been widely known as the "Hyena of Auschwitz" and the "Beast of Belsen" for the atrocities she committed during her service. Following the Allied occupation of Nazi Germany in April 1945, Grese was found guilty of war crimes involving the torture and murder of Jewish prisoners at the Belsen trial and sentenced to death by hanging. She was hanged at the age of 22, making her the youngest woman to be judicially executed under British law in the twentieth century.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Irma Ilse Ida Grese was born on 7 October 1923, in Wrechen, a rural village of Feldberg (since merged into Feldberger Seenlandschaft) to parents Alfred Anton Albert Grese and Berta Wilhelmine Winter. She was the third of five children, the others being Helene, Lieschen, Alfred, and Otto. Alfred worked as a senior milker at the Wrechen Manor House, a small dairy farm with two farmhands and a few cows that provided a modest income for the Grese family. Berta, a housewife, cared for the family garden and the few animals they had, including pigs, geese...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Spelling — Contemporary (Born in 1923) (1923): Pioneering American producer of hit TV series like Dynasty and Beverly Hills, 90210.
• André Gorz — Contemporary (Born in 1923) (1923): Austrian-French philosopher known for critiques of work and political ecology.
• Bernard Bosanquet (philosopher) — Contemporary (Died in 1923) (1923): Influential English philosopher and political theorist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Anne Frank — Contemporary (Died in 1945) (1945): German-born diarist whose secret writings documented life in hiding during the Holocaust.
• Anne Murray — Contemporary (Born in 1945) (1945): Pioneering Canadian country and pop vocalist with a 40-year global career.
• Anton Webern — Contemporary (Died in 1945) (1945): Radical modernist composer of the Second Viennese School, known for atonal and twelve-tone techniques.
• Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi — Shared historical date (10-07 · Died) (732): Umayyad commander who led Andalusian forces against the Franks, dying at Tours.
• Al Martino — Shared historical date (10-07 · Born) (1927): Iconic Italian-American crooner, celebrated for standards and his role in The Godfather.
• Archie Moore — Shared historical date (12-13 · Born) (1913): Legendary American boxer, known for his longevity and strategic defense.
• Christopher Plummer — Shared historical date (12-13 · Born) (1929): Esteemed Canadian actor known for Broadway mastery and film versatility.
• 1923 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1923
• October 7 (10-07) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 7
• 1945 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1945
• December 13 (12-13) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 13