Heinrich Himmler

Heinrich Himmler was the Nazi in charge of the Schutzstaffel (SS). He was one of the most powerful men in Adolf Hitler's entourage. He was seen with Hitler at the Berlin book-burning rally in 1938.

Behind the scenes
Himmler was played uncredited by Ronald Lacey, who had played Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The real Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany, competing with Hermann Göring, Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels. He used the Freundeskreis der Wirtschaft for personal advancement. As Reichsführer-SS he oversaw all police and security forces, including the Gestapo.

As overseer of concentration camps, extermination camps, and Einsatzgruppen (literally: task forces, often used as killing squads), Himmler coordinated the killing of millions of Jews, between 200,000 and 500,000 Roma, many prisoners of war, and possibly another three to four million Poles, communists, or other groups whom the Nazis deemed unworthy to live or simply 'in the way', including homosexuals and those with physical and mental disabilities. Shortly before the end of the war, he offered to surrender to the Allies if he were spared from prosecution. After being arrested by British forces, he committed suicide before he could be questioned.

Appearances

 * Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
 * Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade novel