Hermann Pister: Nazi Buchenwald Commandant Behind Brutal Camp Terror

World History: True Stories of the 20th Century · May 31, 2026 · 13m

Hermann Pister was the Nazi commandant of Buchenwald concentration camp during some of its deadliest years in World War II. Hermann Pister was one of the key figures within the Nazi concentration camp system and served as commandant of Buchenwald during some of its most brutal years. Born in 1885 in Lübeck, Pister first served in the Imperial German Navy before transitioning into civilian life as an automobile mechanic and salesman. His political path shifted dramatically with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. Having joined the Nazi Party and the SS in 1932, Pister became part of the rapidly…