Bouhler, Philipp (NSDAP)

Date of birth:: September 11th, 1899 (Munich/Bavaria, Germany)
Date of death:: May 19th, 1945 (Zell am See/Salzburg, Austria)
Service number:: SS-Nr.: 54.932 // NSDAP-Nr.: 12
Nationality:: German

Biography

Philipp Bouhler was born September 11th, 1899, the son of Emil Bouhler, Oberst in the Bavarian army. After his training he joined the Bayerischen Kadettenkorps.
From July 16th, onwards, he served as Fanhenjunker in 1. Bayerisches Fußartillerie-Regiment where he was promoted to Leutnant. On August 8th, 1917, near Arras he was gravely injured.
After World War One he resumed his studies and went to work in a publishing firm. Philipp Bouhler joined the N.S.D.A.P. as early as July 1922, serving in various functions. From July 2nd, 1933, he was a Reichsleiter in the N.S.D.A.P.
From 1939 onwards, Bouhler was responsible for the so-called Aktion T-4, better known as the euthanasiaprogram for physically and mentally disabled persons. Beginning in 1942, Bouhler’s influence in the N.S.D.A.P. started to wane. Near the end of the Second World War, he joined the followers of Hermann Göring. On April 23rd, 1945, on orders of Adolf Hitler, he was arrested in Berchtesgaden by the SS and stripped of all his functions. He was released however on May 1st, 1945 after Hitler had committed suicide. He was captured by American troops on May 9th, 1945. He committed suicide with cyanide on May 19th, in an American prisoncamp in Zell am See, when he was about to be transferred to the Internierungslager (prisoncamp) in Dachau.

Promotions:
April 20th, 1933: SS-Gruppenführer;
January 30th, 1936: SS-Obergruppenführer.

Career:
?: Volksschule;
1909 - 1912: Maximiliansgymnasium, München;
1912 - 1916: Bayerischen Kadettenkorps;
July 6th, 1916: 1. Bayerischen Fußartillerie-Regiment;
1919: Member of the Deutschvölkischen Schutz- und Trutzbundes;
1919 - 1920: University in München;
? - October 1921: Publishing firm of J. F. Lehmann;
July 1922: N.S.D.A.P.
September 1922 - November 1923: Zweiter Geschäftsführer der N.S.D.A.P.;
?: Geschäftsführer Ersatzorganisation Großdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft;
?: Editor of the paper Der Nationalsozialist;
February 27th, 1925: N.S.D.A.P.;
March 27th, 1925 - November 17th, 1934: Reichsgeschäftsführer der N.S.D.A.P., München;
1926 - 1930: Illustrierten Beobachter;
March 5th, 1933 - 1945: Member of the Reichstag, Wahlkreis Westfalen-Süd (N.S.D.A.P.);
April 20th, 1933: Allgemeine-SS
June 2nd, 1933 - 1945: Reichsleiter der NSDAP;
?: Put in charge of the Aktion T4 by Hitler;
1934 - 1941: Bearbeiter für kulturpolitische Fragen, Stab des Stellvertreter des Führers;
1934 - 1944: Member of the Academy for German Law;
November 17th, 1934 - April 23rd, 1945: Chief of the Führerchancellory in Berlin;
December 1937 - 1945: Commissionar of the Führer for the history of the NS movement;
1940 - 1945: Head of the Department for Schooling and Education;
1942 - 1943: Chief of the Einsatzstab Ostafrika (Organisation Sisal).