Publisher's Synopsis
By the time of her execution at thirty-six, Maria Mandl had achieved the highest rank possible for a woman in the Third Reich. As Head Overseer of the women's camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, she was personally responsible for the murders of thousands, and for the torture and suffering of countless more. In this riveting biography, Susan J. Eischeid explores how Maria Mandl, regarded locally as 'a nice girl from a good family,' came to embody the very worst of humanity. Born in 1912 in the scenic Austrian village of Munzkirchen, Maria enjoyed a happy childhood with loving parents - who later watched in anguish as their grown daughter rose through the Nazi system. Mandl's life mirrors the period in which she lived: turbulent, violent, and suffused with paradoxes. At Auschwitz-Birkenau, she founded the notable women's orchestra and 'adopted' several children from the transports - only to lead them to the gas chambers when her interest waned. After the war, Maria was arrested for crimes again
