Martin Sommer
Martin Sommer | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Walter Gerhard Martin Sommer |
| Nickname(s) | Hangman of Buchenwald |
| Born | 8 February 1915 Schkölen, German Empire |
| Died | 7 June 1988 (aged 73) Schwarzenbruck, West Germany |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Schutzstaffel |
| Years of service | 1938–1945 |
| Rank | Hauptscharführer |
Walter Gerhard Martin Sommer (8 February 1915 – 7 June 1988) was a German SS Hauptscharführer (master sergeant) who served as a guard at the concentration camps of Dachau and Buchenwald. Sommer, known as the "Hangman of Buchenwald", was considered a depraved sadist who reportedly ordered two Austrian priests, Otto Neururer and Matthias Spanlang, to be crucified upside-down.