Ilse Koch

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ilse-koch

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Ilse Koch born?September 22, 1906
2. When did Ilse Koch die?September 1, 1967
3. Who was Ilse Koch?She was the wife of a camp commander at Buchenwald and was known for her alleged cruel behavior toward prisoners.
4. Why was she called the "Witch of Buchenwald"?People gave her that nickname because they believed she was very cruel and sadistic toward prisoners.

Buchenwald Concentration Camp: A major Nazi concentration camp established in 1937, responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of prisoners.
Nazi Ideology: The political ideology of the Nazi Party, characterized by extreme nationalism, racism (especially antisemitism), and authoritarianism.
War Crimes Trials: Legal proceedings held after conflicts to prosecute individuals for violations of the laws of war.
Historical Memory: The collective remembrance and interpretation of past events by a society or group.