Incredible Images From The First Western Photographer To Step Foot Inside Hitler’s Hidden Bunker

Laid To Rest

Photo Credit: William Vandivert/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

On the floor of the Führerbunker lies an SS cap marked with the death head insignia. For a decade the Schutzstaffel or “protection squadron” terrorized the people of Europe and became one of the most feared groups in the world. After the war, those involved in the SS who did not kill themselves first were hunted down, tried for war crimes, hanged, or jailed.

Those in the SS who managed to evade the allies were usually executed by citizens who took matters into their own hands to deliver their own justice. Some SS even made deals with the Allies and their disturbing talents were later used in the upcoming Cold War.