Kurt Becher (Becher)

Becher, Kurt (Becher), assistant to Heinrich Himmler. Born September 12, 1909 in Hamburg. Former grain trader, joined the Nazi party, quickly became Standartenfiihrer SS (Colonel). He headed a commission on the purchase of Hungarian horses for the SS units. Becher gained a reputation as a skilled wholesaler horses, for which Himmler entrusted to him in winter 1944-45 to lead the negotiations on the exchange of Jews in cash payments. To this task he was unable to cope.