Rudolf Kappel (March 3, 1924 - March 8, 1947) was a German Waffen-SS Schütze (Private) who served in the 15th Einsatzkommando Brigade and participated in the Perekhody village massacre.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Rudolf “Rudi" Kappel was born on March 3, 1924, in Kassel, Germany, into a working-class family. His father was a postal worker, while his mother was a housewife. Described as timid but diligent, Kappel struggled with poor eyesight from a young age, requiring thick glasses to see properly.
He grew up under the influence of Nazi ideology, joining the Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) in 1938, where he received paramilitary training. Despite his weak physical frame, he was enthusiastic and absorbed SS propaganda, developing a belief in the regime’s cause and blaming the Jews on his ability to not have earned a job in the finance sector.
By 1942, as Germany's war effort intensified, he was conscripted into the Waffen-SS, where he was assigned to the 15th Einsatzkommando, responsible for anti-partisan operations in the occupied Soviet territories. Though initially considered for administrative work due to his poor eyesight, he insisted on active duty, eager to prove himself as one of the Reich’s proud soldiers.
Military Career[]
Kappel was deployed to the Eastern Front, where he took part in mass executions, primarily acting as a sentry during massacres. His role in the Perekhody Massacre, according to his testimony, was to be stationed outside the burning barn. He used a captured British Enfield rifle to gun down escapees—elderly, and children—who tried to flee the flames.
Eyewitness accounts describe him as meticulous, taking his role seriously. Unlike the rowdier SS soldiers who drank and joked, Kappel was a quiet, disciplined enforcer, mechanically following orders. He was commonly hazed by his comrades for having a youthful and nerdy appearance and still wanted to stand tall.
His stolen Lee-Enfield rifle, taken from a dead British soldier (Harvey Irwin according to him) during the Battle of France, was a point of pride. He considered it a superior weapon to the standard-issue Kar98k, often boasting about its precision and smooth action. He saw it as his personal memento in the face of Western aggression.
For his participation in anti-partisan raids, he was awarded the General Assault Badge, though he was never promoted beyond Schütze (Private) due to his lack of physical prowess and attempts to one-up his commander Walter Stein.
Capture and Death[]
As the Soviet Red Army advanced in 1944, Kappel and his unit retreated westward, continuing their executions and reprisals until they were overwhelmed by the enemy. He was captured by Soviet forces near Minsk in early 1945 and was subsequently sent to a labor camp for SS personnel, the Vorkuta Gulag.
Kappel was deemed a low-level soldier and criminal and was instead subjected to brutal forced labor. His glasses were stolen early on, leaving him nearly blind. Forced to work under extreme conditions, he struggled to keep up, and guards frequently beat him for his weakness.
On March 8, 1947, Kappel was reportedly found dead in his barracks under mysterious circumstances. Some reports suggest he succumbed to untreated injuries and malnutrition, while others claim he was strangled in his sleep by fellow inmates, either due to personal grievances or as an act of retribution for his crimes in Belarus. His body was unceremoniously buried in a mass grave, one of many in the area.