Dan Snow's History Hit Investigating the Nazi Massacre at Rumbula
16 snips
May 11, 2026 
Lorenz Hemicker, journalist and author who investigated his grandfather's role in Nazi atrocities, digs into family lore and archives. He recounts uncovering archival proof tying Ernst to the Rumbula massacre and an underground weapons project. The conversation covers denazification files, contested testimonies, and how families confront hidden complicity.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Grandson Confronts A Grandfather He Never Met
- Lorenz Hemicker never met his grandfather Ernst Hemmicker who died before Lorenz was born, yet family stories revealed Ernst's alleged role in the Rumbula massacre.
- Lorenz's father first told him at age five that Ernst was a grave digger responsible for burying 25,000 Jews near Riga, shaping family silence and shame.
Family Stories Mix Guilt And Exculpation
- Lorenz found his father's mixed narratives: one acknowledging Ernst's involvement in atrocities and another portraying him as a reluctant man who 'tried to help Jews'.
- This duality mirrors common postwar family defenses that combine shame with exculpatory myths.
Engineer Who Built Graves Also Oversaw Executions
- Ernst Hemmicker moved from WWI veteran and Freikorps member to SS engineer who constructed mass burial pits and oversaw their use at Rumbula.
- Lorenz's research confirmed Ernst both engineered the graves and supervised executions, not merely a passive participant.