As commandant of Mauthausen, Franz Ziereis oversaw one of the deadliest Nazi camps, where starvation, forced labor, and executions claimed over 95,000 lives. After fleeing in 1945, he was caught by US forces, fatally wounded, and confessed to horrific crimes. His body was later hung on the camp fence by survivors—a final act of defiance against the man who brought them so much suffering.