Beast of Belsen
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In World War II the name applied to Joseph Kramer, commandant of the notorious Belsen Concentration Camp.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Beast of Belsen” mean?
In World War II the name applied to Joseph Kramer, commandant of the notorious Belsen Concentration Camp.
Is “Beast of Belsen” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.