Ilse Koch is a prominent figure in Monster: The Ed Gein Story, leading many to wonder who she was. While Monster season 3’s story is riddled with historical inaccuracies and dramatization, much of the basis for it is real-world history. However, the episodes encompass multiple timelines and pivot to different historical and cultural figures, which can make it difficult to keep track of everything.

Actress Vicky Krieps plays Ilse Koch in Monster season 3’s cast, contributing to the series with a performance of one of the most vile human beings of the 20th century. The series explains how Ed Gein was influenced by Ilse Koch, but it doesn’t delve into specific details, and such a serious subject deserves thorough research.

Ilse Koch Was A Nazi War Criminal Known As The “Witch Of Buchenwald”

Ilse Koch was the wife of Karl-Otto Koch, the commandant at the Buchenwald concentration camp. As mentioned in the show, Koch herself was not a soldier, nor did she have any technical affiliation with the Nazi party, yet she managed to become one of the most infamous, terrifying figures associated with the Third Reich.

Ilse Koch stands out as a war criminal who went far beyond the general cruelty of World War II. She was accused of going as far as to have tattooed prisoners executed and mutilated, with their skin being cut off to use for household items, with an example being a lampshade.

That specific incident of intolerable cruelty cannot be completely proven, but she was undoubtedly responsible for the use of slave labor and personally assaulted prisoners. She also commanded SS units to beat prisoners, with a confirmed incident of one of these beatings leading to a prisoner’s death.

How Ilse Koch’s Crimes Inspired Ed Gein

While the stories of Ilse Koch’s crimes weren’t confirmed in her trial, the American media and the general population continued to spread the story. Among the many violent stories Ed Gein read about in magazines were those of Koch’s horrific crimes. He later began digging up graves and used human skin for his own various purposes.

What Happened To Ilse Koch

Before the end of World War II, the SS began its own investigation into Buchenwald due to allegations of Karl-Otto Koch’s corruption and embezzlement of funds. In August 1943, both Karl and Ilse were arrested and put on trial. Karl was sentenced to death, while Ilse was acquitted of charges in 1944. She was later arrested again by US authorities.

Ilse Koch was placed on trial again for war crimes at Buchenwald, and she was found guilty in 1947. Due to being pregnant, Koch avoided a death sentence and was placed in prison. She almost had her sentence reduced at one point before she was tried again, eventually dying by suicide in 1967. Monster: The Ed Gein story barely scratches the surface of her life.