The Real History of Ilse Koch: The Nazi Featured in Netflix’s Ed Gein Series

Ilse Koch, the focus of the Netflix series “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” was a Nazi figure active during World War II. Married to Karl-Otto Koch, the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, she earned the infamous nickname “The Bitch of Buchenwald” for her brutal treatment of prisoners.

Koch’s atrocities included torturing and flaying prisoners, using the skin of tattooed individuals to bind books and make lampshades. She also exploited prisoners as slave labor to build her personal estate, including an indoor riding arena, resulting in many deaths from forced labor.

Although Koch is not directly connected to Ed Gein, the Wisconsin killer became fixated on stories of Nazi atrocities during World War II, particularly drawn to Koch’s use of human skin to create household items like lampshades. Some believe this early exposure to such horrific tales played a role in shaping Gein’s future crimes.

Koch ultimately committed suicide in prison in 1967, leaving behind a note to her son expressing her belief that death was her only escape.

The chilling history of Ilse Koch serves as a reminder of the horrors of the past and how they can influence the darkest actions of individuals like Ed Gein.