Heinrich Himmler was a leading figure in Nazi Germany, best known for his role as the head of the SS (Schutzstaffel), a paramilitary organization that played a key part in the Holocaust. Born in 1900, he became one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and was responsible for implementing many of the regime's brutal policies, including the establishment of concentration camps. Himmler was deeply involved in the planning and execution of the genocide against the Jewish population and other groups deemed undesirable by the Nazis. His obsession with racial purity and loyalty to the Nazi ideology made him one of the most feared men in history, ultimately leading to his downfall as the war turned against Germany.