Heinrich Himmler was a leading figure in Nazi Germany, serving as the head of the SS (Schutzstaffel), which was responsible for many of the atrocities during the Holocaust. Born in 1900, he became one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and played a crucial role in implementing the regime's policies of terror and repression. Himmler was instrumental in the establishment of concentration camps and the execution of the Final Solution, which aimed to exterminate the Jewish population of Europe. After Germany's defeat in World War II, he attempted to escape but was captured and died by suicide in 1945.