Editing Alejandro Horacio Küster

{{Short description|Argentine Allgemeine SS officer (1932–2024)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alejandro Horacio Küster
| image = Alejandro Horacio Küster, c 2001.png
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|3|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|10|7|1932|3|12|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]
| era = {{hlist|[[Middenvader Era]]|[[Vriend Era]]}}
| module = {{Infobox officeholder
 | embed = yes
 | office = Head of territorial administration of the [[Allgemeine SS]]
 | term_start = 17 August 2001
 | term_end = 30 November 2013
 | predecessor = [[Federico Augusto Villalba]]
 | successor = [[Miguel Ángel Schneider]]
 }}
| module2 = {{Infobox military person
 | embed = yes
 | allegiance = {{ubl|{{flag|Argentina}}|{{flag|Tanoa Einsatzgruppen}}}}
 | branch = {{ubl|[[Argentine Army]]|[[Allgemeine SS]]}}
 | serviceyears = {{ubl|1950–1952 (Argentine Army)|1952–2013 (Allgemeine SS)}}
 | rank = [[SS-Oberstgruppenführer]]
 | commands = {{plainlist|
* [[SS-Abschnitt Luganville]] (10 October 1964 – 20 January 1972)
* [[SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa]] (15 July 1981 – 5 April 2008)
 }}
 }}
}}

'''Alejandro Horacio Küster''' (12 March 1932 – 7 October 2024) was an Argentine senior [[Allgemeine SS]] officer who commanded [[SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa]] from 15 July 1981 until 5 April 2008. He later served as head of Allgemeine SS territorial administration from 17 August 2001 until his retirement on 30 November 2013. Küster succeeded [[Federico Augusto Villalba]] in both positions and was the longest-serving permanent commander of Osttanoa.

== Early life ==
Küster was born in [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]], on 12 March 1932 into a German-Argentine family. During his birth, the umbilical cord became wrapped around his neck and he nearly died. Küster entered the [[Argentine Army]] in 1950 and served until 1952. He joined the Allgemeine SS later that year and transferred to [[Tanoa]] in 1955.

== Allgemeine SS career ==
On 10 October 1964, Küster succeeded [[Karl-Heinz Varela]] as commander of [[SS-Abschnitt Luganville]]. He remained in command until 20 January 1972, when he became deputy commander of SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa under Villalba with the rank of [[SS-Gruppenführer]]. Villalba transferred to [[Georgetown]] on 15 July 1981, and Küster succeeded him as commander of Osttanoa.<ref name="osttanoa-history"/> Küster was promoted to [[SS-Obergruppenführer]] on the same date.

After taking command, Küster conducted a full inspection of the subordinate SS-Abschnitte. He removed commanders whose performance he considered inadequate. In 1984, he reorganized the SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa headquarters.

=== Territorial administration ===
On 17 August 2001, Küster succeeded Villalba as head of territorial administration of the Allgemeine SS and was promoted to [[SS-Oberstgruppenführer]].<ref name="villalba-territorial"/> He moved his principal office to Georgetown while retaining command of Osttanoa. Küster appointed [[Miguel Ángel Schneider]] as deputy commander in Osttanoa in 2001. Schneider handled the day-to-day command while Küster worked from Georgetown.

In 2002, Küster ordered a system-wide investigation of the Oberabschnitte. The investigation uncovered falsified personnel and inspection reports. It also exposed corruption within regional staffs. A large number of senior officers were dismissed or arrested, while a smaller group was executed after internal SS proceedings.

Among those investigated was Oberabschnitt commander [[Héctor Daniel Sosa]], who had falsified troop and inspection reports for years. After the proceedings against Sosa, Küster ordered the headquarters staff to assemble in a hall and watch his execution. Sosa was forced to kneel, and Küster personally shot him in the back of the head.

In 2007, on the order of [[Eef Paap]], Küster imposed a forced-labour mobilization across the territorial SS system. He assigned compulsory labour quotas to each Oberabschnitt. Registered civilians were transferred into labour formations. Some were sent to mines. Others were assigned to construction projects or industrial workplaces.

Küster relinquished command of SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa on 5 April 2008, when Schneider became permanent commander. Küster remained in Georgetown as head of territorial administration until retiring from active SS service on 30 November 2013 at the age of 81. Schneider succeeded him in the central office on 1 December. [[Matías Federico Kessler]] succeeded Schneider as commander of Osttanoa on the same date.

== Later life and death ==
After his retirement, Küster returned to Buenos Aires. He died there on 7 October 2024 at the age of 92.

== See also ==
* [[Federico Augusto Villalba]]
* [[Miguel Ángel Schneider]]
* [[Matías Federico Kessler]]
* [[SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa]]
* [[Allgemeine SS]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="osttanoa-history">"[[SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa#History|History]]". ''SS-Oberabschnitt Osttanoa''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="villalba-territorial">"[[Federico Augusto Villalba#Territorial administration|Territorial administration]]". ''Federico Augusto Villalba''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
}}

[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:Allgemeine SS]]
[[Category:Tanoa Einsatzgruppen]]
[[Category:Tanoa Einsatzgruppen personnel]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Middenvader Era]]
[[Category:Vriend Era]]