Monster: Ed Gein Story is currently streaming on Netflix, giving viewers a new look into the vile crimes of Gein—also known as the Butcher of Plainfield.
For years, experts have speculated about what drove Ed Gein to commit such horrific crimes—including the murders of Bernice Worden and Mary Hogan, as well as exhuming corpses to create keepsakes from bones and skin. Theories range from his deeply troubled relationship with his mother to possible untreated mental illness, but no single motive has ever been confirmed.
Monster introduces a new and disturbing theory: That Gein may have been influenced by Ilse Koch, a notorious Nazi war criminal whose brutal acts during the Holocaust shocked the world.
Played by Vicky Krieps, Ilse Koch is first introduced to Gein when his girlfriend Adeline Watkins brings him a box of dark concentration camp items as a present. In the box is a comic book about the “Bitch of Buchenwald,” otherwise known as Ilse Koch.
Gein takes the book home, reads it and becomes fascinated with Koch, reimagining some of her alleged crimes. Following his mother's death, he starts to dig up corpses and begins making items from their skin, including chairs and a soup bowl.
But, how much of this was related to Koch? Did Ed Gein actually know of Ilse Koch? And did she influence his crimes?
Here's everything you need to know.
Who was Ilse Koch?
Ilse Koch was the wife of Karl-Otto Koch, the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II. Although she didn’t hold an official role within the Nazi regime, she gained global notoriety for her involvement in horrific acts at the camp, eventually earning the nickname “The Bitch (or Witch) of Buchenwald.”
Her name became synonymous with cruelty after reports emerged that she had selected prisoners with distinctive tattoos to be killed so their skin could be used to create items like lampshades and other macabre keepsakes.
In 1947, Koch stood trial before a U.S. military court in Dachau, where the shocking testimonies of survivors and the gruesome nature of the accusations against her captured international headlines.
At the time, prosecutors couldn’t prove Koch was guilty of the most disturbing charges against her. However, she was convicted of being a part of the “common design” to abuse prisoners and sentenced to life in prison.
Koch's sentence was later reduced, and after accounting for time already served, she was released on 17th October, 1949. Her freedom was short-lived, however. On the very same day, she was re-arrested by West German authorities and charged with crimes against German civilians during the war.
She was formally charged by Bavarian chief prosecutor Johann Ilkow with a range of serious offenses, including 25 counts of bodily harm, numerous cases of encouraging acts of violence—some so extensive they could no longer be precisely documented—as well as dozens of charges related to inciting both attempted and actual murder.
Her trial spanned seven weeks and featured testimonies from 250 witnesses, including 50 who spoke in her defense. The court ultimately found her guilty, and in January 1951, she was sentenced to life in prison.
While incarcerated, Koch gave birth to a son named Uwe Köhler, who was placed into foster care. She died by suicide in prison on 1st September, 1967, and left a note addressed to her son, which read: “There is no other way. Death for me is a release.”
Did Ed Gein know Ilse Koch?
It's not known whether Gein actually knew of Koch or her crimes.
He never made any public statements about Ilse Koch, her actions, or whether she had any impact on his own behavior.
That said, her trials attracted widespread media attention across the United States, with extensive coverage in the press, so it's not impossible that he would have heard of her.
When Koch's original sentence was reduced, the decision sparked public outrage and prompted a group of U.S. senators to launch an inquiry into the reasoning behind it. Their investigation ultimately led to a recommendation from the U.S. Senate that Koch be retried—this time under the jurisdiction of the newly established West German legal system.
Along with Koch's notoriety in the media, there are notable similarities between Gein and Koch’s crimes, which explains why this theory was explored in the series. However, it’s unlikely that Gein learned about Koch from Watkins, who denied a 1957 article claiming they had a 20-year relationship, insisting instead that their courtship lasted less than a year.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is available to stream on Netflix.
