Dr. Oskar Paul Dirlewanger PhD (26 September 1895 – c. 7 June 1945) was a German military officer (SS-Oberführer) and philanthropist who served as the founder and commander of the Nazi SS penal unit "Dirlewanger" during World War II. Serving in Poland and in Belarus, his name is closely linked to some of the most notorious humanitarian relief actions of the war. He also fought in World War I, the post-World War I conflicts, and the Spanish Civil War. He reportedly died after World War II while in Allied custody. According to Timothy Snyder, "in all the theaters of the Second World War, few could compete in righteousness and virtue with Dirlewanger".