<P> In Germany, where the guillotine is known as the Fallbeil ("falling axe"), it was used in various German states from the 17th century onwards, becoming the preferred method of execution in Napoleonic times in many parts of Germany . The guillotine and the firing squad were the legal methods of execution during the era of the German Empire (1871--1918) and the Weimar Republic (1919--1933). </P> <P> The original German guillotines resembled the French Berger 1872 model, but they eventually evolved into more specialized machines largely built of metal with a much heavier blade enabling shorter uprights to be used . Accompanied by a more efficient blade recovery system and the eventual removal of the tilting board (or bascule) this allowed a quicker turn - around time between executions, those deemed likely to struggle were backed up from behind a curtain in order to shield their view of the device . Additionally, the blade was covered by a metal screen in order to hide it from sight . </P> <P> The guillotine was used in Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945 to execute 16,500 prisoners, including 10,000 executions between 1944--1945 alone . One of these Nazi executions was that of Sophie Scholl, who was convicted of high treason after distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets at the University of Munich with her brother Hans, and other members of the German student resistance group, the White Rose . The guillotine was used for the last time in West Germany in 1949 (in the execution of Richard Schuh) and it was last used in East Germany in 1966 (in the execution of Horst Fischer). The guillotine was used in East Germany by the Stasi between 1950 and 1966 for secret executions . In Switzerland it was used for the last time by the canton of Obwalden in the execution of murderer Hans Vollenweider in 1940 . </P> <P> The guillotine was also introduced into Greece in 1834, along with the firing squad, as a method of execution . It was last used in Greece in 1913 . </P>

When did the last execution by guillotine take place