BERLIN, Germany — German prosecutors are investigating a 100-year-old man on suspicion that he served as a Nazi camp guard and took part in executions in the final years of World War II.
Authorities in the western city of Dortmund allege the crimes took place between December 1943 and September 1944, prosecutor Andreas Brendel told AFP Monday, confirming a Bild daily report.
The man is said to have served at a prisoner of war camp in Hemer, western Germany, which held at least 100,000 inmates, mostly from the Soviet Union. Thousands died at the camp.
Several trials of Nazi camp staff have been held in recent years, spurred by the 2011 conviction of former Sobibor death camp guard John Demjanjuk, despite no proof he had directly killed anyone.
However, time is running out, 80 years after the end of the war.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
Josef Schuetz, a former guard sentenced in June 2022 to five years in prison, died less than a year later at the age of 102.
In April, an alleged former guard at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin died before he could face court to answer charges of being complicit in the murder of more than 3,300 people.
Watch DocuNation Season 3: The Heart of Israel
when you join the ToI Community
In this season of DocuNation, you can stream six outstanding Israeli documentaries with English subtitles and then join a live online discussion with the filmmakers. The selected films show Israel beyond the conflict: a place of storytellers and musicians, of dreamers, makers, and communities rooted in meaning and trust.
When you watch DocuNation, you’re also supporting Israeli creators at a time when it’s increasingly difficult for them to share their work globally.
To learn more about DocuNation: The Heart of Israel, click here.
Support ToI and get DocuNation
Support ToI and get DocuNation
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this