http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36168688 Reinhold Hanning has admitted being an SS guard at Auschwitz A 94-year-old former Auschwitz death camp guard has apologised to Nazi victims in a court in western Germany, saying he feels "ashamed" of his work at a "criminal organisation". Reinhold Hanning is accused of being an accessory to the murder of at least 170,000 people at the camp. He was an SS guard there from 1942 to 1944. He has said he knew what was going on at the camp but did not act to stop it. But he denies involvement in murder. His trial in Detmold began in February. The Nazis killed about 1.1m people at Auschwitz in occupied southern Poland, most of them Jews. Mr Hanning was on duty there at a time when hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews were murdered. "I want to say that it disturbs me deeply that I was part of such a criminal organisation," he told the court. "I am ashamed that I saw injustice and never did anything about it and I apologise for my actions. I am very, very sorry." It was the first time he had spoken openly about his role at Auschwitz. Prosecutors say he met Jewish prisoners as they arrived at the camp and may have escorted some to the gas chambers. A verdict is expected in May but, at his age, experts say he is unlikely to serve a prison sentence because of the length of the appeals process. 'I knew it' Earlier, his lawyer read a 22-page declaration from Mr Hanning in which he admitted knowing what was happening at the camp while he served there. He was said to have joined the SS forces voluntarily in 1940 at the age of 18 at the urging of his stepmother. In the declaration, Mr Hanning said he was sent to Auschwitz after being wounded in battle and having his requests to return to the frontline rejected. Reinhold Hanning, pictured here as a young man in SS uniform, was a guard at Auschwitz "People were shot, gassed and burned. I could see how corpses were taken back and forth or moved out. I could smell the burning bodies; I knew corpses were being burned," the statement read. There was no mention in the statement of whether he had any involvement in the killings in the camp. 'Apology not enough' Auschwitz survivor and co-plaintiff Leon Schwarzbaum was in court when Mr Hanning gave his apology and said it was not enough. "I lost 35 family members, how can you apologise for that?'' the 95-year-old was quoted by AP news agency as saying. "I am not angry, I do not want him to go to prison but he should say more for the sake of the young generation today because the historical truth is important.'' Auschwitz survivor Leon Schwarzbaum, at the beginning of the trial, with a photo of himself, his parents and uncle who died at the camp On Thursday the court heard grim details of the selection process that Jews faced on arrival at Auschwitz, WDR reports (in German). The presiding judge read out lists of transports, detailing how many people were selected as being "capable of work", and how many were sent straight to be gassed. Until recently, German prosecutors were required to provide evidence that defendants were directly involved in the killings. But that changed with the 2011 conviction of John Demjanjuk, when a judge concluded that his activities as a camp worker in Nazi-occupied Poland amounted to complicity in mass murder. Last year a German court sentenced Oskar Groening, 94, to four years in jail as an accessory to the murder of at least 300,000 people at Auschwitz. Known as the SS "book-keeper of Auschwitz", he was allegedly responsible for counting banknotes confiscated from prisoners. [hr] Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp Time is running out to prosecute the few Auschwitz guards still alive Construction began in 1940 on site that grew to 40sq km (15 sq miles) About one million Jews were killed at the camp in Nazi-occupied Poland Other victims included Roma (Gypsies), disabled people, homosexuals, dissidents, non-Jewish Poles and Soviet prisoners
Mixed feeling about these trials do they really help healing wounds and make the world a better place? Last year a German court sentenced Oskar Groening, 94, to four years in jail as an accessory to the murder of at least 300,000 people at Auschwitz. Known as the SS "book-keeper of Auschwitz", he was allegedly responsible for counting banknotes confiscated from prisoners. Pretty sure that this man is in a documentary, can't think what it was called. Came across as a ordinary soldier caught up in the war. the story he told was that he was in the office counting the money, and one time he had to take some to Berlin and while he was away the gestapo came in and checked the soldiers locker to look for stolen goods and several soldiers were caught with loot, but as his was locked they waited till he came back. when he got back his mates warned him about the search and the gestapo had secured his locker doors so no one could get in, so he went to the locker room removed the back of the locker, took out various things he should not have had in there, put the back on then went and complained to the gestapo that he could not get into his locker, they took him back and searched the locker, and of course found nothing. Then after the war he was taken to a POW in the North of England. Where the prisoners formed a choir which toured the north giving, concerts where the people allowed then to stay overnight. he was very complimentary about the way he was treated as a POW, eventually he was returned to Germany. Not considered a war criminal in late 40s but was in 2015.
Lots of discussion and heart searching over these trials. I have said elsewhere that given the age of these men and the choice do as we say or we will shoot you, how many of us would be strong enough to stand up and be counted. We are only just getting to grips with deserters and those who failed to obey orders in our own ranks and how we treated them.
I believe the documentary was "Nazis, a warning from history". It`s repeated now and again on various TV channels. If I recall correctly, the 'book keeper' did tours of German schools prior to being arrested, recounting his experiences to counter the ramblings of the holocaust deniers. If this was the case then nothing was gained from putting him in prison, in fact a great deal was lost.
Yes that might be the one, 6 episodes just started again on Friday channel 19 yesterday. Second episode weds 6 pm, repeated 2am thurs.
A 94-year-old former guard at the Auschwitz death camp has been sentenced to five years in jail. Reinhold Hanning was found guilty of being an accessory to the murder of at least 170,000 people. He was an SS guard at Auschwitz from 1942 to 1944. He has said he knew what was going on at the camp but did not act to stop it. Read more http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36560416
My feelings remain the same as on the April thread. http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/61196-auschwitz-trial-ex-guard-reinhold-hanning-ashamed/ Mixed feeling about these trials do they really help healing wounds and make the world a better place?
Always a difficult issue but the question I ask myself is does a wrong become less important over time and I find myself answering no. If someone did something wrong 70 days, 70 weeks or 70 years ago it still remains wrong and if found out action needs to be taken.
I'm not necessarily saying that you're wrong (and I'm not even sure that 'right' and 'wrong' are helpful labels here), but do you think the individuals subsequent behaviour - in the intervening years - is at all relevant to either the decision to prosecute or the sentence if convicted?
For several years the Danish government asked the Germans to hand over a Dane who had become a German citizen. During the war he was an officer i SS. He also murdered a Danish journalist. But the Germans refused all the years. So Søren Kam died peacefully not long time ago without having been jailed.
I think a lot of this is now down to personal opinion but to give it an up to date feel (and I accept a different scenario) but if the guy who committed the Orlando shootings had got away and was then captured in 30 years time having become a pillar of society and donated large amounts of money to charity would we say OK no case to answer.
