100-year-old former Nazi guard investigated for concentration camp executions

The suspect is linked to the Hemer facility in western Germany, a site that held tens of thousands of Soviet captives under severe conditions.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

German prosecutors have begun examining allegations against a 100-year-old man suspected of serving at a World War II prisoner-of-war camp, focusing on whether he was involved in executions during the final phase of the conflict.

The suspect is linked to the Hemer facility in western Germany, a site that held tens of thousands of Soviet captives under severe conditions.

Officials say the review covers a period of roughly 10 months, from late 1943 to September 1944.

During that time, Soviet prisoners made up the largest share of detainees, and many died inside the camp due to starvation, untreated illness, forced labor or execution orders.

Prosecutors in Dortmund confirmed that the new case is based on material that includes witness accounts and preserved documents from the era.

Senior prosecutor Andreas Brendel told AFP that investigators believe the man may have taken part in killings at the camp.

His identity is being withheld under German privacy rules. Prosecutors say the main question is whether he carried out executions himself or supported actions inside the camp that resulted in deaths.

Germany has continued to open cases against surviving Nazi personnel even as the number of living suspects declines.

The current wave of investigations gained momentum after the 2011 conviction of John Demjanjuk, who was found guilty for serving at the Sobibor death camp even without evidence he directly killed victims. Courts ruled that contributing to a system designed for mass murder constituted criminal responsibility.

Recent cases show the shrinking timeline. In 2022, former Sachsenhausen guard Josef Schuetz received a five-year sentence at age 101 but died months later. Another man tied to Sachsenhausen died this year before his trial on charges connected to thousands of killings.

The Hemer camp, operated by the Wehrmacht, was regarded as one of the deadliest POW sites on German soil. Prisoners were forced into labor connected to German war production, including tunnel projects. Many died from disease and malnutrition or were executed when considered unfit to work.

Prosecutors say the investigation will determine whether the 100-year-old suspect played a direct role in executions or knowingly enabled them. They maintain that age does not remove legal responsibility for those who took part in Nazi crimes.