Holocaust survivors welcome conviction of Auschwitz guard Reinhold Hanning

[Pakboong]

The Sonderkommando had a much greater hands on role in the killing process. They pulled the gold teeth, removed bodies from the gas chambers and shuttled them to the crematorium. Nobody cared whether they wanted to do what they were directed to do. Sonderkommandos were essentially trustees who under fear of death did the dirty work of the entire operation and as far as I know, none have been considered for prosecution.

[manfredtillmann]

Silly deflection.

says someone with not even a hint of recognition of how events unfolded.

you are negating everything you stated before with your own bias and blindness.

just like reinhold, you seem to be unable to judge how your todays well meant actions can be tomorrows evil.

[Morch]

Your Great Uncle was taking part in a war. Civilian casualties are an accepted, if lamented, fact of modern warfare. In contrast, what took place in the Nazi concentration camps had nothing to do with war, but was outright organized murder and slaughter of civilians.

Sending Hanning to prison is not about "protecting society", and nobody made this claim. It is simply deemed, at least in some countries, that the statute of limitations does not apply for certain offenses. While I agree that sending a 94 years old man to prison is questionable, it bears remembering that those survivors still around are about the same age.

The quote previously linked relates directly to your last lines. Some would like to forget and erase history, some see a value in remembrance.

Interesting to note that Hanning himself seems to be making less excuses for himself, and is willing to accept more responsibility compared with some posters.

This man was 18 years old when he was transferred from the Eastern front to the concentration camps. Barely legal an Adult in todays definition. He never joined the SS knowing of concentration camps. he was an 18 yr old boy doing what all 18 year old boys did in the US and UK he wanted to fight for his country. He chose an 'elite' unit, and he got in. From that point his fate was sealed. If he would have refused his posting he would have been shot as a coward. Thousands of young British men were shot as cowards during both world wars. Please explain to me how a boy of 18 years old is going to refuse orders from a 40 year old Sergeant or Captain. The whole thing is BS and is as bad as the Salem witch trials.

Any Judge worth his or her salt would also question how accurate evidence can be on a personal basis with events carried out 75 years ago. It is ludicrous beyond the extreme. OK with the Doctor Mengele's and his ilk, but an 18 year old private soldier, you have all lost your rationale minds. How about we jail all the US senior government officials that gave immunity to the Japanese Doctors who carried out all the horrific medical experimentation on the Chinese in exchange for the medical data?

As I said before, War is a crappy thing and holding an 18 year old private responsible based on evidence 75 years ago (think about that for a moment with your own memories!) is just plain and utter BS. There has been enough bloodshed and misery in all this. I think a 94 year old man plagued with remorse and nightmares for 75 years who was never involved in the decision making, but forced to take part has done a life sentence already.

Ah, he didn't know. He wasn't aware. There was no Nazis in power for years before he volunteered.

Hanning himself does not make that many excuses.

So at 18, one is not to be held accountable, fine. How's about 19? 20?....That's another version of the just following orders or being a small cog in the machine.

This was in no way a war situation, it was a concentration camp. People were murdered, not killed as a result of a military action.

Casting doubt on the testimonies is cheap. There's quite a bit of documentation, earlier recorded testimonies and above all - Hanning does not contradict the facts.

"There has been enough bloodshed and misery" - Hanning's blood is not being shed, cut the drama. His misery is no greater than that of the survivors. If he is an old man "plagued by remorse and nightmares" - then surely similar consideration ought to be afforded for them as well? His remorse, by the way, was not so deep as to come forward previously. Concluding that he "done a life sentence already"....yeah, so again, what was life like for survivors, never mind those who didn't make it?

Well isn't it nice to have a PhD in Hindsight !

So how would you rate a young American graduate who wants to volunteer for the CIA ? Is that an OK occupation or would he be condemned for joining another extremely evil organisation, maybe you forgive them their dreadful sins because they do it all in your name.

Regardless of what this man thought on reflection later in life, I do not believe he was guilty of anything when he joined the SS at age 18 other than his own version of patriotism. He is not responsible for what the Nazi command did, and the USA let plenty of senior Nazi commanders off the hook, even providing new identities, just for the exchange of information.

The CIA, to the best of my knowledge, does not maintain large scale death camps where masses of innocent civilians (including US citizens) are murdered for belonging to a racial/religious/ethnic group. Any other bogus comparisons you're having trouble with?

You do not think he's guilty, fine. He doesn't seem to sing his own innocence, but takes a measure of responsibility. He is not held responsible for what the Nazi leadership did (or else the verdict would be harsher), but for his own small part in it.

The SS did not exist in a vacuum, the Nazi propaganda was everywhere, Jews (and other groups) were being targeted before the war.

[stevenl]

The Sonderkommando had a much greater hands on role in the killing process. They pulled the gold teeth, removed bodies from the gas chambers and shuttled them to the crematorium. Nobody cared whether they wanted to do what they were directed to do. Sonderkommandos were essentially trustees who under fear of death did the dirty work of the entire operation and as far as I know, none have been considered for prosecution.

Most of them have been killed. After a few weeks all members were sent to the chambers themselves to be replaced by a new group.

[Morch]

The Sonderkommando had a much greater hands on role in the killing process. They pulled the gold teeth, removed bodies from the gas chambers and shuttled them to the crematorium. Nobody cared whether they wanted to do what they were directed to do. Sonderkommandos were essentially trustees who under fear of death did the dirty work of the entire operation and as far as I know, none have been considered for prosecution.

Certain posters can be counted upon for the obligatory attempt at particularity perverse moral equivalence.

[Jingthing]

The Sonderkommando had a much greater hands on role in the killing process. They pulled the gold teeth, removed bodies from the gas chambers and shuttled them to the crematorium. Nobody cared whether they wanted to do what they were directed to do. Sonderkommandos were essentially trustees who under fear of death did the dirty work of the entire operation and as far as I know, none have been considered for prosecution.

Certain posters can be counted upon for the obligatory attempt at particularity perverse moral equivalence.

Yes, truly NAUSEATING. Also, truly PREDICTABLE.

[hawker9000]

As far as I know he didn't physcially murder anybody, maybe he was an accessory to murder, just as countless other Germans might have been. Not sure if he was conscripted or not, but he probably didn't choose his posting. I find it odd that first he's meant to follow orders handed down from the state, and now the state is imprisoning him for having done so. Not sure how the Nazis dealt with conscientious objectors, but can't blame him for not wanting to find out. Still, good way for the state to shift collective guilt.

He was SS. 'Not really known for many "conscientious objectors" in its ranks... So you put "countless other Germans" in the same category with SS?

Unbelievable how this topic has brought holocaust apologists (with the deniers lurking never far away) crawling out of the woodwork with their whiney defenses of these murdering thugs. Oh, wait, he didn't actually drop the pellets. Geez. The ONLY possible injustice here is how long justice took!

What holocaust apologists?

LIke the following ...

Atrocities were committed by all sides during WWII. Nobody is innocent.

The deliberate targeting of civilian populations in air raids was a hideous new development in warfare that was participated in with alacrity by Germany, the USA, and Britain.

The hunting down and prosecution of men in their 90s for alleged crimes committed over 70 years ago is justice in action as might well have been imagined by visionaries like Orwell or Kafka.

The situation is bizarre, and these cold-blooded acts of revenge will have a negative impact on the very people who are instigating them.

The holocaust was most definitely not just something "committed by all sides", and calling justice for it "revenge" is what's truly bizarre, inhuman, and indecent.

Edited June 20, 2016 by hawker9000

[stevenl]

As far as I know he didn't physcially murder anybody, maybe he was an accessory to murder, just as countless other Germans might have been. Not sure if he was conscripted or not, but he probably didn't choose his posting. I find it odd that first he's meant to follow orders handed down from the state, and now the state is imprisoning him for having done so. Not sure how the Nazis dealt with conscientious objectors, but can't blame him for not wanting to find out. Still, good way for the state to shift collective guilt.

He was SS. 'Not really known for many "conscientious objectors" in its ranks... So you put "countless other Germans" in the same category with SS?

Unbelievable how this topic has brought holocaust apologists (with the deniers lurking never far away) crawling out of the woodwork with their whiney defenses of these murdering thugs. Oh, wait, he didn't actually drop the pellets. Geez. The ONLY possible injustice here is how long justice took!

What holocaust apologists?

LIke the following ...

Atrocities were committed by all sides during WWII. Nobody is innocent.

The deliberate targeting of civilian populations in air raids was a hideous new development in warfare that was participated in with alacrity by Germany, the USA, and Britain.

The hunting down and prosecution of men in their 90s for alleged crimes committed over 70 years ago is justice in action as might well have been imagined by visionaries like Orwell or Kafka.

The situation is bizarre, and these cold-blooded acts of revenge will have a negative impact on the very people who are instigating them.

The holocaust was most definitely not just something "committed by all sides", and calling justice for it "revenge" is what's truly bizarre, inhuman, and indecent.

I already answered my own question many posts ago. Please read before posting.