Press Information published by the International Auschwitz Committee
12.03.2018
On the death of the former SS man Oskar Gröning
In Oswiecim, Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee, commented on the death of Oskar Gröning, a former SS man in Auschwitz:
"The death of Oskar Gröning once again highlights the significance of the Auschwitz trial in Lüneburg for the Auschwitz survivors. But above all, the fact that the judgement passed in Lüneburg was upheld by the Federal Supreme Court will remain as a source of deep satisfaction and a belated expression of the German search for legal justice and historical honesty towards their murdered families. For them, Oskar Gröning was one of the very few Auschwitz SS personnel, who had at least started to utter fragments of the truth about Auschwitz and consequently confront himself and German society with his memories. Despite his small steps towards personal accountability, this specifically half-hearted attitude yet again clearly illustrates that the overwhelming majority of SS perpetrators and their willing helpers in Auschwitz possessed neither a sense of wrongdoing against humanity, nor did they ever have to justify their actions before a court of law."
For further Information
Christoph Heubner
Executive Vice President
International Auschwitz Committee
Phone ++ 49 (0)30 26 39 26 81