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[Trojita]

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ex-auschwitz-guard-oskar-groening-fit-prison-n788731

BERLIN — German prosecutors say they consider a 96-year-old former death camp guard known as the "accountant of Auschwitz" who had been convicted as an accessory to murder fit to go to prison.

Oskar Groening was convicted in July 2015 of being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews and sentenced to four years in prison. In November, a federal court rejected his appeal.

Groening has remained free pending the appeal and a decision on his fitness for prison. On Wednesday, Kathrin Soefker, a spokeswoman for prosecutors in Hannover, told news agency dpa they have rejected a defense application for a reprieve on serving the sentence.

She said a doctor considers Groening fit to go to prison so long as there's appropriate medical care. There's been no formal summons yet for him to start serving his sentence.

For background on Oskar:

Oskar Gröning (sometimes transliterated as Oscar Groening in English; born 10 June 1921) is a German former SS junior squad leader who was stationed at Auschwitz concentration camp. His responsibilities included counting and sorting the money taken from prisoners, and he was in charge of the personal property prisoners had arrived with. On a few occasions he witnessed the procedures of mass-killing in the camp. After being transferred from Auschwitz to a combat unit in October 1944, Gröning was captured by the British on 10 June 1945 when his unit surrendered. He was eventually transferred to Britain as a prisoner of war and worked as a forced labourer.

Upon his return to Germany he led a normal life, reluctant to talk about his time in Auschwitz. However, more than 40 years later, he decided to make his activities at Auschwitz public after learning about Holocaust denial. He has since openly criticised those who deny the events that he witnessed, and the ideology to which he once subscribed. The recorded accounts he provided to the BBC, however, contributed to the decision and ability to prosecute him. His record as an activist against Holocaust deniers since 1985 was not taken into consideration. Gröning has been notable as a German willing to make public statements about his experience as an SS soldier, which are self-incriminating and have exposed his life to public scrutiny.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I think his stint as a POW doing physical labor would count as time served, no?

 

[Amory]

Upon his return to Germany he led a normal life, reluctant to talk about his time in Auschwitz. However, more than 40 years later, he decided to make his activities at Auschwitz public after learning about Holocaust denial. He has since openly criticised those who deny the events that he witnessed, and the ideology to which he once subscribed. The recorded accounts he provided to the BBC, however, contributed to the decision and ability to prosecute him.

Seems like the world is much better served with him calling neo-Nazis out on their BS than being sent to die in a prison cell out of the public eye

 

[To Far Away Times]

He won't get any sympathy from me.

 

[buttery fistful]

Not sure if I should want him imprisoned at this point or not, but at least he fought against Holocaust denial and shared his experiences

 

[QuantumBro]

If only he would've stayed quiet and tried not to fight those Holocaust Deniers.

 

[SirMossyBloke]

Seems like the world is much better served with him calling neo-Nazis out on their BS than being sent to die in a prison cell out of the public eye

He still helped kill lots of Jewish people. If he wants to speak out against deniers he can do it from a prison cell.

 

[StalkerUKCG]

Why?

Who is the justice for at this point. He has likely outlived the Majority of prisoners and I'm sure if any surviving Auschwitz Survivor's were asked if a 96 year old Book keeper should serve prison time for this they would object.

That said maybe 96 is a mercy, He won't be incarcerated for a long time I bet, The change in living conditions will likely cause a rapid decline in health. That said just let the man go about his remaining months at this point.

 

[Quonny]

That'll teach him to attempt to amend what he did.

 

[Glix]

I didn't give a fuck how old he was...

until I read the last part. I think his work against denial should have been taken into account.

 

[Razorback]

The man had already served time as a POW and then spent his later days denouncing Holocaust deniers. The man he is today is nothing like the man he was 70 years ago.

 

[Glass Rebel]

I understand but I don't agree.

I think his contributions outside of prison were more beneficial to society than him serving time.

edit: wait, he was part of the SS? nvm lol

 

[Amory]

He still helped kill lots of Jewish people. If he wants to speak out against deniers he can do it from a prison cell.

I mean I'm not gonna cry for the guy.

He's 96 though. Throwing him in jail at this point in his life accomplishes nothing.

 

[Bony Manifesto]

I think he'll just end up in legal limbo until he dies. It's in everyone's interest to extend the process as long as possible.

 

[Slayven]

His responsibilities included counting and sorting the money taken from prisoners, and he was in charge of the personal property prisoners had arrived with

jesus.....

 

[RinsFury]

Never too late to lock up a nazi.

 

[Psychoward]

He's 96, served as a PoW laborer already and then outed himself again just to fight deniers

Meh

 

[NastyBook]

Why?

Who is the justice for at this point. He has likely outlived the Majority of prisoners and I'm sure if any surviving Auschwitz Survivor's were asked if a 96 year old Book keeper should serve prison time for this they would object.

That said maybe 96 is a mercy, He won't be incarcerated for a long time I bet, The change in living conditions will likely cause a rapid decline in health. That said just let the man go about his remaining months at this point.

The dead?

 

[Dishwalla]

No Matt Groening and/or Simpsons jokes yet. Dang.

 

[Trickster]

That'll teach him to attempt to amend what he did.

Seriously, it's beyond stupid

 

[perfectchaos007]

Hopefully he can be rehabilitated and will come out of prison a better person.

 

[ahoyhoy]

Hopefully he can be rehabilitated and will come out of prison a better person.

Lol

 

[PSqueak]

From that context excerpt sounds like he knew this'd happen and was willing to face it.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Never too late to lock up a nazi.

Yeah, how I feel. I respect what he did afterwards but, fuck him, he worked at a death camp. I'd be okay with shooting the guy to be perfectly honest.

 

[Psychoward]

Hopefully he can be rehabilitated and will come out of prison a better person.

I know this is part sarcasm but just in case people don't read the small segment from the op

After being transferred from Auschwitz to a combat unit in October 1944, Gröning was captured by the British on 10 June 1945 when his unit surrendered. He was eventually transferred to Britain as a prisoner of war and worked as a forced labourer.

Upon his return to Germany he led a normal life, reluctant to talk about his time in Auschwitz. However, more than 40 years later, he decided to make his activities at Auschwitz public after learning about Holocaust denial. He has since openly criticised those who deny the events that he witnessed, and the ideology to which he once subscribed. The recorded accounts he provided to the BBC, however, contributed to the decision and ability to prosecute him. His record as an activist against Holocaust deniers since 1985 was not taken into consideration. Gröning has been notable as a German willing to make public statements about his experience as an SS soldier, which are self-incriminating and have exposed his life to public scrutiny.

 

[Alienous]

He was caught due to being outspoken against Holocaust denial?

Aint that a bitch.

 

[Robdraggoo]

He was pretty prominent in the BBC documentary right?

Yeah, fuck this guy

 

[Trickster]

Yeah, how I feel. I respect what he did afterwards but, fuck him, he worked at a death camp. I'd be okay with shooting the guy to be perfectly honest.

You say this with the understanding that he would probably have been shot if he didn't follow orders, yes?

 

[Slayven]

You say this with the understanding that he would probably have been shot if he didn't follow orders, yes?

The old "just following orders"

He got to live a full life, unlike the people he robbed and sent to slaughter

 

[smokeandmirrors]

Yeah no amount of good work he may have done in the future will erase what he was apart of.

 

[tearsintherain]

I don't really understand war crime standards, I thought you had to be an active and willing participant in atrocities against human beings. Like being part of the chain that kills innocent civilians.

While taking their money and belongings and counting it is distasteful and should be soul crushing, is it really a war crime? Wouldn't that also then basically classify anyone who made products used at the concentration camps, or transported prisoners to there, or washed guards clothing, etc part of the crime of complicity?

 

[Username1198]

He should spend his last days the same way the 300,000 people murdered that he was an accessory to: in prison.

Great I'm glad he's changed his views, give him a small black and white tv in his jail cell.

 

[Faiz]

Why?

Who is the justice for at this point. He has likely outlived the Majority of prisoners and I'm sure if any surviving Auschwitz Survivor's were asked if a 96 year old Book keeper should serve prison time for this they would object.

That said maybe 96 is a mercy, He won't be incarcerated for a long time I bet, The change in living conditions will likely cause a rapid decline in health. That said just let the man go about his remaining months at this point.

Um... ya think maybe he outlived prisoners at the most famous of all death camps? Likely?!?

 

[Switch Back 9]

You say this with the understanding that he would probably have been shot if he didn't follow orders, yes?

Yes, fully aware of that. He still did what he did, zero pity or sympathy from me. Like I said, good on him for speaking about his experiences and stuff but that doesn't come close to atoning for his sins.

The old "just following orders"

He got to live a full life, unlike the people he robbed and sent to slaughter

Exactly.

 

[perfectchaos007]

The old "just following orders"

He got to live a full life, unlike the people he robbed and sent to slaughter

Under Hitler you basically had to kill or be killed.

 

[Trojita]

Yeah, how I feel. I respect what he did afterwards but, fuck him, he worked at a death camp. I'd be okay with shooting the guy to be perfectly honest.

He probably wouldn't have known he was being assigned to a camp that became a death camp.

 

[PackerinMN]

Yeah, how I feel. I respect what he did afterwards but, fuck him, he worked at a death camp. I'd be okay with shooting the guy to be perfectly honest.

Ok, but you have to be the one to look a 96 year old man in the eyes and pull the trigger.

 

[Impeccable]

Got 'em.

 

[Psychoward]

Under Hitler you basically had to kill or be killed.

And yet imagine if all the people under Hitler who didn't agree with him didn't go along...

 

[cartographer]

I'm glad he spoke out against Holocaust deniers. At 96 I don't see the point. He did directly help a genocide though so not going to lose any sleep here.

jesus.....

Yeah almost anything related to the possessions of those imprisoned and killed is pretty heinous, on top of the genocide. The killing was bad enough, but all the stuff on top of it was horrendous too.

 

[Slayven]

I like they are still chasing these dudes down, they should never rest for what they were a part of.

If the USA had did something similar after the Civil War, the USA would probably be a lot better off.

 

[Korey]

Speaking up against holocaust deniers doesn't outweigh the thousands of people he killed in a fucking genocide.

What's up with the nazi defense force?

 

[Quixzlizx]

You say this with the understanding that he would probably have been shot if he didn't follow orders, yes?

He was an SS officer, not a random civilian/grunt.

You do know what the SS was, yes?

 

[Westbahnhof]

The dead?

The living who value the memory of the dead, sure..
The dead won't gain anything from this.

I don't know if imprisoning a 96 year old guy will accomplish anything.
I won't attempt talk anyone out of it either, though. He did enough to deserve it.

He was an SS officer, not a random civilian/grunt.

You do know what the SS was, yes?

Yeah... I always thought you didn't become SS by keeping your head down and just carrying out orders.

 

[phisheep]

Why?

Who is the justice for at this point. He has likely outlived the Majority of prisoners and I'm sure if any surviving Auschwitz Survivor's were asked if a 96 year old Book keeper should serve prison time for this they would object.

That said maybe 96 is a mercy, He won't be incarcerated for a long time I bet, The change in living conditions will likely cause a rapid decline in health. That said just let the man go about his remaining months at this point.

He had outlived the vast majority of prisoners by 1945, which is kind of the point.

That said, I'm a bit torn over the sentence as several of you are - particularly given his activity against holocaust deniers. Nevertheless, it seems right that there should not be a time limitation on prosecutions for being an accessory to mass murder, and that a prison sentence is the minimum that could be expected. I hope he continues for what remains of his life to bear what witness he can.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I don't like this because it might as well be a death sentence. German prisons are good and well equipped but he's 96 and won't live to be free again.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Ok, but you have to be the one to look a 96 year old man in the eyes and pull the trigger.

What a ridiculous statement. Give the gun to the descendants or relatives of someone who died in the camp he worked at.

Fucking SS defence force gimme a break.

Speaking up against holocaust deniers doesn't outweigh the thousands of people he killed in a fucking genocide.

Why the fuck are people sympathizing with him lol

I can't believe some of the posts in here.

 

[Trojita]

I don't really understand war crime standards, I thought you had to be an active and willing participant in atrocities against human beings. Like being part of the chain that kills innocent civilians.

While taking their money and belongings and counting it is distasteful and should be soul crushing, is it really a war crime? Wouldn't that also then basically classify anyone who made products used at the concentration camps, or transported prisoners to there, or washed guards clothing, etc part of the crime of complicity?

Some of the Nazi Hunters have been crazy obsessive the last few decades to find people even tangentially related to the concentration camps. I think there was a case where Nazi Hunters shot someone dead in the process of trying to get a Nazi.

 

[LycanXIII]

Put him under house arrest.

 

[Psychoward]

I like they are still chasing these dudes down, they should never rest for what they were a part of.

If the USA had did something similar after the Civil War, the USA would probably be a lot better off.

If the US did something even remotely similar to this it would be much better off :/