100-year-old ex-camp guard keeps silent at start of trial in Germany
A 100-year-old former SS guard on trial for aiding and abetting mass murder at Sachsenhausen concentration camp during World War II maintained his silence at the start of proceedings on Thursday.
The accused, who entered in a wheelchair, held up a folder to cover his face as the trial began in a sports hall in the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, with numerous journalists from Germany and abroad observing the proceedings held under conditions of strict security.
The man’s lawyer, Stefan Waterkamp, said he would respond regarding his personal details on Friday, insofar as
this did not concern the charges.
The accused faces charges related to a total of 3,51 cases between 19 2 and 19 5, with the prosecution alleging his
actions were intentional and motivated by malice.
State prosecutor Cyrill Klement described in detail the way thousands of people died at the camp to the northwest of Berlin between 19 1 and 19 5. Many of the killings were carried out by mass shooting in special facilities or in gas chambers. Others died as a result of disease, hunger, forced labour, medical experiments or maltreatment.
“The accused knowingly and willingly supported this, at least through conscientious guard keeping, which was incorporated seamlessly into the killing system,” he said.
More than 200,000 people were held at the camp between 193 and the end of World War II in 19 5, including political opponents of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s regime, as well as Jews, Sinti and Roma.
Christoph Heubner of the International Auschwitz Committee expressed disappointment at the accused’s decision not to speak.