With the number of Holocaust survivors dwindling around the world, Ben Ferencz represents a link to one of the darkest chapters in history. Before his health deteriorated, he reflected on his life in a 45-minute interview with NBCNews.
Link copiedBen Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, answered the phone in bright spirits. “Good morning,” he hollered. “Ask your questions.”
What did he think about the war in Ukraine and the uptick in antisemitic incidents around the globe? “The world has still not learned the lessons of Nuremberg.”But not long after that interview in November, Ferencz’s health took a turn for the worse.“He declined very rapidly,” his son, Don, said last week. “But he is still in good spirits, still has his sense of humor and, when not too tired, is still perfectly cogent and well-reasoning.
He landed on the beaches of Normandy and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. With the allied forces closing in on the center of Nazi power in Berlin, he was transferred to a unit responsible for gathering evidence of war crimes. “My goal was clear: grab the documents,” he recalled. “I headed straight to the main office and closed it off. ‘Nobody goes in or out without my permission. No German, no American — nobody. I want complete control of the archives,’ which I got.”“I knew that what I was seeing was horror,” he said.
The U.S. decided to hold 12 more trials in Nuremberg against Nazi judges, doctors and other top figures.By the time Ferencz found the Einsatzgruppen records, the U.S. had already finalized plans for the other trials.He flew to Nuremberg and told Telford Taylor, the chief counsel for the prosecutions, that they must add another trial. But Telford said it wasn’t possible. The budget had already been set and the Pentagon wasn’t keen on any more trials.
“The defendants were the cruel executioners whose terror wrote the blackest page in human history,” he said in his opening statement. “Death was their tool and life their toy. If these men be immune, then law has lost its meaning and man must live in fear.” But Ohlendorf wasn’t interested. He launched into a diatribe defending the Nazis, saying they were right to resist the “communists” seeking to take over Germany and the rest of the world.
“One thing that people don’t realize is how incredibly dangerous it was for these people,” said Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, or Claims Conference, an organization created to negotiate the agreements and later handle the dispersal of the money.
Livid, Ferencz dug his hands into his pockets and pulled out the bones of a child that he had picked up while walking the fields behind the concentration camp in Auschwitz.The Germans relented shortly thereafter, according to Ferencz..” “Without those bones, it would not have happened, I’m sure.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jamie Lynn Spears to star in 'Zoey 101' reboot movie 'Zoey 102'Jamie Lynn Spears announced she will reprise the role she is best known for: Zoey Brooks from the Nickelodeon show 'Zoey 101.'
Read more »
Felon Accused of Chicago Carjacking, Leading Cops on 102 MPH ChaseA felon has been accused of carjacking a woman in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, then leading police on a high-speed chase, according to a report.
Read more »
Zoey 101 Star Alexa Nikolas Slams Zoey 102 News After Protesting Against Nickelodeon - E! OnlineAlexa Nikolas starred in the first two seasons of Dan Schneider's Nickelodeon sitcom, Zoey 101, and is now speaking out about the Zoey 102 revival on Paramount+.
Read more »
Amazon Removes Some Nazi Paraphernalia From Site After Jewish Group Claims It Monetizes HateWhile the retail giant removed several anti-Semitic movies and products, it doesn't take much work to find similar products still up for sale.
Read more »
‘Hunters’: Hitler’s Alive, and Al Pacino’s Nazi Hunters Are on the Case''Hunters' is, at heart, a wild, colorful, violent wish-fulfillment saga about Nazis getting their just deserts—served up via a bullet in the head, if not much worse—courtesy of heroic Jews,' writes nschager
Read more »
Amazon removes some Nazi related-items after ‘monetized hate’ slamThe Simon Wiesenthal Center lashed out at Amazon on Thursday for “allowing the marketing and sale of Nazi and neo-Nazi paraphernalia on their website.”
Read more »