Oskar Groening, 93, is a former SS officer, who was in charge of the book-keeping at Auschwitz. He made his Auschwitz activities public in 1985, after he learned about the Holocaust denial, and, since then, has constantly criticized people that deny the atrocities which he was a firsthand witness to.
Oskar is currently facing trial on 300.000 counts of accessory to murder, 70 years after World War II ended.
The defendant declared that there is no question that he shares the moral guilt and that he asks for forgiveness. “You have to decide my legal culpability”, he told the judges.
His job was basically counting and sorting the money which was taken from the victims and sometimes guarding the luggage.
He was a witness to many of the atrocities which took place there. He recalled seeing an SS guard kill an infant by smashing his head against a truck. Oskar claims that he asked to be transferred on the front three times, but that his requests were not approved.
Eva Kor, an Auschwitz survivor who was born in Romania, declared before the trial that Mr. Groening is a murdered because he was part of the system.
The trial is set to last until the 29th of July. If found guilty, he could be sentenced for up to 15 years in jail.
O.C.