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‘I’m the only Jew in the world who prays for the good health of Nazis’

38 17 October 2020 | The Telegraph Magazine ‘I’m the only Jew in the world who prays for the good health of Nazis’ has devoted his life to hunting down Nazi war criminals, bringing 40 of them to justice. But the clock is ticking on his quest to find the last surviving perpetrators before they die. With the net closing in on his next target, he speaks to Miranda Levy. Portrait by Yaakov

The Telegraph Magazine | 17 October 2020 39

ate September 2020, and a disturbing ity of the horrors perpe- says Zuroff. But he does post on Facebook: ‘Working very hard trated by ‘willing local col- not expect a prosecution. Lon an investigation concerning the par- laborators’. ‘The witness is dead, and ticularly brutal murder of Jewish babies in the In the German-occu- without a witness you Lithuanian town of Raseiniai in 1941,’ writes pied countries of Western can’t go to trial.’ The best Efraim Zuroff. ‘A young female “student” Europe, Nazi collabora- he can hope is to expose smashed their heads with a large boulder… tion usually meant identi- this woman, who will now Anyone from Raseiniai or with contacts with fying, informing on and be 97. ‘I will demonstrate people who were alive at that time, please preparing people to be in front of her house,’ he contact me. This request is URGENT!!!!’ deported to the East – to says. ‘The most painful Not the typical post, but he’s not your typ- the ghettos and the gas thing for these people is to ical poster, either. Zuroff, 72, is a director of chambers, as represented be publicly exposed.’ the Center (Israel Office in films like Schindler’s Brooklyn-born Zuroff ERNA WALLISCH and Eastern European Affairs). He is widely List. If possible, the Baltic was named after his known as the ‘last ’. Of his swash- story is even more grue- great-uncle, who was Wallisch, a concentration camp buckling nickname, Zuroff says, ‘You know, some. ‘The Lithuanians guard during the war, was murdered in I’m not exactly doing ambushes in the jun- didn’t put people on described as ‘the she-devil of the during the war. He gles of , here. I’m one third trains,’ says Zuroff. ‘They women’s camp’ dreamed of being a bas- detective, one third historian, one third polit- got their hands dirty. ketball player before mov- ical lobbyist.’ Yet the moniker is accurate. In They personally killed ing to Israel, where he 42 years, Zuroff has submitted the names of their Jewish neighbours, usually by shoot- undertook a PhD in Holocaust history. Since more than 3,000 suspected Nazi war crimi- ing them and throwing them, one on top of 1986, he has run the office of the nals to 20 countries. In 40 cases, legal action each other, into pits dug in the forest.’ , named for the was taken against a Holocaust perpetrator. Ninety per cent of victims were killed near legendary Nazi their homes. ‘This was no easy feat to organ- hunter, who ‘They had no sympathy for their ise,’ says Zuroff. ‘The local populations hap- died in 2005. pily supplied the manpower.’ The majority of Zuroff has writ- victims, some of whom were perpetrators got away in the confusion at the ten 450 articles older then than they are now’ end of the war, many to English-speaking and four books countries, as refugees escaping the Russians. on the Holo- Nine years ago, Zuroff relaunched Opera- One Jewish survivor of the summer of 1941 caust, and in tion Last Chance, a campaign to find the was Dina Flum, who ran away during a mas- 2008 was nomi- remaining Nazi war criminals. He works in sacre. ‘While I was hiding in the hay, I saw nated for the Jerusalem with just an office manager and a very clearly two women at the pit murdering She was under Nobel Peace part-time researcher. The organisation is Jewish babies by smashing their heads with investigation in Prize. mostly funded by private donations. And with a rock,’ she testified. ‘One of them was the when she died in 2008 He is dogged the hunt for living Nazis ‘in injury time’ – an student, [K].’ The other was not identified. in his quest to 18-year-old in 1939 would be 99 now – Zuroff Many Baltic war criminals fled to , bring war crimi- employs social media to track his prey. Proud where Zuroff recently resumed the chase. nals to justice, even if this is just through of his 8,000-plus Twitter followers, he uses Sick of local authorities prevaricating, he exposure of their crimes. ‘I’m the only Jew in modern methods to solve historical crimes. teamed up with a Canadian associate who fol- the world who prays for the good health of The pursuit of ‘Student K’ – Zuroff doesn’t lowed up leads on two immigrant sisters Nazis,’ he says. want to reveal her name, in case it alerts her, called ‘K’. In 1941, they would have been aged Zuroff admits his career has been beset ‘and the fake witnesses start coming out’ – 16 and 18. The ‘K’ represents a common Lithu- by ‘frustration and disappointment’. The started in 1989, when he anian surname, so their Simon Wiesenthal Center has no right to came across the testimo- guilt is not obvious. Only prosecute, only to hand names over to nies of dozens of Lithua- the older sister can be authorities in the relevant countries. Some, nian survivors. He identi- traced, but Zuroff needs to such as the UK and , can prosecute fied 1,284 potential war find the perpetrator’s on their own soil. Others, such as Canada criminals. Christian name to make and America, can only denaturalise the old Lithuania had one of the the connection. Nazis, and deport or extradite them. To say worst reputations for Jew- During our interview, that most countries have dragged their feet ish murders in the Second Zuroff has to stop the is a gross understatement. It is not unusual World War. Out of a popu- Zoom call because his for murderers to die while justice meanders. lation of 220,000 Jews, researcher has been to Take, for example, concentration camp just 8,000 survived. Ein- knock on the woman’s guard Erna Wallisch. In the pre-social media satzgruppen, or mobile door and is reporting age of 2004, Zuroff placed an ad in Kronen death squads, accompa- back. No one was home. Zeitung, an Austrian tabloid, saying, ‘The nied the Baltic invasions of ANTON GECAS If she turns out to be murderers are still among us.’ Among the June 1941, but according to the murderer? ‘The first crank calls and anti-Semitic hate mail he Wanted for war crimes in Zuroff, there were only Lithuania at the time of his death thing I will do is jump for received in response, was a letter from one 1,000 Germans present in 2001, in Edinburgh, Gecas joy and it will take me a Frau Waninger of , detailing the during the occupation of never faced trial month to come down from address of ‘the she-devil of the women’s

PA PHOTOSPA Lithuania, with the major- the reaches of heaven,’ camp’. This was Erna Wallisch of Majdanek,

elsewhere described as give up. But by the time people to justice. ‘These monsters had no ‘the monstrous pregnant Lithuania submitted a sympathy for their victims, some of whom Nazi’. Despite the evidence request for Gecas’s extra- were older then than they are now.’ against her, Austrian dition in 2001, he was on According to Zuroff, the defence, ‘I was authorities were hesitant, his deathbed. just obeying orders,’ has only once been and she died in 2008, accepted by a court, during Canada’s sole while under investigation. hen asked for criminal trial (suspects were extradited after Wallisch, who became his biggest vic- that). Most alarmingly, he insists that no Nazi pregnant by a fellow guard Wtory, Zuroff war criminal has ever said they were sorry. No in 1943, was notorious for cites the case of Dinko remorse, ever? ‘Two Germans expressed being involved in selec- Sakić, the sadistic com- regret, one just before he was sentenced. tions and escorting mandant of the Jasenovac Sakić said, “I would do it again; let’s finish the DINKO SAKIC inmates to gas chambers. concentration camp in job.” I know this is hard to believe, but the war One witness saw her beat a Pictured with his wife in 1945, the , responsible for created a set of geopolitical circumstances child and ‘throw his body Croatian former concentration the murder of 2,000 peo- that allowed normal people to become killers. away like a piece of wood’. camp commandant was ple. He was found living in And the reason there are so many left is In his book Operation prosecuted in 1998 and prosecuted because people without a conscience don’t Last Chance, Zuroff writes in 1998. When he received feel stress, and they tend to live longer.’ of her death, ‘It would be his 20-year sentence, Despite his bullish attitude, Zuroff accepts incredibly hard to describe the emotion that Sakić laughed maniacally. that the age of the perpetrators means ‘we are engulfed me, a combination of deep anger, Zuroff was there to see the fruits of his almost finished’. Still, he points out the case of frustration and helplessness.’ work. ‘This was the most gratifying moment 93-year-old Bruno Dey, who in July was of my career. Then, after the verdict was found guilty by a Hamburg court of complic- announced, a man came up to me. “I want to say one word,” he said. “Hvala [thank you].”’ Zuroff insists that no Nazi It turned out this man was the brother of a Jewish Montenegrin doctor, who was ran- war criminal has ever said domly shot by Sakić during a camp roll call. they were sorry ‘It was incredibly moving. When I am frus- trated or upset, I take this moment with me.’ ity in the murder of more than 5,000 prison- The ‘one who got away’ was , ers. Dey had manned a tower at the Stutthof named by in 2009 as ‘the camp in occupied , and was handed most wanted Nazi’. Heim, a ‘doctor’ in Mau- a two-year prison sentence (suspended). Found guilty of crimes against humanity, he thausen, had a CV that rivalled Josef Menge- Talk of retirement is anathema. ‘Look, was sentenced to 20 years; he died in 2008 le’s. He was accused of performing opera- there will be no press conference when the tions on prisoners without anaesthesia, last Nazi dies,’ he says. ‘What am I going to removing organs from healthy inmates, then do: sit under a coconut tree and sip a pina It took until May 1991 for the UK to pass its leaving them to die on the table. He injected colada?’ Zuroff cites the importance of com- own War Crimes Act, which allowed old Nazis petrol into the hearts of Jews and took the bating modern and distor- to be tried on British soil, and for which Zuroff skull of at least one victim as a souvenir. tion (comments that excuse, minimise or had lobbied. Only one war criminal has ever Zuroff chased Heim across continents for misrepresent a known historical record). been convicted and punished in the UK decades, following false lead after false lead. ‘I will fight to my last breath to combat under the act. Retired London Underground Eight years ago, a court in Baden-Baden these lies. I would like my legacy to be that I ticket inspector Anthony Sawoniuk had, in a revealed he had most likely died in in devoted my life to bringing the murderers of former life, been a Belarusian chief of police. 1992, under an assumed identity. the Jewish people and others to justice, and In Autumn 1942, he ordered 15 Jewish Were Heim to be alive now, he would be that I have preserved their memory.’ women to strip naked and murdered them 106. Which leads to the He will continue look- all with a sub-machine gun. Sawoniuk was question: would there ing for ‘Student K’ and oth- sentenced to life in April 1999, and died six really be any point in ers like her: ‘A trial is more and a half years later in Norwich Prison. prosecuting such an old effective than a history Mostly, says Zuroff, the British govern- man, who committed his book. And even if there ment ‘took their sweet time, gave up too crimes literally a lifetime can’t be a trial, exposure early, and had no desire to get involved’. In ago? On this subject, will deliver a strong mes- 1987, he went to expose Edinburgh-based Zuroff is forceful. He has sage to the wider world: if Anton Gecas – formerly a Lithuanian mass no time for what he calls you killed Jewish babies murderer, and now an engineer. ‘I stood on ‘misplaced sympathy syn- even 79 years ago, one day his lawn… and gave a press conference,’ says drome’. ‘The passage of another Jew will find you, Zuroff. ‘I don’t normally like pranks – and time does not diminish and make you pay for it.’ BRUNO DEY have no idea what I would have done if he guilt. Don’t think of a frail Our People: Discovering came to the door. In the end a woman old man or woman, but a Pictured covering his face at his Lithuania’s Hidden opened the door and said [he affects a bad young person in their trial in Hamburg, Dey, a former Holocaust, by Efraim Scottish accent], “He’s not here. Have you physical prime, killing concentration camp guard, received Zuroff and Rūta tried his solicitors?”’ kids.’ He insists he owes it a suspended sentence this July Vanagaitė (Rowman &

GETTY IMAGES, Though Zuroff went home, he did not to the victims to bring Littlefield, £18.95)