Martin Weiss (Nazi official)
Martin Weiss (21 February 1903 – 30 September 1984)[1] was a German Nazi official and de facto commander of the Vilna Ghetto and a Holocaust perpetrator. He was also the commander of the notorious German - sponsored Ypatingasis būrys killing squad, which was largely responsible for the Ponary massacre where approximately 100,000 people were shot.
Early life and military service
He was born to a well-to-do Protestant family in
He was not particularly interested in politics and joined Reiter SS, a branch of
The Holocaust
In spring 1941, he was drafted again and assigned to
On 27 March 1944, the children under age 16 of Kailis forced labor camp were rounded up in an operation (Kinderaktion) commanded by Weiss. They were taken to the train station; their further fate is not known.[5]
Weiss was noted by the innocent people held in the ghetto for his merciless cruelty and frequent beatings. In one instance he shot a man on the spot for trying to bring a few potatoes and a bit of fish through the ghetto gates. There are reports of other German soldiers willing to pardon a Jew, but being afraid to do so knowing that Weiss would certainly not approve such an action.[2] Because of his cruel and capricious conduct in sending Jews of the ghetto to the killing grounds at Ponary, Weiss was known in the ghetto by the paradoxical nickname "Weiss, das Schwarz" or "White, the Black".[6]
Criminal conviction
Weiss was arrested in May 1949. In February 1950, a court in Würzburg found him guilty of murder and being an accessory to murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment. In January 1971, Weiss's sentence was suspended; he was granted pardon in 1977.[1][7][8]
References
- ^ a b c "Martin Weiß (1903 – 1984)". Gedenkorte Europa (in German). Studienkreises Deutscher Widerstand 1933-1945. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
- ^ ISBN 1-58544-285-2.
- Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras. Retrieved 2006-06-09.
- ISBN 978-3-8353-3268-3.
- ISBN 978-609-8037-13-5.
- ISBN 0-14-130596-7.
- ^ "brdeng192". www.expostfacto.nl. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "Nachrichten aus Deutschland". www.hagalil.com. Retrieved 2022-11-29.