December 20, 2022
Irmgard Furchner has been convicted of war crimes in Germany related to her involvement in the deaths of over 10 thousand people at a concentration camp in Stutthof from 1943 to 1945.
Photo Christian Charisius
From age 18-19, she served as a secretary for a Nazi camp under Hitler's reign during World War II. Her administrative duties were related to facilitating execution of the prisoners (e.g. completing the necessary paperwork).
Charges were laid in an Itzehoe district court and after a failed attempt to go on the run in 2021, Furchner returned to court to proceed with the trial.
As there is no statute of limitations on murder, the 97 year old woman could still stand trial. She was handed a suspended sentence of 2 years.
The Holocaust took place in Europe between 1933-1945, claiming the lives of 6 million Jewish people. Men, women and children were gassed and shot after being forced to work in labour camps. Immediately after the fall of the Nazi regime, the first prosecutions were held during the Nuremberg trials where almost 200 war criminals were tried. Those tried included Nazi leaders, government and military officials, and medical staff. While some were sentenced to prison or death by hanging, not all were found guilty.
Cover Image: Xiquinho
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