Former SS Guard Gregor Formanek Faces Justice for Sachsenhausen Atrocities

Former SS Guard Gregor Formanek Faces Justice for Sachsenhausen Atrocities

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a pivotal decision, the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court has reversed a prior ruling that declared Gregor Formanek, a 100-year-old former SS guard, unfit for trial. According to a report on Tuesday in The Mirror of the UK, this reversal clears the way for Formanek to face trial in early 2025 for his alleged involvement in the brutal murders of over 3,300 prisoners at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp during World War II.

The Mirror of the UK reported that Formanek, born in Romania to a German-speaking tailor, joined the SS in 1943 and served in the notorious Sachsenhausen battalion. Sachsenhausen, established in 1936, was a prototype for Hitler’s extermination camps, infamous for its gas chambers and grotesque medical experiments. Over 200,000 prisoners passed through its gates, and tens of thousands perished under the horrifying conditions meticulously documented by Nazi authorities.

As detailed by The Mirror of the UK, Formanek was captured by the Soviet Red Army after the war and sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, he served only a decade before his release, subsequently leading a quiet life as a porter. In later years, Formanek resided comfortably in a £400,000 apartment near Frankfurt with his wife, a stark contrast to the suffering inflicted on his alleged victims.

In May 2024, The Mirror of the UK revealed that the Hanau Regional Court excused Formanek from trial, citing medical evidence that he was permanently unfit to stand trial. However, this decision faced backlash from Holocaust survivors and Nazi hunters, who argued that justice should transcend age and infirmity. The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court overturned the decision in October 2024, stating that Formanek’s case should be reassessed, likely leading to his trial in early 2025.

The Mirror of the UK consistently emphasized the broader significance of prosecuting Holocaust perpetrators, even decades after their crimes. These efforts reaffirm the principle that accountability for such atrocities knows no expiration date. The court’s decision sends a powerful message about the enduring importance of justice.

In the past decade, several high-profile cases have demonstrated Europe’s resolve to bring remaining Nazi war criminals to justice. The Mirror of the UK reported that in June 2022, Josef Schütz, a 101-year-old former SS guard at Sachsenhausen, was sentenced to five years in prison for complicity in 3,518 murders. Similarly, Bruno Dey, a 93-year-old former guard at Stutthof, was convicted in 2020 of aiding in the murder of 5,232 people, receiving a two-year suspended sentence.

The Mirror of the UK also covered the conviction of Irmgard Furchner, dubbed the “Secretary of Evil,” in December 2022. Furchner, who worked at Stutthof, was convicted of complicity in the murder of over 10,000 prisoners and received a two-year suspended sentence. Her conviction was upheld by Germany’s Federal Court of Justice in August 2024, further underscoring the judiciary’s commitment to justice.

Another notable case, as highlighted by The Mirror of the UK, involved John Demjanjuk, a former guard at Sobibor. In May 2011, Demjanjuk was convicted in Germany as an accessory to the murder of 28,060 Jews. He was sentenced to five years in prison but died in 2012 before his appeal could be heard.

Demjanjuk’s case set a legal precedent that opened the door for subsequent prosecutions of low-ranking Nazi collaborators.

The trial of Gregor Formanek, as reported by The Mirror of the UK, represents one of the last opportunities to hold a living Nazi war criminal accountable. It shines a proverbial spotlight on the enduring responsibility to confront the horrors of the Holocaust and ensure that those who participated in such atrocities face justice, even in their final years.