december september austrian nazi hunter writer jewish austrian holocaust survivor famous world war work nazi hunter studied architecture living outbreak world war forced work slave nazi concentration camps war dedicated life tracking gathering information fugitive nazi war criminals brought trial founded austria gathered information future war crime trials aided refugees search lost relatives opened vienna continued try locate missing nazi war criminals played small role locating captured buenos_aires worked closely austrian justice ministry prepare sentenced life imprisonment 1970s 1980s involved high profile events involving austrian politicians shortly inaugurated austrian chancellor april pointed press new cabinet members angry called jewish fascist likened organisation mafia accused collaborating nazis successfully sued libel suit ending involved case nazi past revealed lead austrian presidential elections embarrassed previously cleared wrongdoing suffered negative publicity result event reputation author memoirs containing tales loosely based actual events particular exaggerated role capture died sleep age vienna september buried city israel located los_angeles named honor early life born december kingdom austria-hungary ukraine father emigrated russian_empire escape frequent violent campaigns jews austro hungarian army called active duty start world war died combat eastern remainder family simon younger brother mother fled vienna russian army took control boys attended german language jewish school family returned russians retreated area changed hands times war ended november brother attended high school gymnasium classes taught polish simon met future wife marry fell broke died following year remarried moved new husband owned tile factory remained living family graduated high school second attempt interest art drawing chose study architecture choice attend polish turned away school jewish filled instead enrolled prague studied building engineer spending period married returned sources differing reports happened points events version opening architectural office finally admitted advanced degree designed tuberculosis residential buildings course studies active student organisation wrote satirical student newspaper graduated author states earliest autobiography mention studies quotes curriculum prepared world war stating worked supervisor factory worked mechanic different factory nazis invaded book hunted states worked engineer says record attending university appear appropriate period world war europe world war began september nazi invasion poland result poland pact germany soviet_union city annexed soviets renamed stepfather living arrested capitalist later died soviet prison mother came live official prevent clause rule prevented jewish professionals intellectuals living kilometres city soviet occupation germans invaded june mid july jewish residents register forced labour months november nazis set jewish forced labour jews homes process completed following months thousand jews murdered ukrainian nationals june july tells arrested july saved execution man named member versions story late wife transferred concentration camp forced work painted inscriptions captured soviet railway engines work brass exchange providing details railways obtained false identity papers wife member polish underground organisation travelled warsaw work german radio factory spent time different labour camps conditions harsh health permanently damaged survived war couple reunited daughter born following year weeks nazis staged people unable work typically took place able bodied absent forced labour mother elderly jewish women transported freight train camp killed august time ukrainian policeman shot mother death porch home evicted lost relatives holocaust forced labourers eventually kept separate closed camp conditions little better main camp prepared architectural drawings adolf senior inspector submitted obtain contracts construction companies paid bribes shared money able pass information railroads underground occasionally left compound obtain supplies obtaining weapons pistols took escaped autumn according april second lieutenant second command camp decided shoot jewish intellectuals celebration hitler 54th birthday unable find people alive ordered prisoners satellite camps inmates taken eastern railway camp execution site trench feet deep feet long nearby men stripped led seven foot wide barbed wire corridor execution ground victims shot bodies allowed fall pit waiting shot heard called returned alive camp convinced superiors best man available paint giant poster honour hitler birthday october according warned camp prisoners gave fellow prisoner passes town accompanied ukrainian guard buy men escaped shop guard waited counter mention events american investigators august wartime researcher questions authenticity variously reported killed soviet april days hiding rejoined wife taken members underground nearby village remained end soon camp unsafe hide nearby countryside returned spent days hiding closet apartment moved apartment previously forged identity card arrested hiding june taken remains camp tried failed commit suicide avoid interrogated connections underground end time soviet forces advancing area new camp commandant rounded remaining prisoners transported miles west work building fortifications september men reassigned surviving captives sent concentration camp october inmates evacuated concentration camp inmates suffering severe shortage food big toe right foot rock fell working quarry ill january advancing soviets forced evacuation time foot handle walking stick survived march prisoners taken open freight cars days later truck concentration camp arriving mid february half prisoners survive journey placed death block mortally ill survived day camp liberated americans weighed kilograms liberated nazi hunter weeks liberation prepared list names suspected nazi war criminals guards camp members presented office worked interpreter accompanying officers carrying arrests austria july fell soviet occupied zone moved went housed displaced persons camp served vice chairman area organisation attempted arrange basic care jewish refugees tried help people gather information missing family members worked year continued collect information victims perpetrators holocaust assisted underground organisation smuggled jewish survivors palestine helped arrange forged papers food supplies transportation february volunteers founded gather information future war crimes trials collected concentration camp survivors living europe soviet_union lost interest conducting trials similar group headed vienna closed office closed documentation collected centres archives israel employed time jewish welfare agencies continued work refugees clear allies longer interested pursuing work bringing nazi war criminals justice persisted believing survivors task work way remember people lost told biographer germans came city half population jewish thousand jews germans gone alive times thinking life price stay alive price price lived deputy people alive adolf jews alive war emigrated decided stay partly family lived blocks away charge transportation jews jewish question plan finalised conference took minutes jews europe war hid austria forged identity papers left italy moved argentina assumed hoping obtain information whereabouts continuously monitored remaining members immediate family vanished learned letter shown seen buenos_aires passed information israeli vienna prosecutor general state west_germany received independent confirmation whereabouts german agents unable find late father died arrangements private detectives photograph members family brother said bear strong family resemblance current photos fugitive provided photographs agents february agents responsible capture buenos_aires said photos useful confirming identity israeli prime minister announced arrest israel day interviewed reporters received telegram immediately minor celebrity began work book experiences chased true story published weeks trial opened spring helped prosecution prepare case attended portion trial sentenced death hanged june employers terminated services refugees left city justify expense opened new documentation centre vienna operative received equivalent dollars month maintained files hundreds suspected nazi war criminals located arrested result activities successes included locating bringing trial responsible jews netherlands commandant read newspaper man arrested famed located serving police force vienna publicity campaign led temporarily suspended force prosecuted arresting frank family spite protests late centre vienna taken local community group immediately set new independent office funded donations year statute limitations german war crimes began lobbying extended removed entirely march deferred matter years effectively extending date similar action taken austrian government time went difficult obtain witnesses grew older likely able offer valuable testimony funding trials inadequate governments austria germany interested obtaining convictions wartime events preferring forget nazi past supervisor centre action early nazi programme responsible deaths mentally ill physically deformed people germany february commander camp august year transferred time camps oversaw deaths nearly people detention years remained unidentified war criminal witnesses survived authorities realised escaped detail way rome relief agency provided red_cross passport boat ticket syria family joined year later emigrated brazil probably brother law informed whereabouts concerned warned escape quietly prepared assistance austrian minister justice arrested outside home february germany june month later book murderers released publishers advertised responsible locating nazis claim basis fact nonetheless repeated newspapers new_york_times sentenced life prison died heart failure june having confessed guilt biographer previous day known mare guard served concentration camps cruel woman earned nickname kick victims death served year sentence austria activities charged crimes emigrated united_states american citizen told early chance encounter seen performing selections deciding assigned slave labour immediately killed gas chambers returned vienna operative visit relatives collect information soon traced whereabouts queens new_york notified israeli police new_york_times spite efforts matter germany trial joint indictment defendants accused killing people sentenced life imprisonment died medical officer assigned concentration camp end war making selections inmates arrived train europe performed usually deadly experiments inmates left camp january approached briefly american custody der released took work farm hand rural germany remaining decided flee country acquired red_cross passport left argentina set business buenos_aires acting information received west german authorities tried found fact moved moved brazil lived death claimed information placed locations greek island cairo spain eighteen years left offered reward capture insisted late years death alive family admitted authorities died body identity confirmed earlier year served judges mock trial held jerusalem los_angeles founded large donations organisation paid right use center helped campaign remove statute limitations nazi crimes continues hunt suspected nazi war criminals today primary activities include holocaust remembrance education fighting center holocaust museum largest united_states opened center media division won academy_awards including documentary genocide happy way center run thought museum larger overall operations wrote requesting removal end content austrian politics later life shortly inaugurated austrian chancellor april pointed press new cabinet members address june culture characterised nazi regime private spy ring invading privacy innocent parties interview week later described jewish fascist remark later denied making discovered unable sue austrian law protected parliamentary immunity election unsure proposed form coalition headed possession information proving peter member unit jewish civilians ukraine decided reveal information press election president peter denied having participated having knowledge atrocities end party won clear majority form coalition press conference short time election revelations said methods quasi political mafia filed libel lawsuit power declare immunity chose later accused agent working accusations incorporated lawsuit suit decided favour death months later heirs refused pay relevant archives later opened research evidence found collaborator named secretary general united_nations reported checking thoroughly evidence nazi past analysis supported opinions examined records right war autobiography include war service following injury returned active duty posted yugoslavia greece knowledge murders civilians took place locations service austrian news magazine published story march campaign presidency austria member new_york_times soon reported failed reveal facts war service embarrassed attempted help defend world jewish congress investigated issue israeli attorney general concluded material insufficient evidence conviction elected president july panel historians tasked investigating case issued report eighteen months later concluded evidence committed atrocities known occurring unsuccessfully demanded resign world jewish congress successfully lobbied barred entering united_states nobel peace prize nomination nominated nobel peace prize anniversary end war prize holocaust related candidate survivor author nominated began campaign hopes winning prize travelling france oslo speaking tours humanitarian work urged lobby prize delivering lecture oslo little promote candidacy awarded prize claimed world jewish congress influenced committee decision claim denied biographer speculates loss negative publicity affair retirement death received death threats years bomb placed neo nazis exploded outside house vienna june police guards stationed outside home hours day found nature husband career dragged legal matters overwhelming suffered depression spent time office documentation centre association jewish victims nazi regime vienna approached birthday nazi hand bringing trial convicted shooting seven jewish prisoners died november age retired shortly afterward survived left old weak stand trial today work said died september age buried israel survived daughter grandchildren statement death chairman said simon relentless effort find nazi criminals bring justice fight anti prejudice europe succeeded healing wounds soldier justice freedom stability peace austrian israeli governments jointly issued commemorative stamp lifelong stamp collector collection sold auction nearly death dramatic portrayals portrayed israeli actor film adaptation film release received reports sightings subject film commandant sightings proved false person living buenos_aires saw movie reported police living nearby fugitive escaped died heart attack month later novel boys brazil character called played film modelled visited offered advice play role attended film new_york premiere portrayed hbo film murderers simon story subject documentaries art remembrance produced filmmakers river lights pictures documentary forgotten life legacy simon narrated released person written performed premiered autobiographical inconsistencies wrote number books contain conflicting stories tales invented authors including british author feel reliable sources information life activities example describe people fighting lists prepared survivors holocaust look recognise reunion account man wife telling brothers memoirs variously claim spent time concentration camps actual number drawing claimed scene witnessed actually photos appeared life magazine june particularly emphasised role capture claiming prevented having husband declared dead fact declaration denied authorities said retained file sent research materials fact sent materials counterpart vienna retained materials director time stated role capture noted inconsistencies stories actual achievements concluded lied storytelling nature survivor guilt described research hunting evil quoted accepting yes live alongside acknowledging contribution list books journal articles books chased true story writing pen published humor humor iron curtain murderers simon memoirs new_york sails hope secret mission christopher columbus new_york steps grave hunter hunted human history holocaust editor possibilities limits forgiveness new york books max helen remarkable true love story new_york day remembrance day chronicle jewish new_york justice vengeance new_york journal articles war criminals usa jewish currents july august november murderers national jewish monthly october arab states september anti jewish poland nazi collaborators unity action ranks documentary report justice hunt nazis middle east review march
Simon Wiesenthal