'Accountant of Auschwitz' jailed for the murder of 300000 Jews - The Guardian
Oskar Gröning, 94, looked on impassively as judge Frank Kompisch delivered the verdict, calling it “justice, not revenge” and telling him while he had not been directly involved in the killings he had been an integral cog in the machine of the... While the SS had been reliant on some to carry out sadistic acts, Gröning, in his capacity as a bookkeeper – who was responsible for collecting money found in prisoners’ clothing and luggage before recording it in a ledger – had been important... Rather than being sent to the front, it was important for the war effort that you had this duty in Auschwitz,” Kompisch said. Gröning’s occasional duties on the arrival ramp during the two years he spent working at Auschwitz saw him responsible for taking the luggage of new prisoners. This role meant he had witnessed first-hand the suffering of those deported to Auschwitz, Kompisch told him: “Mr Gröning, don’t tell me you did not see the suffering, of course you saw it. You didn’t just look after the luggage to see that it... He emphasised how Gröning’s role had helped ensure the smooth running of an extremely efficient machine of death and deception, including making sure that new arrivals were not given the impression they were about to be sent to the gas chambers. Source: www.theguardian.com
