A Canadian professor who had long hidden his past as a memberof the SS, and a private investigator who convinced him to testifyagainst his former commander, were the key players in openinghearings of what could become the last Holocaust related murdertrial held in Germany.
Officials close to the case, however, fear that accused Naziwar criminal Julius Viel may never face justice unless additionalwitnesses in the case come forward during the next few months.
That was also the appraisal of private investigator Steven Rambam,the Nazi hunter who was responsible for 'turning' a former SSinductee, "L", and bringing him to testify before aGerman judge. L's testimony lead directly to Viel's arrest lastmonth for the murder of seven Jewish inmates at the Theresienstadtconcentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Viel allegedly shot theseven during March, 1945, while they were engaged in forced labordigging anti-tank trenches near the town of Tereizn.
Sources report that German television's "Report Mainz"has identified the murdered Jews as Ladislav Kras (born: 2.9.17),Wilhelm Kaufmann(born: 9.9.15), Viktor Schulz (born: 1.7.02),Viktor Stern(born: 18.9.11), Josua Baruch(born: 25.11.21), VlastimilSeverin (born: 15.12.96) and Robert Friedmann (born: 5.11.99).
This is not the first time that Viel, now 81, has been accusedof war crimes. He had been tried in Germany in 1964, but chargeswere dismissed when a key witness died shortly before the trial.Suspicions about his murderous past did not stop Viel from becominga successful journalist for the 'Stuttgarter Zeitung'.
Veil's security began to unravel when an octogenarian former SSofficer, "L", now a college professor in Montreal, cameforward out of a deep sense of guilt, fully aware that he mightbe jeopardizing his own status in Canada by admitting to the deportableoffense of having served in the Nazi SS.
The professor was shaken out of his long silence in 1997, followingthe massive publicity surrounding Rambam's exposure of Nazi Warcriminals living in Canada (first reported in the Jerusalem Postin December, 1996).
When Rambam and "L" met, the elderly professor waseager to admit that he was a former SS officer with a story totell. The former SS man turned professor detailed how his formercommanding officer had picked up a rifle and randomly shot "sixor seven Jews" as they were digging an anti-tank ditch onthe plains of Leitmeritz, near the Tereisenstadt concentrationcamp.
Rambam found Viel, alive and well and a respected member ofthe community in the German town of Wangen im Allgau.
Last month Rambam traveled to Germany to meet the German warcrimes prosecutor and to confront Julius Viel. When Rambam confrontedViel regarding his activities at Theresienstadt, the suspectedSS commander denied any involvement. Yet, as he entered his car,Viel said, "They tried before and failed. They will failagain.".
Two days after confronting Viel, Rambam met with Kurt Schrimm,the war crimes prosecutor in Stuttgart. Viel was arrested andcharged and is being held without bail. No trial date has beenset. but due to Viel's advanced age, German prosecutors will tryto schedule the trial within a few months.
Meanwhile, Prosecutor Schrimm has already interviewed morethan 300 potential witnesses and has an additional 500 scheduled.He is hoping that he can produce an additional eyewitness, orsurvivor, who can corroborate all or part of L's story.
"If we don't find at least one more witness", saysRambam, " Julius Viel might walk away from the murders onelast time."