Posted on 09/20/2005 12:21:42 AM PDT by HAL9000
ALARM - Died of Simon Wiesenthal, hunter of Nazis
VIENNA - Simon Wiesenthal, celebrates it Austrian "hunter of Nazis", died Tuesday at the 96 years age in Vienna, announces the center which bears its name on its Internet site.
Simon Wiesenthal: "The Conscience of the Holocaust, Dies in Vienna" at 96
Simon Wiesenthal, the famous Nazi Hunter has died in Vienna at the age of 96, the Simon Wiesenthal Center announced today (September 20th).
"Simon Wiesenthal was the conscience of the Holocaust," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the International Human Rights NGO named in Mr. Wiesenthal’s honor, adding, "When the Holocaust ended in 1945 and the whole world went home to forget, he alone remained behind to remember. He did not forget. He became the permanent representative of the victims, determined to bring the perpetrators of the history’s greatest crime to justice. There was no press conference and no president or Prime Minister or world leader announced his appointment. He just took the job. It was a job no one else wanted.
The task was overwhelming. The cause had few friends. The Allies were already focused on the Cold War, the survivors were rebuilding their shattered lives and Simon Wiesenthal was all alone, combining the role of both prosecutor and detective at the same time."
Overcoming the world’s indifference and apathy, Simon Wiesenthal helped bring over 1,100 Nazi War Criminals before the Bar of Justice.
There will be a news conference at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Wednesday, September 20th at 10 am.
He did the world a favor, he won't be forgotten.
His life was an illustration that single-minded determination to a cause can bring results even when the odds are stacked against you. RIP.
"Overcoming the world’s indifference and apathy, Simon Wiesenthal helped bring over 1,100 Nazi War Criminals before the Bar of Justice."
He was a hero.
One of the good guys is now gone.
It's amazing he was able to live to such an old age even though he spent so many years in the concentration camp starving. I guess the body can recover physically at least.
"Never forget" is an easy enough slogan to put in a tagline or on a bumper sticker. Wiesenthal embodied it. And along the way, he helped set the precedent that there is no statute of limitations on crimes against humanity -- Eichmann must have thought he was scot-free after 20 years. Not so much.
96 years is a long life, and I hope that he found enough love and pride in his accomplishments in the latter half of his life to ease the pain and soften the scars of the first half. My prayer is that when he laid down his head for the last time, it was without bitter memories and without regrets.
Rest in peace, sir...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Rest in peace Simon Wiesanthal. You never, never, never gave in.
RIP. The world needs more like him.
May he truly rest in peace.
Wiesenthal was somebody for whom the term 'great' is not mere hyperbole. A true hero in my eyes.
Rest in Peace - you've earned it.
If anybody deserves to rest in peace, it's Mr. Wiesenthal. I hope he's up there laughing at all the Nazi thugs burning "down there".
I have no doubt that a great part of it was the fact that the man had a mission in life. And possibly some additional help from above.
Mark
I wonder how many former camp guards are still alive and hiding their past somewhere...?
I have to remember him when I am tempted to give up.
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