Demjanjuk Arrives in Munich

John Demjanjuk, the retired autoworker/accused Nazi guard, arrived in Germany after being deported by the United States. He is 89 years old and in poor health; if he lives long enough and is deemed fit to stand trial, his guilt will be decided by a court in Munich.

Ultimately Mr. Demjanjuk’s advanced age and poor health serve as reminders, regardless of the outcome in court, of how the living memory of the crimes committed during World War II is on the verge of disappearing. Mr. Demjanjuk’s case might well be the last major war crimes trial in Germany, marking the end of an era that began in Nuremberg in 1945.

Thomas Blatt, 82, who was a prisoner at Sobibor at the same time Mr. Demjanjuk has been accused of having worked there as a guard, said the trial itself was more important than meting out any punishment. “I don’t care if he is released; I do care about his testimony,” said Mr. Blatt, who now lives in California and has written two books about his experiences. “There’s many people right now who say the Holocaust never happened.”

Reuters has collected some reactions here. (A previous post.)