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Former Nazi Death Camp Secretary, ‘Secretary of Evil,’ Dies at 99
Irmgard Furchner, the former secretary at a Nazi death camp, infamously dubbed the ‘Secretary of Evil,’ has died at the age of 99. Accused of aiding in the murders of over 10,500 individuals at the Stutthof concentration camp during World War II, Furchner faced ongoing legal proceedings until her death on January 14. News of her passing recently emerged in German media outlets, marking the end of a controversial chapter related to Nazi war crimes and the Holocaust.
Legal Battles and Conviction of Irmgard Furchner
Early Involvement at Stutthof
Furchner began working at the Stutthof concentration camp in occupied Poland as a shorthand typist during her teenage years, from 1943 to 1945. She served under SS commandant Paul Werner Hoppe. Despite her attempts to overturn a two-year suspended sentence for her actions during the war, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice in Leipzig rejected her appeal in August of the previous year.
Court Upholds Verdict
The court’s decision reinforced the suspended sentence issued by the Itzehoe District Court, which was slated to conclude in December 2024. Onur Oezata, a lawyer representing three Stutthof survivors, stated, “The secretary was justly convicted for assisting and facilitating murder in thousands of cases.”
He further added, “This now legally binding guilty verdict is particularly satisfying for my clients. Their aim was never vengeance or retribution, but justice.”
Trial Details and Allegations Against the ‘Secretary of Evil’
Juvenile Court Proceedings
Because Irmgard Furchner was a minor when the alleged offenses occurred, her trial was conducted in a juvenile court. At the age of 97, she stood accused of complicity in the systematic killings of over 10,000 inmates at the camp. Stutthof concentration camp was established in September 1939, situated near present-day Sztutowo village in Poland.
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Findings of Complicity
The court determined that Furchner “was aware and, through her role as a stenographer in the commandant’s office at Stutthof concentration camp from June 1, 1943, to April 1, 1945, intentionally supported the fact that 10,505 prisoners were brutally murdered,” as reported by the Mirror.
Stutthof Concentration Camp: Scale of Atrocities
More than 110,000 prisoners were processed through the gates of Stutthof concentration camp before its liberation by the Red Army in May 1945. The estimated death toll ranged between 63,000 and 65,000 individuals, encompassing approximately 28,000 Jews who perished due to murder, starvation, disease, or excessive labor.
Defense of Ignorance
Despite her position, which included direct reporting to the SS, Furchner consistently maintained she had no knowledge of the mass exterminations. Her defense team argued for her acquittal, asserting a lack of definitive evidence proving her awareness of the systematic executions of prisoners.
Horrors of Stutthof: Trial Testimonies
‘Neck Shot’ Apparatus
Testimony during her trial revealed gruesome details of the camp’s operations. SS personnel, disguised as medical professionals in white coats, would pretend to conduct health examinations to measure detainees’ heights. These measurements, however, were used to calibrate a specially designed ‘neck shot’ execution device. This method led to the execution of around 30 inmates in just two hours at Stutthof.
Gas Chamber Atrocities
Victims were forced into gas chambers, which were then filled with lethal Zyklon B gas. This resulted in agonizing deaths, evidenced by victims scratching their skin intensely and pulling out their hair in desperation.
Furchner’s Apology and Survivor Reactions
Silence Broken
Irmgard Furchner remained silent throughout her trial until December 6, 2022, when she spoke for the first time, stating: “I am sorry for everything that happened. I regret that I was in Stutthof at the time. I cannot say more.”
Limited Acceptance of Apology
Responding to her apology, the Holocaust Education Trust indicated that only survivors and relatives of the Nazi regime were in a position to “truly judge” her “long-delayed ‘apology’.”
Survivor’s Perspective on Sentence
Manfred Goldberg, a survivor who endured eight months of slave labor at Stutthof, criticized Furchner’s two-year suspended sentence, which allowed her to avoid imprisonment. He deemed it a “mistake” and excessively lenient.
Survivor’s Reflections on Justice and Remembrance
Severity of Crimes
Mr. Goldberg, aged 94, commented, “This trial serves the purpose of informing the public that there is no statute of limitations for crimes of such cruelty or magnitude. My sole disappointment is that a two-year suspended sentence seems to me to be an error.”
Sentence Discrepancy
He questioned the leniency, adding, “If a shoplifter is sentenced to two years, how can someone convicted of complicity in 10,000 murders receive the same sentence?”
Knowledge of Camp Atrocities
Mr. Goldberg expressed his belief that it was “impossible” for her to be unaware of the events at the camp. He noted, “The entry gate at Stutthof was known as the ‘Gate of Death’; entering was practically a death sentence. Everything was documented, and progress reports, including the amount of human hair harvested, were sent to her office.”
Lasting Impact of Furchner Case
One of the Final Nazi War Crime Trials
Furchner’s case is considered to be among the last Nazi war crime trials to be prosecuted. According to a special federal prosecutors’ office in Ludwigsburg, which investigates Nazi-era war crimes, only three additional cases were pending with prosecutors or courts across Germany as of last year.