The news article “100-year-old former Nazi camp guard goes on trial in Germany”, written by ‘the associated press’ and published on the 7th of October, reports on the trial of Josef S. a former Nazi SS guard.

Josef S. is accused of 3,518 counts of accessory to murder from 1942 to 1945. 100 year old Holocaust survivor Leon Schwarzbaum was also present at the court. Further the executive vice president of the Auschwitz Committee found the announcement that the suspect would not comment on the allegations as “disappointing”. The article also briefly tackles a similar case, in which the 96 year old suspect skipped the opening of her trial. She was a former secretary for the Stutthof camp’s SS commander. Her trial is rescheduled to the 19th of October.

I personally think that this is very news worthy and still relevant. Even though the Holocaust happened 80 yeas ago, antisemitism has been around prior to the Nazi regime and is still existing today. The Holocaust only counts as the peek of the persecution of Jews and it should always be remembered as a terrible and inhumane act. Any doubts about its existence should be eliminated out of respect for the victims and survivors and therefore the topic should still be discussed in our society today. One may argue whether it is necessary to prosecute a 100 year old man, however, I think it is important to spread the message that no one who supported the Holocaust should be allowed in our society. Especially people who deny the holocaust and who believe that it did not happen should be reminded that there are survivors and that there are consequences for this type of behavior.