United States deports a 95-year-old Nazi concentration camp guard to Germany

The Justice Department reported that a 95-year-old Nazi concentration camp guard living in the United States was deported to Germany on Saturday.

The ministry said Frederick Karl Berger, who lived in Tennessee and held German citizenship, was recognized as an armed guard at the Neuengame concentration camp in 1945.

The judicial authorities stated that Berger was deported for his participation in “acts of persecution promoted by the Nazis.”

“Berger’s deportation demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice and the authorities to ensuring that the United States is not a safe place for those who participated in Nazi crimes against humanity and other human rights violations,” said the attorney general (Acting Secretary of Justice). Monty Wilkinson.

An immigration judge ordered Berger, who has been living in the United States since 1959, to be deported in March of last year.

Judge Rebecca Holt said when making her decision that Berger was stationed near Meppen, Germany during World War II, where prisoners were held in “appalling” conditions and “worked” to death.

Berger admitted at trial that he prevented prisoners from escaping from the Newingham concentration camp.

He also said that he did not know that prisoners had been mistreated and that some had died. He confirmed that he was following orders.

Berger flew to Germany on Saturday and arrived in Frankfurt for questioning.

It is not yet clear if Berger will be tried in his home country. A German judge dropped the case against Berger in December 2020, citing insufficient evidence.

dw / tgb / mr / gm