Ben Ferencz, a former prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials who secured convictions against 22 Nazi death squad commanders, has died. He was 103.
His son confirmed his death to NBC News.
Ferencz was the last living prosecutor from trials marking the first time in history that mass murderers were prosecuted for war crimes. Ferencz was 27 at the time and played a crucial role in securing compensation for Holocaust survivors and creating the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
In a recent interview with NBC News, Ferencz spoke about what has been described as “the biggest murder trial in history.”
When asked what his final words were to the lead defendant after a judge sentenced the men to death in 1948, Ferencz replied: “Goodbye, Mr. Ohlendorf,” referring to Otto Ohlendorf, a notorious SS commander.
In response to a question about the war in Ukraine and the rise in antisemitic incidents around the globe, he said that “the world has still not learned the lessons of Nuremberg.”
Another question was about his secret to living such a long life. “Luck!,” he responded at the time.
Ferencz turned 103 on March 11. A photo posted to his official Twitter page showed him in a wheelchair holding a small piece of paper that read, “Do something you love.”
One of Ferencz’s friends re-posted the tweet on Saturday, telling people to be “filled with gratitude that we had him, in all his wisdom, for so long.”
“My friend and mentor of more than 25 years, the inspirational Ben Ferencz, passed away last night,” Dan Skinner tweeted, adding, “RIP, Ben.”
Ferencz, born in 1920 to Hungarian Jews, was 10 months old when his family immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City. He grew up poor on the rough and tumble streets of Hell’s Kitchen, where his father worked as a janitor-turned-house painter.
He attended the City College of New York and earned a scholarship to Harvard Law School. He enlisted in the Army after graduation as World War II engulfed Europe, landing in…
Read the full article here