Trawniki Guards: Foot Soldiers of the Holocaust: Vol. 2, Investigations and Trials

After WWII, at least 100 former Trawniki guards were investigated, arrested, and tried, with dozens sentenced to death and executed. In 1955, a general amnesty released them, but many were retried in the 1960s. Trials also took place in Poland and West Germany, and the US brought charges against 16 former guards. This work is the most comprehensive study of these primary source materials in the English language.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd

After World War II, the legal process commenced, leading to the investigation, arrest, and trial of numerous former Trawniki guards. During the postwar period, primarily in the Soviet Union, at least 100 former Trawniki guards faced scrutiny, leading to their arrest and prosecution. Numerous individuals were sentenced to death and executed, while others received sentences of 25 years imprisonment in Soviet gulags. However, a general amnesty in 1955 resulted in the release of all those who had been imprisoned. Nevertheless, in the 1960s, several individuals were retried in "group" trials, resulting in death sentences. Trials also took place in Poland, and a single trial occurred in West Germany, specifically involving Franz Swidersky. In the United States, the Office of Strategic Services (OSI) brought charges against 16 former guards. This narrative is constructed through a compilation of investigation reports, interrogation transcripts, and trial records, primarily sourced from recently declassified former KGB archives. This work stands as the most comprehensive examination of these primary source materials in the English language.

Weight: 834g
Dimension: 162 x 236 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780764363535