SS guard ‘The Last Nazi' dies aged 100 after being unmasked by The Sun as he dodged justice to end over 3k camp victims

The Sun

30-04-2025

AN SS guard unmasked by The Sun last as the 'last Nazi' has died - bringing to an end the historic hunt for Holocaust war criminals.
Gregor Formanek, 100, was dubbed "cruel and treacherous" for supporting the killing of 3,300 prisoners at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany, according to damning evidence.
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He was identified as the last remaining source of a conviction by officials in Germany, who ruled last year he was fit enough to face trial.
But a court has now confirmed the Final Solution suspect has passed away before he could be put in the dock.
His death makes him the final SS accomplice to be revealed to the world.
He takes with him all hopes of one final conviction.
The death marks a poignant moment for Nazi hunters, who have spent decades tracking down WWII war criminals and bringing them to justice.
Formanek joined the SS late in the war, becoming a part of the infamous Nazi squad in July 1943 at Sachsenhausen, which was set up in 1936.
More than 200,000 prisoners passed through Sachsenhausen, notorious for its gaschambers and horrifying medical experiments.
At the end of the war, Formanek was captured by Russia's Red Army and spent just ten years behind bars before being released to find work as a porter.
In later life, Formanek lived in comfort with his wife in a £400,000 apartment near Frankfurt.
Formanek was ruled unfit to stand trial back in June before a court rowed back on the ruling in December.
Carmen Whitmore, 68, of Market Harborough, Leics., whose uncle, Great Escape pilot Jimmy James, was at Sachsenhausen - previously blasted: 'Nazis need to be held accountable.'
Formanek, born in Romania, as the son of a German-speaking master tailor, was first tracked down by The Sun in 2023 after an extensive investigation into surviving Nazi suspects.
He was discovered living openly under his real name in a leafy Frankfurt suburb, his past unknown to most locals.
Neighbours believed the pensioner was simply a retired manager - unaware of his chilling SS record.
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When confronted by The Sun about his wartime role, Formanek cryptically replied: 'First, tell me who you are.'
His wife, clearly unsettled, added: 'Don't say he was an SS man so loudly. People will wonder what's going on.'
It later emerged that Formanek had been officially indicated by German prosecutors for his role in the "insidious killing" of prisoners between July 1943 and February 1945.
Three other former guards under investigation were deemed too ill to stand trial — making Formanek the last viable case.
Rosalyn Peake, 66, whose father Leslie Kleinman survived the camp by lying about his age, told The Sun: 'It's justice for me that Formanek was named. And it's vital for teaching future generations.'
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