105-Year-Old Investigated Over Alleged Role at Nazi Prisoner of War Camp

German prosecutors have launched an investigation into a 105-year-old man accused of being an accessory to multiple counts of murder at a Nazi prisoner of war camp during World War II. The suspect allegedly served as a guard at Stalag 326 VI K, located in Senne in northwestern Germany.

This case is one of several ongoing investigations into Nazi-era crimes, highlighting the challenges faced by authorities as most potential suspects are now deceased. A separate case involving another former guard at the Senne camp recently concluded with the suspect's death at the age of 99.

Stalag 326 was one of the largest prisoner of war camps established by Nazi Germany. Between 1941 and 1945, approximately one in three Soviet prisoners of war passed through the facility. Many of these prisoners were subjected to forced labor in the surrounding regions.

The living conditions within Stalag 326 were described as horrific, with prisoners enduring severe mistreatment and malnutrition. Out of the estimated 180,000 to 200,000 Soviet prisoners of war registered at the camp, a significant number died and are buried on its grounds. Prisoners from other Allied nations, including France, Poland, Serbia, and Belgium, were also held at Senne.