The Stutthof concentration camp.

By Aiden Pink November 26, 2017

Testimony from an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor in Minnesota could help convict an alleged former Nazi concentration camp guard.

Judith Meisel testified to German prosecutors and FBI agents who visited Minnesota this summer to take her testimony about her experiences at the Stutthof camp. Meisel is believed to be one of the last living survivors of Stutthof, making her testimony crucial in the case against 94-year-old Johann Rehbogen, who is being charged on thousands of counts of accessory to murder.

“I understand that the person who has been indicted was a young man at the time,” Meisel told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Still, the questions he must answer are an important part of this story.”

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In June, Meisel recognized Rehbogen as one of the Stutthof guards. She knew him as “Meydele,” a nickname for his girlish looks, and said that he beat prisoners.

The trial could begin as early as next summer if Rehbogen and a fellow co-defendant are deemed fit to stand trial.

Meisel’s son, Michael Cohen, told the Star Tribune that it was unclear if Meisel would travel to Germany to appear as a co-plaintiff or witness, but said that she’s “very interested in what comes next.”

Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink

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