Aww, Crap. Better do this before the Nazis do...
Simon Wiesenthal, 'Conscience' of Holocaust, Dies
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-me-wiesenthal21sep21,1,2518342.story
Times Staff Writer
Published September 20, 2005, 2:56 AM CDT
Simon Wiesenthal, who survived a dozen concentration camps, then spent his life bringing Nazi war criminals to justice and searing the Holocaust into the conscience of the world, died Tuesday. He was 96.
Wiesenthal died in his sleep at his home in Vienna, according to Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.
Wiesenthal's wife of 67 years, Cyla, who once said that living with the Nazi hunter was like being "married to thousands, or maybe millions, of dead," died in November, 2003. He is survived by their daughter Paulinka.
"Simon Wiesenthal was the conscience of the Holocaust," Hier said in a statement on the Wiesenthal Center's website.
Wiesenthal's biographers credited him with ferreting out 1,100 of Adolf Hitler's major and minor killers and other Nazi war criminals since World War II. He was instrumental in bringing to justice well-known figures such as Adolf Eichmann -- the Nazi bureaucrat who implemented Hitler's "Final Solution," the state-sponsored extermination of millions of Jews -- and lesser-known officials like Franz Stangl, commandant of the prison camps at Treblinka and Sobibor, in German-occupied Poland, who had a role in at least 900,000 deaths....<snip to end>
(edit - Anyone know an appropriate kaddish?)
:(
Kroisistan
20-09-2005, 17:54
This is a man who went through hell on earth, and then spent the rest of his life giving justice to the millions murdered.
If ever there was a man deserving of a place in heaven, it would be him.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Wiesenthal.
Lankuria
20-09-2005, 17:56
Indeed ... a good man, who deserves heaven.
Kryozerkia
20-09-2005, 17:57
His memory deserves a proper honouring.
Drunk commies deleted
20-09-2005, 18:35
He should serve as an example and an inspiration to us all to keep fighting for justice.
Muravyets
20-09-2005, 19:08
This is a terrible loss. He was a voice for justice and reason. I think I'll go up to Salem, Massachusetts, this weekend, to the Old Burying Ground and the memorial to the victims of the witch craze, which was dedicated by Mr. Weisenthal in memory of all victims of hatred and oppression. My friends and I will drink to his memory.
The world owes Wiesenthal a bit for him bringing that little bit of justice.
The South Islands
20-09-2005, 19:20
*Salutes*
Rest in Peace.
Unspeakable
20-09-2005, 19:26
Make you wonder how many Nazi's are still out there, and how few Holocaust survivors? Will the world forget once these events pass from living memory ?
The Holy Womble
20-09-2005, 19:27
(edit - Anyone know an appropriate kaddish?)
:(
Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.
May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
Unspeakable
20-09-2005, 19:31
Giles Corey has always been a hero of mine.
"more weight" What a badass!
This is a terrible loss. He was a voice for justice and reason. I think I'll go up to Salem, Massachusetts, this weekend, to the Old Burying Ground and the memorial to the victims of the witch craze, which was dedicated by Mr. Weisenthal in memory of all victims of hatred and oppression. My friends and I will drink to his memory.
Make you wonder how many Nazi's are still out there, and how few Holocaust survivors? Will the world forget once these events pass from living memory ?Luckily, we have things on film. It's not as good as a live person recounting their stories and answering questions, but it's a fine addition to reading about it.
no, the moment tjhe last survivor dies will not be the time it'll be erased from the memory of humanity. but yes, one time it will fade away, but hopefully that'll be the time when no memory is needed anymore in order to convince the world such things are not to be repeated..
Unspeakable
20-09-2005, 19:35
The Library of Congress should record the oral history of Holocaust survivors the way they did with slaves, so that their exact words will live.
Luckily, we have things on film. It's not as good as a live person recounting their stories and answering questions, but it's a fine addition to reading about it.
The Genius Masterminds
21-09-2005, 01:28
I agree. Rest in Peace.
Sdaeriji
21-09-2005, 03:56
The Library of Congress should record the oral history of Holocaust survivors the way they did with slaves, so that their exact words will live.
I believe the Holocaust museum in Washington DC has been attempting to do just that.
It goes without saying, but I believe there isn't a just human being out here that couldn't admire this man for hist works twards justice. Sir, we owe you our thanks.
Shingogogol
21-09-2005, 04:06
Honestly, I didn't hear about him until tonight.
Maybe I did when I was younger? Just didn't know
who he was?
RIP
Tonight I listened to an hour radio program on him
with his friends talking about his life's work.
They said he did this so it would not happen again
and the world would pay attention to things like this.
Swimmingpool
21-09-2005, 12:01
Make you wonder how many Nazi's are still out there, and how few Holocaust survivors? Will the world forget once these events pass from living memory ?
Probably even fewer Nazis than Holocaust survivors.
Probably even fewer Nazis than Holocaust survivors.
Unless you count the Neo's who keep getting themselves Forumbanned... or the ones who run Stormfront... or the ones lurking in dark alleys in most 1st world cities... or, or, or.... :headbang:
Peisandros
21-09-2005, 15:16
A truely great man, worthy and deserving of great praise. An inspiration.
Rest in peace.
Muravyets
21-09-2005, 15:27
Aarrgh! :headbang:
My memory is like a crazy old man who gives the answer first and then looks it up. Of course, Elie Weisel dedicated the memorial in Salem. Simon Weisenthal brought Nazi war criminals to justice. They're both heroes, both inspirations. The fact that Simon Weisenthal died in his sleep at 96 -- in Austria!! -- is the best possible proof of the absolute defeat of nazism.
It's called fighting the good fight, and the good guys will always win, as long as they don't give up.
Randomlittleisland
21-09-2005, 16:42
Rest in Peace
Its a shame that I, like many other people, never heard of him or his work before he died.
Go in peace to your rest, good sir. The world thanks you over and over in it's own way for the work you did.
*snip English translation of Kaddish*
the transliteration, for anyone interested, is this:
Yitgadal v'yitkadash sh'mei raba b'alma di-v'ra
chirutei, v'yamlich malchutei b'chayeichon
uvyomeichon uvchayei d'chol beit yisrael, ba'agala
uvizman kariv, v'im'ru: "amen."
Y'hei sh'mei raba m'varach l'alam ul'almei almaya.
Yitbarach v'yishtabach, v'yitpa'ar v'yitromam
v'yitnaseh, v'yithadar v'yit'aleh v'yit'halal sh'mei
d'kud'sha, b'rich hu,
l'eila min-kol-birchata v'shirata, tushb'chata
v'nechemata da'amiran b'alma, v'im'ru: "amen."
Y'hei shlama raba min-sh'maya v'chayim aleinu
v'al-kol-yisrael, v'im'ru: "amen."
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu
v'al kol-yisrael, v'imru: "amen."
He was an amazing man. I suggest reading The Sunflower for anyone who would like to know more about his work. The story is basicly that a nazi requests forgiveness on his deathbed, and it is reactions from world leaders in all fields (people like the Dali Lama and such), as well as his reaction.
I can only hope that more people act in his manner.
RIP
Celestial Kingdom
21-09-2005, 18:39
Rest in peace. One of the last great upright survivors...but his legacy will be immortal
HowTheDeadLive
21-09-2005, 18:58
Rest in peace. One of the last great upright survivors...but his legacy will be immortal
One should never forget the way Weisenthal almost single-handedly kept the issue of prosecuting war criminals alive when most Western nations were happy to embrace ex-Nazi's as anti-communists.
No Weisenthal, no Slobadan Milosevic on trial in the Hague. Thats his legacy, i think. Because of him, after Nuremberg, a line was not drawn under things, and things weren't allowed to slide back into bland acceptance.