A 93-year-old former Auschwitz death camp guard died just days before his trial was set to start in Germany, washing away any hopes of justice for elderly Jewish survivors of Nazi rule.
Ernst Tremmel as accused of helping expedite prisoners from Nazi transit camps in Berlin, Drancy in occupied France and Westerbork in the occupied Netherlands.
Tremmel was a death camp guard at Auschwitz for eight months between 1942-43 and scheduled to stand trial beginning on Wednesday.
While one survivor, Israel Loewenstein, wishes that would've occurred, he doubts Tremmel would've even told the truth about the events at Auschwitz.
Prosecutors say Tremmel volunteered to the join the SS and started working at Auschwitz at the age of 19.