Honored Persons

Simon Wiesenthal

Simon Wiesenthal (born December 31, 1908 in Buczacz, Galicia, Ukraine today, † September 20, 2005 in Vienna) was an Austrian-Jewish survivor of the Nazi Holocaust. He became famous as a tireless "Nazi hunter". Wiesenthal had many enemies, although he worked on the motto "justice, not revenge". This is also the title of his memories in book form and a film about him. Wiesenthal saw himself as a researcher who wanted to hold to account those who had participated in the planned extermination of the Jews (Shoa). Simon Wiesenthal and his wife Cyla lost 89 relatives in the Shoa. Wiesenthal survived a total of twelve concentration camps, often he stayed alive only by chance . Later Wiesenthal tracked down many Nazi criminals in their worldwide hiding places. Allegedly, he learned as early as 1953 that Adolf Eichmann was hiding in Argentina, and gave the Israeli intelligence service Mossad important clues. Later the Mossad could arrest and kidnap Eichmann for a trial in Israel. In 1961 Wiesenthal founded a "Jewish Documentation Center" in Vienna. In 1975, Simon Wiesenthal had a struggle with the then Austrian Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky , which was about the SS-past of FPÖ chairman Friedrich Peter. In addition to numerous other honors Simon Wiesenthal was awarded on June 9, 2005 by the then Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer the Great Golden Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria. Simon Wiesenthal died on September 20, 2005 at his home in Vienna at the age of 96 years. He was buried in a cemetery in Herzliya, Israel.