Wilhelm Ernst Kusterer

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Wilhelm Ernst Kusterer (born February 8, 1922 in Salmbach ; † July 14, 2017 in Pforzheim ) was a German SS sergeant who was convicted as a war criminal in Italy . For 22 years he was a member of the local council for the SPD in his home town of Engelsbrand , Baden-Württemberg . He worked as a Black Forest dialect poet and local researcher. On his initiative, the Waldhufen-Heimatmuseum was founded in 1978 in the rooms of the town hall of Salmbach, of which he was director. In the absence of an Italian military court in La Spezia, Kusterer was initially acquitted for his involvement in the Marzabotto massacre , but in 2008 he was finally sentenced to life imprisonment for manslaughter , which he never served, and to the payment of damages .

In March 2016, the victims' descendants learned through a press article that Kusterer was still living in Engelsbrand and had received a medal of honor for his work in the community about a year earlier. The background and the criticism expressed by parliamentarians and in the global press should be examined and discussed in a special meeting of the municipal council scheduled for March 18, 2016. However, this special session was canceled because Kusterer had decided, after consulting his lawyer, to return the award on March 15, 2016. The community stated that at the time of the award it had no knowledge of the conviction in Italy and of Kusterer's involvement in the war crimes.

The federal government distanced itself through the German ambassador in Rome even before the honor was returned. The Stuttgart public prosecutor's office has been investigating Kusterer on suspicion of murder since July 2013.

The media reported in June 2016, citing the Associated Press , among other things , that the proceedings against the 94-year-old Kusterer had been suspended for health reasons. Kusterer is now in need of serious care. A spokesman for the public prosecutor's office also stated that the evidence was not sufficient for a conviction. The mere membership in a unit involved in the operation is no proof of guilt. Kusterer himself had admitted to having been involved in the operation. He only found out in retrospect that it had "messed up".

According to the Engelsbrand municipal administration , Kusterer died in the summer of 2017.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Under the church tower. Community letter from the evangelical parish Engelsbrand, Grunbach, Salmbach. September 2017, p. 14 , accessed on July 28, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Alexander Heilemann: Massacre of Marzabotto: Struggle for justice. Pforzheimer Zeitung, March 8, 2016, accessed on March 9, 2016 .
  3. ^ Dpa: Indignation in Italy: Medal of Honor for German war criminals. Badische Zeitung, March 9, 2016, accessed on March 14, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Museums in the Enzkreis. District Office Enzkreis, p. 3 , accessed on July 28, 2018 .
  5. ^ Paul Kreiner: The Engelsbrand community honors a war criminal; Because they don't know what they're doing. Der Tagesspiegel, March 8, 2016, accessed on March 9, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Hans-Jürgen Schlamp: SS massacre of Marzabotto: An honorary citizen and his dark secret. Spiegel Online, March 9, 2016, accessed March 9, 2016 .
  7. ^ Medal of merits for SS-moordenaar. Algemeen Dagblad , March 9, 2016, accessed October 31, 2017 .
  8. ↑ Decision in Engelsbrand: Ex-SS soldier returns medal of honor. In: SWR . March 15, 2016, accessed on March 15, 2016 (German).
  9. ↑ Hans-Jürgen Schlamp: War criminal as honorary citizen: Scandal of Engelsbrand proves failure of the judiciary. Spiegel Online, March 10, 2016, accessed March 10, 2016 .
  10. ^ German prosecutors drop case against Nazi war crimes suspect. In: The Times of Israel . Associated Press, June 30, 2016, accessed October 29, 2017 .
  11. ↑ 94-year-old Nazi was criminal deemed unfit to stand trial in Germany. In: Jerusalem Post . June 30, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2017 .
  12. ^ Tassilo Pfitzenmeier: SS man from Engelsbrand classified as incapable of negotiating. Pforzheimer Kurier , June 29, 2016, accessed October 30, 2017 .
  13. ↑ Chris Humbs, Markus Pohl: Lengthy or slow - consequential investigations into SS murders in Marzabotto. In: Contrasts . March 31, 2016, accessed October 29, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Kusterer, Wilhelm Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German SS-Unterführer and local politician
DATE OF BIRTH February 8, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Salmbach
DATE OF DEATH July 14, 2017
Place of death Pforzheim