Heinz Beckerle, former Nazi Ambassador to Sofia, was free from detention today after the Frankfurt examining magistrate ruled there was lack of evidence to support charges he had organized the deportation of 11,000 Macedonian Jews in March, 1943.
The ruling also held that although Beckerle belonged to the Nazi elite, he could not have known of the fate intended for the deportees. Beckerle was first arrested in October, 1959, but was released a few days later. He was arrested again last May after the apprehension of Nazi master killer Adolf Eichmann.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
