Special facilities for foreign coverage by newspapermen, radio and television were being arranged here today, as the authorities prepared for the largest mass trial of ex-Nazis ever held in West Germany. The trial, scheduled to take place later this year, will involve at least 26 accused war criminals charged with many atrocities committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
All the accused are former Auschwitz guards or members of the Nazi medical staff at the death camp. Among them is Richard Baer, the last commandant at Auschwitz. West German agents arrested him in 1960 on an estate near Hamburg where he was working as a forester.
At least 12 more accused are being sought, and will be brought to trial if they are located in time for the opening of the proceedings; Among the latter is Dr. Joseph Mengele, the Auschwitz “selection doctor, ” who only a week ago was reported arrested in Brazil.
According to Chief Prosecutor Wolf, here, preliminary proceedings have already begun against the first group of 26 accused. Three prosecutors have been at work on the case for two years. West German investigators have prepared 52 volumes of evidence, comprising 12,000 pages. In addition, the prosecutors have interviewed 1,000 witnesses; The Government is encouraging journalists of all media throughout the world to give the trial widest coverage.
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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.
