Dr. Franz Bernard Lucas, the former Nazi doctor whose retrial opened in Frankfurt last week, told the court today that he had undergone a “horrible experience” in selecting Auschwitz Jews for extermination on four occasions. Dr. Lucas was sentenced to 39 months in prison in 1965 for aiding in the murder of 1,000 Jews. He told the court today that in January, 1944, he was taken to Auschwitz for the first time to supervise the extermination selections. He said he told the Nazi authorities that doctors were not necessary for such work and was eventually relieved of that duty. His activities during his period of authority were carried out under protest, he testified, as he had been threatened with arrest if he did not obey his orders. Over the weekend. Dr. Lucas testified had he tried to help Auschwitz inmates by stealing medical supplies for them. Ludwig Zind, who was sentenced 10 years ago to one year’s imprisonment for anti-Jewish statements, fled to Egypt before serving any time, and was arrested in Dusseldorf two months ago, was released today on the equivalent of $3,750 bail. A court will decide whether he still must serve his sentence.
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.
