Erich Priebke
Erich Priebke was a German-born SS Captain during World War II. Unlike the other Nazi officers discussed, Priebke was not the commandant of a camp, or a particularly high-ranking member of the party; however, he did share in their brutality. Priebke was part of the SS police force (SiPo). Priebke was fluent in Italian, and was stationed in Italy from 1941 onward.
The primary action that led to Priebke’s eventual conviction as a war criminal took place in 1944. In March 1944, an Italian resistance group, called Patriotic Action Groups, attacked an SS police regiment in Rome. The attack was successful, and 33 Nazis were killed. Reportedly, Hitler ordered 10 Italians killed for every Nazi lost in the massacre.A group of 335 prisoners was assembled, including 70 Jews, members of a communist resistance group, and members of another resistance group, the Red Flag.
This group of prisoners was gathered in the Ardeatine caves in Rome. They were gathered into groups of 10, shot and killed. In total 335 individuals died in the massacre of Fosse Ardeatine. If, as is reported, Hitler ordered 10 dead for every Nazi lost, the total should have been 330 dead, not 335. This difference is significant with regard to Priebke’s eventual trial.
Priebke was captured at the end of the war, and was in the custody of British forces in a camp in northeast Italy. He escaped the camp in 1946, sheltering with an sympathetic family for a time. He was eventually re-baptized by a Catholic priest under a new name, and was therefore able to get new papers. He was able to travel to Argentina, where he lived for the next 50 years.
After many years, ABC News became aware of Priebke’s location, and he was interviewed. This interview led to his eventual extradition to Italy. Following several trials in Italy, he was finally sentenced to life in prison, but was placed on house arrest with some privileges due to his age. He died in Rome at 100 years of age.