Wiesenthal Center Urges Austrian Government to Match Reward Offered by Germany for Capture of Escaped Nazi War Criminal Dr. Aribert Heim of Mauthausen

The Simon Wiesenthal Center today called upon the Austrian government to match a reward of 130,000 euros currently being offered by the German government for information which will facilitate the capture of escaped Nazi war criminal Dr. Aribert Heim who murdered hundreds of inmates at the Mauthausen (Austria) concentration camp.

In a letter sent today to Austrian Justice Minister Karin Gastinger, the Center’s chief Nazi-hunter Israel director Dr. Efraim Zuroff urged the Austrian government to do its share in the renewed efforts currently being made by the German authorities to track down Heim, who is listed by the Wiesenthal Center as the second most wanted unprosecuted Nazi war criminal alive today (after Eichmann’s top assistant Alois Brunner).

In Zuroff’s words:

"Given that Heim was born in Austria, studied medicine at the University of Vienna, and committed his crimes in Mauthausen, I believe that the active involvement of your government in the efforts to bring this Nazi war criminal to justice would be entirely justified and I therefore respectfully suggest that the Austrian authorities match the reward being offered by the German government for information leading to his capture.

"Even at this late date, it is still possible to bring Nazi war criminals to justice and we therefore urge your active involvement in the efforts to do so."

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