History & Public Policy Program alumni Stefan Meining, a leading German journalist who works for the Bavarian TV—one of the big stations in Germany—has a new short documentary report out. Meining's documentary, titled "Unmasking a hidden Nazi: The SS General living unnoticed in Germany," uncovered an SS officer living unnoticed in Germany for decades and was enabled by the U.S. government and the German government. 

Franz Josef Huber, a top commander in Hitler’s Gestapo secret police force, was responsible for tens of thousands of deportations to concentration and extermination camps throughout the second World War. Meining’s work uncovered that Huber, despite being a general-level rank in the SS, was shielded by U.S. and German authorities. The New York Times, reporting on the story as well, outlines how Huber was initially arrested by U.S. forces in 1945 as a wanted war criminal. After two years, however, he was released by U.S. authorities upon being deemed as “not an adherent of Nazi party ideologies.”

Meining’s analysis shows that the United States thwarted Austria’s efforts to prosecute Huber after the war, and pressured Germany to do the same. As a result, Huber, who never had to lie about his past Nazi affiliations, went on to work for German intelligence service, or BND. He worked until 1964 when he was put on paid leave until his retirement at 65.

"Unmasking a hidden Nazi: The SS General living unnoticed in Germany" video report can be viewed here. The New York Times article can be found here.