Simon Wiesenthal, 1908-2005

Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal died today at 96. Wiesenthal was renowned for his tireless efforts, through his Jewish Documentation Centre, in making sure that Nazi war criminals were brought to justice.

Wiesenthal was not without controversy, with some accusing him of self-aggrandizement. Whatever the truth of these claims, the fact is that Wiesenthal played an important role in highlighting the role of individuals in perpetrating the crimes of the Holocaust. Far too often, the Holocaust is remembered as the genocide of European Jewry by the Nazi machine. Just as the victims were individuals, so too were those responsible for the murders.