The 'Vatican Rat Line' that helped Nazi war criminals escape Germany.
After World War II, thousands of Nazis fled to South America along so-called ratlines — often with the help of Catholic clergy like 'Alois Hudal'.
The list of infamous Nazis who used the ratlines is long.
After World War II, thousands of Nazis fled to South America along so-called ratlines — often with the help of Catholic clergy like 'Alois Hudal'.
The list of infamous Nazis who used the ratlines is long.
1) Franz Stangl, a Nazi police officer who had been a favorite of Heinrich Himmler (SS leader) in charge of three Polish extermination camps including Treblinka
where he is responsible for the genocide of 800,000 people. contd..
where he is responsible for the genocide of 800,000 people. contd..
In Rome, Bishop Alois Hudal, a fellow Austrian, greeted him with the words: "You must be Franz Stangl — I've been expecting you."
He then handed Stangl forged documents that allowed the Nazi war criminal to travel to Syria, where his family eventually joined him. contd..
He then handed Stangl forged documents that allowed the Nazi war criminal to travel to Syria, where his family eventually joined him. contd..
In 1951, the Stangl family emigrated to Brazil. The man who perfected mass murder in the concentration camps spent years assembling cars at a Volkswagen plant near Sao Paulo.
2) Gustav Franz Wagner was the deputy commandant of the Sobibor extermination camp in eastern Poland.
Sobibor was a killing center. Its production line was as sophisticated as a complex modern factory. Contd..
Sobibor was a killing center. Its production line was as sophisticated as a complex modern factory. Contd..
In just 15 months, 250,000 men, women and children stepped off the train in the morning, were gassed by lunchtime and their corpses burnt before dawn the next day.👇
3) Adolf Eichmann
Using the name Riccardo Klement, the man who organized the Holocaust fled from Bolzano to Argentina in 1950.
His family later joined him. Grateful for the Vatican's help in his escape, Eichmann converted to Catholicism.
Using the name Riccardo Klement, the man who organized the Holocaust fled from Bolzano to Argentina in 1950.
His family later joined him. Grateful for the Vatican's help in his escape, Eichmann converted to Catholicism.
4) Josef Mengele
The sadistic Auschwitz concentration camp doctor fled to South Tyrol in 1949, where supporters provided him with a new passport.
Mengele lived in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, where he suffered a stroke while swimming and drowned on February 7, 1979.
The sadistic Auschwitz concentration camp doctor fled to South Tyrol in 1949, where supporters provided him with a new passport.
Mengele lived in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, where he suffered a stroke while swimming and drowned on February 7, 1979.
5) Klaus Barbie
Known as the "Butcher of Lyon," the French city's former Gestapo chief set off for South America as Klaus Altmann of Romania.
Bolivia extradited him to France in 1983. He received a life sentence and died of cancer in prison on September 25, 1991.
Known as the "Butcher of Lyon," the French city's former Gestapo chief set off for South America as Klaus Altmann of Romania.
Bolivia extradited him to France in 1983. He received a life sentence and died of cancer in prison on September 25, 1991.
6) Walther Rauff
Rauff invented mobile gas chambers, in which exhaust fumes were fed directly into the back of redesigned vans. According to his arrest warrant, he was responsible for at least 97,000 murders. Contd..
Rauff invented mobile gas chambers, in which exhaust fumes were fed directly into the back of redesigned vans. According to his arrest warrant, he was responsible for at least 97,000 murders. Contd..
In 1949, he fled along the ratline together with his wife and two children, to the Ecuadoran city Quito, then continued on to Chile.
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