Hauptsturmführer Erich Priebke

Discussion in 'Axis Units' started by SPERO56, Jul 27, 2009.

  1. SPERO56

    SPERO56 Member

    Guys

    As some of you may know I am fortunate to live in Rome, Italy and was intrigued by the massacre at the Ardeatine Caves in Rome. Turns out where the 300+ Italians were killed by the SS is just half a mile away from my house.

    From what I can find out is that this was triggered by an event in down town Rome where resistance fighters/partisans detonated a bob as a troop of SS marched by killing 32 of them. Direct orders from Hitler Priebke was tasked with retaliation killing to send a message out to the general population .

    I have done a bit of research and plan to visit this site this weekend. Whilst trawling the web I came across this interview in 2004 when Priebke was still under house arrest here in Rome.

    Interview with Erich Priebke

    He sounds as defiant and unapologetic as you would perhaps expect.

    What I want to know... sorry for the long ramble... is Priebke still alive and is so is he still here in Rome? To me that would be very unsettling visiting this site knowing the man who was in part responsbile for a massacre of civilians is still alive and kicking in the same town as me.

    Thanks for any thoughts



     
  2. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    There's a thread on here somewhere that I started after watching a fantastic documentary on it...There's some German shots from the cave etc etc etc.

    I think it Rome in the title :unsure:
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  5. SPERO56

    SPERO56 Member

    Thanks Guys. If I go this weekend would it be a good idea to post any pictures? Or is it to macabre for this site/
     
    Za Rodinu likes this.
  6. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    Not at all, I'm sure we will be very interested in your pictures!

    Thanks in advance :)
     
  7. SPERO56

    SPERO56 Member

    Guys

    I took the plunge today and visited the Ardeatine Caves here in Italy. Turns out the site is one mile from my house. You may have seen my last post about Priebke - he appears to be still alive but under house arrest here in Italy. Kind of scary that he is still out there. He felt he is being persecuted today for just following orders.

    However, the story of the massacre is best told at this site:

    The Massacre at the Ardeatine Caves, 24 August 1944

    They were taken by the SS to these caves and shot as a reprisal for a partisan bomb attack in March 1944 in Rome's centre. Preibke was not the sole instigator but was the man in control at the time of the execution.

    A total of 335 Italians - Jews, prisoners, partisans and when they found they did not have the right ratio - Hitler ordered three to every one of the 28 SS killed - the simply took people off the street - men and boys.

    Interesting point for me was that three SS men objected and Priebke - possibly under the influence of the cognac that he supplied to his men to help them do this job - had them shot as well. They are not buried at the Ardeatine Caves.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/40896573@N04/3765313585/in/photostream/

    Ok going to give this a go to see if you can see the images
     

    Attached Files:

    Owen likes this.
  8. SPERO56

    SPERO56 Member

    We had the whole place to ourselves and it was a very eerie place. Very quiet and very nicely laid out.

    You could see the passages there taken down and then shot in groups of fives; the bodies dumped in the caves and then blasted to cover the evidence.


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    http://www.flickr.com/photos/40896573@N04/3766184980/in/photostream/

    The last two images are of a 22 year old electrician - he was the 335th victim.

    Beautiful sunny day here in Rome. Made me stop and reflect a bit.

    And the man behind it all - is still here living in Rome. Hope this was ok to post.

    Spero
     
  9. SPERO56

    SPERO56 Member

    Attached Files:

    dbf likes this.
  10. Capt.Sensible

    Capt.Sensible Well-Known Member

    You are doing a fine job, Spero. Thanks for sharing your photos.

    CS
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Thanks for sharing the photos.
     
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Outrage in Italy as ex-Nazi officer free to shop - Yahoo! News

    ROME – Jewish groups expressed outrage Wednesday that a former Nazi SS captain convicted for his role in the massacre of 335 civilians in Italy has been allowed to leave house arrest for such everyday activities as shopping or going to church.
    Erich Priebke's lawyer announced this week that an Italian court granted the 97-year-old German permission last year to leave the Rome apartment where he is serving a life sentence to take care of the "indispensable needs for his life."
    He has to inform police before going out, and his lawyer says he is always watched, even in church.
     
  13. britman

    britman Senior Member

  14. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    He should've been shot years ago. With an appropriate hearing of course.


    Tim,

    Thank you for posting the story and pictures as you have brought it to life and reminded us of victims suffering.

    I am sure that there are plenty of victims relatives only too happy to accommodate his demise.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  15. PeterG

    PeterG Senior Member

    What I want to know... sorry for the long ramble... is Priebke still alive and is so is he still here in Rome? To me that would be very unsettling visiting this site knowing the man who was in part responsbile for a massacre of civilians is still alive and kicking in the same town as me.
    [/URL]
    Yes, Spero, he is still alive as you can see from this report of 6 October Convicted Nazi allowed 'shopping' trips - UPI.com

    I read his interview, which I had not seen before, with interest. Speaking of himself in the third person he makes this breathtaking remark "During the Priebke case, we have witnessed a frightening number of violations of the basic concepts of human rights". And this gem: "I had never killed anyone before that day." Poor man, his first massacre.

    But the Ardeatine caves massacre, Spero, ghastly though it is, is only one of many hundreds of massacres carried out in Italy. A good start for the rest is Le stragi nascoste - L'armadio della vergogna: impunita e rimozione dei crimini di guerra nazifascisti 1943-2001 by Mimmo Franzelli (Oscar Mondadori, 2002, ISBN 88-04-51974-6). Unfortunately there is no English translation of this excellent book.
     
  16. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Peter

    Yes, Spero, he is still alive as you can see from this report of 6 October Convicted Nazi allowed 'shopping' trips - UPI.com




    Thanks for the update on this unsavoury character.

    I suppose it is too much to hope that he will ever get his just desserts :(

    Ron
     
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Peter
    Thanks for the update on this unsavoury character.

    Ron , I take it you missed my post #12 of 7th October then?
    ;)
     
  18. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Owen

    If you could give me the link to it then I could tell you if I missed it :)

    Ron

    ps

    Oooooops !
    I now see that in comment No.12 you had posted virtually the same info.
    Mea culpa :( , I really must read things a little slower.
    Acknowledgements now duly made :)
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    The one in post #12 which bumped this thread up from over a year in obscurity.
     
  20. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Owen

    Read my PS to my posting #18

    Ron
     

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