'Germany destroyed papers about wanted Nazi Brunner'

Foreign intelligence agency reportedly shredded documents on Eichmann deputy, fueling speculation senior German officials were protecting him.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Auschwitz 311 R (photo credit: REUTERS)
Auschwitz 311 R
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, shredded more than 500 pages of documents related to wanted Nazi fugitive Alois Brunner in the 1990s, fueling speculation that he worked for the BND after the war and was being protected by senior German officials, Der Spiegel reported.
A deputy to Eichmann, Brunner assisted in implementing the Final Solution and is held directly responsible for the deaths of at least 130,000 Jews. He is believed to have spent some 40 years hiding in Syria and was later rumored to have fled to South America.
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Brunner was wounded twice by letter bombs sent to him - reportedly by the Mossad - during the 40 years he spent in Syria. In 1961 he reportedly lost his left eye in an explosion and in 1980 he lost three fingers in a similar blast.
He is at the top of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's list of wanted Nazis, although it is unknown if he is still alive. He would be 99-years-old.
According to Der Spiegel, the documents that were destroyed were mostly from the period from 1954-1964.
The incident does not mark the first time that the Germans have been suspected of protecting Nazi fugitives.
Earlier this year, the German daily Bild reported that West Germany knew Adolf Eichmann’s whereabouts as early as 1952, but did not reveal the information to Israel.
Yaakov Katz and Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.