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He is one of those Germans who is acknowledging his own guilt, rather than denying it, or downplaying his own role. He has accepted his "moral guilt" and said some things to show that he is far from innocent, and that he is not in a position to ask forgiveness from his victims.
Groening said that he "shared guilt for the Holocaust, although my part was small".
However, he "expressly" stopped short of asking for "forgiveness for my guilt".
"In view of the scale of the crimes committed in Auschwitz and in other places, I do not believe I am entitled to make such a request," he said. "I can only ask my Lord God for forgiveness."
Hans Holtermann, Groening's lawyers, told reporters:
"In his statement he said he couldn't ask for forgiveness because for him, the crimes committed at Auschwitz were on such a scale that he can't expect either the victims or their relatives to even think about the question of forgiveness."
He admitted to knowing about the mass murder that was taking place at Auschwitz and other places in Nazi German territory. Some of the other things that he said about it included:
"For example I had no idea about the terrible conditions during the deportations -- that shocked me."
"It also became clear to me how much Auschwitz and the Holocaust influenced the lives of the witnesses I heard here. They have obviously suffered their whole lives from their experiences in Auschwitz and the loss of so many loved ones."
Groening attempted to explain his role in a statement read by his lawyer:
"There was a self-denial in me that today I find impossible to explain."
"Perhaps it was also the convenience of obedience with which we were brought up, which allowed no contradiction.
"This indoctrinated obedience prevented registering the daily atrocities as such and rebelling against them.''
His task as an officer at Auschwitz was to collect the belongings of those arriving as prisoners at Auschwitz who arrived by train, and being part of a selection process in which many people were sent straight to the notorious showers.
Groening was criticized by Thomas Walther, the lawyer for the plaintiffs, who pointed out:
"He only apologized about something he did in 2015, namely using words from the SS jargon so he said: 'Sorry that I used the wrong words, I didn't think it would hurt you so much' ... and if I may say so, that's missing the point."
Irene Weiss, an 84-year-old Czech Holocaust survivor and former Auschwitz prisoner who migrated to the United States after the war offered scathing testimony against Groening. She said that she was unable to forgive Groening for his role at Auschwitz. Here is some of what she had to say:
"He has said that he does not consider himself a perpetrator but merely a small cog in the machine.
"But if he were sitting here today wearing his SS uniform, I would tremble and all the horror that I experienced as a 13-year-old would return to me.
"Any person who wore that uniform in that place represented terror and the depths to which humanity can sink, regardless of what function they performed."
She added:
"A woman pointed to a chimney and said: 'Do you see the smoke? There is your family,''' she said, according to a transcript of her statement from her lawyers.
"If he were sitting here today wearing his SS uniform, I would tremble, and all the horror that I experienced as a 13-year old would return to me.
"To that 13-year-old, any person who wore that uniform in that place, represented terror and the depths to which humanity can sink, regardless of what function they performed.''
Weiss also said that overall, she was disappointing by Groening's explanations, and wished specifically that he had shed light on some lingering questions. Here is what she said:
"I would have liked to have heard a truer confession and explanation. I would have liked to have asked him questions - how could you not have been aware when you actually saw what results your contribution had?"
Many Nazis had been cleared by German officials, although that changed in 2011, with the prosecution of former death camp guard John Demjanjuk, who served as a guard at Sobibor. Demjanjuk himself did not stand out or have a high role, yet he was seen as guilty simply for having served at the death camp, and have worn the uniform of the murderous SS.
Since then, the few Nazi guards still living are being increasingly scrutinized and put to trial, while that chance still exists.
The following links are to articles that are the sources of the quotes and information used in the above blog entry:
'Bookkeeper of Auschwitz', survivor testify as trial nears end AFP By Deborah Cole, July 1, 2015:
http://news.yahoo.com/bookkeeper-auschwitz-survivor-testify-trial-nears-end-132317351.html
Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening admits role at camp, published by BBC Europe, July 1, 2015:
Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening admits role at camp, published by BBC Europe, July 1, 2015:
'Accountant of Auschwitz' Oskar Groening: I Can Only Ask God for Forgiveness by Reuters, July 1, 2015:
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