John Hansl
Encyclopedia
John Hansl entered the Nazi Waffen SS in 1943, aged eighteen.
Born Johann Hansl in Donji Miholjac
, Yugoslavia
, in what is now part of present day Croatia
, to ethnic German parents, he served as an armed SS Death's Head battalion guard of civilian prisoners at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
near Berlin
, and later at the Natzweiler concentration camp in France
.
After World War II
he moved to Austria
. He emigrated to the United States in 1955 and was granted citizenship in 1960. He became a U.S. citizen in 1966. Later his wife and family joined him.
On April 8, 2005, a federal court working with evidence obtained by the Office of Special Investigations
, revoked his American citizenship because of his service as a Nazi concentration camp guard. The judge ruled that "regarding his personal conduct as a Death's Head guard leaves no room for factual dispute whether he personally advocated or assisted in persecution". The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the decision, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the case.
Born Johann Hansl in Donji Miholjac
Donji Miholjac
-Geography:Donji Miholjac is located on the river Drava at the border with Hungary, 34 km north of Našice; elevation 97 m.-Economy:Chief occupations are farming, rubber and plastics processing, production of vinegar, soft drinks and pasta.-Population:...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, in what is now part of present day Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, to ethnic German parents, he served as an armed SS Death's Head battalion guard of civilian prisoners at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
near Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and later at the Natzweiler concentration camp in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he moved to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He emigrated to the United States in 1955 and was granted citizenship in 1960. He became a U.S. citizen in 1966. Later his wife and family joined him.
On April 8, 2005, a federal court working with evidence obtained by the Office of Special Investigations
Office of Special Investigations
Office of Special Investigations may refer to:* U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations* Office of Special Investigations * Office of Special Investigations...
, revoked his American citizenship because of his service as a Nazi concentration camp guard. The judge ruled that "regarding his personal conduct as a Death's Head guard leaves no room for factual dispute whether he personally advocated or assisted in persecution". The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the decision, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the case.