Irmgard Furchner, Notorious Nazi Camp Secretary, Passes Away at 99

Her conviction represents a crucial step in addressing accountability for Nazi atrocities.

Irmgard Furchner, who served as a secretary for the commandant of the Stutthof concentration camp in German-occupied Poland, has died at the age of 99 on January 14. Her passing was confirmed by Frederike Milhoffer, a spokeswoman for the Itzehoe court where she was convicted in 2022 of being an accessory to more than 10,000 murders. Reports of her death were published on April 7 by Der Spiegel and Schleswig-Holsteinische Zeitungsverlag.

Ms. Furchner’s prosecution marked a significant shift in how German authorities handle historical cases related to Nazi war crimes. In recent years, they have begun prosecuting lower-ranking personnel, like secretaries and guards, who played roles in atrocities, even when they didn't directly commit violence. Onur Ozata, an attorney for some survivors, described this as a landmark moment in the pursuit of judicial accountability, highlighting the importance of holding all individuals complicit in the Nazi regime to account.

Furchner, born Irmgard Dirksen, began her work at Stutthof in June 1943, where she was employed under commandant Paul-Werner Hoppe. While fulfilling her typical secretarial duties, she played a chilling role in the bureaucratic machinery of the camp, typing up deportation lists and execution orders that contributed to the systemic extermination of thousands.