Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals

At the close of WWII, the Allied powers swore to bring Nazi criminals to justice, but due to the Cold War and shifting postwar priorities, only a fraction of these offenders were ever captured, prosecuted, and punished. Candice Bergen narrates this PBS documentary about the often frustrating quest for justice, detailing faulty government efforts to locate war criminals, as some Nazis fled to South America, the U.S., and other countries, while others simply hid in plain sight for years. Jewish vigilantes filled the void, even smuggling poisoned bread into prisons housing SS and concentration camp officers. Incredibly, some criminals found an ally in the Vatican, which helped supply fake documents and passports to fleeing Germans. Although there were significant victories and moments of high drama (notably the capture, trial, and execution of Final Solution architect Adolf Eichmann), there were major failures, such as Dr. Josef Mengele's ability to stay one step ahead of his pursuers. While the chances of any high profile captures are now remote, Nazi investigators continue to haunt the dusty archives, though with most of the surviving men (and a few women) now in their early to mid-90s, time is running out. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)