Ep 11. The Monster and the Butcher

In Nazi Hunters season 1 episode 11, titled "The Monster and the Butcher," the focus is on the investigation into two of the most notorious war criminals in history: Dr. Josef Mengele and Klaus Barbie.

Dr. Josef Mengele gained infamy for his role as a physician at Auschwitz concentration camp where he performed horrific medical experiments on prisoners, particularly twins and people with genetic abnormalities. When Mengele escaped Europe after the war, he ended up in South America where he evaded capture for years. The episode delves into the efforts of the Nazi Hunters, particularly Simon Wiesenthal, to track down Mengele and bring him to justice.

The second war criminal profiled in the episode is Klaus Barbie, also known as the "Butcher of Lyon." Barbie was responsible for the torture and murder of thousands of French citizens during the Nazi occupation of France. Like Mengele, Barbie fled to South America after the war and was living freely until a determined group of Nazi hunters led by Beate Klarsfeld tracked him down.

The episode explores the methods used by the Nazi Hunters to uncover Mengele and Barbie's whereabouts, including the use of intelligence gathering and careful analysis of documents and personal histories. It discusses the difficulties encountered by the hunters, particularly in South American countries where former Nazi officials were able to find refuge and avoid extradition.

Beyond the focus on Mengele and Barbie, the episode also touches on the larger issues surrounding the pursuit of war criminals. It delves into the debate between those who believed in vigilante justice and those who sought to bring war criminals to trial in a court of law. It also explores the challenges faced by the hunters in securing the cooperation of governments around the world and the tensions that existed between different groups of hunters with competing aims.

Overall, "The Monster and the Butcher" is a fascinating episode that provides insight into the ongoing efforts to bring Nazi war criminals to justice and the complex legal, ethical, and political questions that surround this task. It is a powerful reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the importance of ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.