Cephalonia, Greece
A German prosecutor said this week he would bring murder charges against former Wehrmacht soldiers who massacred Italian prisoners in 1943. More than 5,000 Italians on the Greek island of Cephalonia were murdered by the Germans after Italy withdrew from the war, an atrocity that is featured in the novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The first German investigation into the massacre was shelved in 1968; it was later revealed that the prosecutor’s boss was a former Nazi storm trooper. The case gathered dust until two years ago, when diaries kept by two German witnesses were published. That prompted German prosecutor Ulrich Maass to reopen the files. Now, he said, he has amassed enough evidence to bring charges against 10 former soldiers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How to financially prepare for divorceThe Explainer Facing ‘irreconcilable differences’ does not have to be financially devastating
-
Why it’s important to shop around for a mortgage and what to look forThe Explainer You can save big by comparing different mortgage offers
-
4 ways to save on rising health care costsThe Explainer Health care expenses are part of an overall increase in the cost of living for Americans
