Infamous Holocaust photo finally linked to Nazi officer
A well-known 1941 Holocaust photo from Berdychiv, Ukraine, has now been linked to a specific Nazi officer: Jakobus Onnen.
Historian Jurgen Matthaus used new research to confirm Onnen's identity in the image, which was previously misattributed to another city.
Onnen's role in the Einsatzgruppe D and its impact
Onnen started out as a teacher before joining the Nazis and becoming part of Einsatzgruppe D—a unit responsible for killing over 100,000 civilians, mostly Jews, by late 1942.
Hitler even praised their "efficiency" during a visit to Berdychiv in early August 1941.
By 1944, only about 15 of Berdychiv's original 20,000 Jewish residents were still alive.
Onnen died in combat in 1943.
Significance of the discovery
Putting a name to the face reminds us that these crimes had real people behind them—not just faceless history.
Even though the victim is still unknown, this discovery shows how technology and archives can help us see the human stories behind old photos and better understand our past.