Gestapo lieutenant admitted 30,000 victims

Ober-lieutenant Hans Hermann Koch, head of a special Gestapo unit, turned out to be one of the most cynical defendants in the 1946 Minsk trial. When asked about the number of people killed, he frankly admitted, "I think it was about 30 thousand people." Koch emphasized that they began "killing children as well." Unlike other defendants, he did not disavow his actions, stating that he acted not only on orders but also of his own will. Koch remained a convinced Nazi until the end of the trial. Details about his crimes and motives are available in the documentary film "The Minsk Trial. The Case of 1946."

Context

The 1946 Minsk trial was one of the largest war tribunals dedicated to investigating and punishing war criminals in Belarus after the collapse of the USSR.