In September of 1943 Lida became “Judenrein”.  The last train (with Jews) in the direction of Central Poland forever ended the tale of many  centuries of Lida’s Jewish community.  Hard battles were still fought in Europe as well as other frontiers.  Undefeated German war potential was already cracked.  They (Germans) were losing battles, yet  the plan of Jewish mass destruction was still fully active. High chimneys of crematoriums were smoking around the clock.  That is where, with German punctuality, hundreds of trains full of Jews from all over Europe were headed.  Chances of survival were minimal.  Through dark clouds covering Europe, there was not one single ray of hope.  A few hundred  men and women found new hideaways in   partisan troops, which were organized on the town outskirts.  Not the best of situations.  From one end are challenges of life in the woods, and from the other one is anti-Semitism, which was quickly spread from the enemies to Russians.  Thus, extremely depressing atmosphere pushed some to go back to towns, also now known as ghetto.    Those few ended up in the hands of Germans or  were murdered by Polish bandits-nationalists.

No one even for a second imagined that in a few decades the assassins of their loved ones will have to finally face  trial.  Unfortunately, very few lived to see it.  Lida”s “gebitskomissar” died during the war on French frontier.  His two closest associates, Verner and Vindish,  [Werner & Windisch] were on the run for many years.  Finally, in 1964 they were arrested in the city of Mats [Mainz], and that is where their trial took place.

There is no need to explain today what crimes were committed by the three Germans back in  the 1940’s.  Just the pure sound of their names can make people shiver.  Without an inch of human kindness, the three sadists started smoothly planned mass destruction of Jewish population of Lida and its outskirts.  They completed their project  with the last transport deporting Jews to Maidanek in September of 1943.

Even today the details of Vindish’s and Verner’s arrests remain a secret of the German authorities.  The trial did not take place until 1967-68.  Investigators from Germany arrived in Israel to question witnesses.  The following individuals were invited to Germany to be involved in the actual trial:  Damesek, Gorfunk, Berkovich, Arluk, Savitski, Kaplan, Dr. Golobievski, sisters Slonimchik, Reznik, Dr. Kivilevich, Rivka Novoprutskaya, Bella Stolovitski, Goldfisher, Kamionski, Frenkel, Tenenbaum, Druk, Sima Ilutovich-Kosher.  In addition, some witnesses from places located nearby Lida were invited as well.

Prosecutors also invited, as witnesses, 250 German citizens, among those were wife of “gebitskomissar”, also known as  freilen  [Fraeulein] Maier, Dombek, who was a manager of iron plants of Shteinberg, Shapiro, manager of beer brewing factory, and a lot of officers and soldiers.  I was curious to find out whether military personnel came voluntarily.  I spoke with prosecutor Gitsman, who was a former Vermaht’s  [Wehrmacht] officer, and he explained to me that German government has an access to everyone’s name, military title and location since 1914.

Verner, whom we remember to be almost two meters tall, and an athletic type, now looked miserable – old, sick, and broken.  He appeared to be just a passive observer, and did not talk to lawyers at all.  Meanwhile, Vindish was a complete opposite, and acted as he was back in occupied Lida, and not in a defendant’s chair.  He kept frequently greeting familiar faces using a Nazi hand gesture.  He also constantly interrupted the process with provocative sayings.

The prosecutor told me that Vindish kept in contact with high rank officials trying to persuade them that national-socialist regiment is the perfect fit for Germany. He went through psychiatric observation, and was found to be completely healthy.  At the trial’s opening, he asked judges not to be influenced by Zionistic-American propaganda.    During the deposition, at times it would become difficult to maintain order.  Some changes had to take place as a result.  Two attorneys –young Germans – tried to confuse witnesses not taking into consideration that over twenty five years have passed, and that  remembering all the details was extremely difficult.  Some witnesses’ nerves were greatly shattered as they were trying to recollect all the horrible and inhumane events that took place.  The questioning process lasted a few weeks.  We were impatiently waiting to for the sentence.   Some time has passed, and suddenly Protestant minister Gikel informed us from Germany that the entire process was dismissed.  He mailed us an article from some German newspaper with the heading “sensational news in German court room”.  Attorneys of two defendants discovered recording devices that were placed to tape conversations between defendants and their attorneys.  The final verdict was to close the case, and then re-open it as a new one.

In the spring of 1969, case re-opened.  Verner, may he be cursed, was not capable to attend.  We were told that he was in agony in the hospital.  All witnesses, once again, received notices to appear in the Mainz’ court.  The trial started with new attorneys and jury.  Attorneys tried, at any cost, to confuse witnesses and to prove that their present testimonies differed from the original ones.  They weren’t successful in their attempts, as they didn’t realize that to them it was yet another maneuver, and to us the horrific truth of the past stayed in our memories forever.  Once again, the questioning lasted a few months.  On July 18, 1969, court’s principal, Miller, announced: “The defendant, Leopold Vindish, fifty six years of age, arrested in 1964 in Mainz, where he lived as a merchant, is sentenced to life in prison.”  Seven incidents, involving murder of Jews, were proven to have his participation.  Former ”stableiter” and vice ‘gebitskomissar” of Lida was permanently deprived of citizenship rights.  Jury was convinced that in May of 1942,  thedefendant was personally involved in the mass murder (6,500) of Lida’s and its outskirts’ Jewish population.

That is how the entire trial ended.  Vindish left the court room with a smile on his face and a Nazi hand gesture.  He appealed the sentence, and the final result is yet to be determined.  In my opinion, the process was conducted properly from the legal standpoint.  Jury and judges were seeking the truth and fairness.

Life sentence is the highest form of punishment in modern Germany.  I believe that there is no fair sentence that can justify the nature of the crime committed by the Nazi murderers.

NOTE: The appeal was unsuccessful.  Windisch is since deceased.  German documents relating to the trial, and German news coverage of the illicit taping of conversations can be found on the Lida District site.