Last German recognized as Holocaust-era ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ dies

Gertrud Steinl, the last surviving German recognized by Israel for saving Jewish people during the Holocaust, died last week, a day before her 97th birthday, according to Andre Freud, head of Nuremberg’s Jewish community.

Steinl was named as “Righteous Among the Nations” in 1979, the highest honor Israel bestows upon non-Jewish people for saving lives during the genocide.

A German, Steinl worked as an overseer in Stryj, Poland, during World War II. When a worker, Sarah Shlomi, privately told her she was Jewish, Steinl sent her to live with Steinl’s parents, The Associated Press said, citing German news agency dpa.

A total of 601 Germans have been awarded the honor, compared to 641 Belarusians, 682 Italians, 2,634 Ukrainians and 6,863 Poles.