Martin Weiss (Nazi official)

Martin Weiss (21 February 1903 – 30 September 1984)[1] was a German Nazi official and de facto commander of the Vilna Ghetto and a Holocaust perpetrator.

He was also the commander of the notorious German - sponsored Ypatingasis būrys killing squad, which was largely responsible for the Ponary massacre where approximately 100,000 people were shot.

Despite his low rank of technical sergeant (SS-Hauptscharführer), he was in charge of the Vilna Ghetto and nearby Lukiškės Prison,[2] as well as the Ypatingasis būrys killing squad responsible for the Ponary massacre, where Polish Jews and many non-Jewish Poles were brutally killed, including by smashing children heads (according to professional reporter and eyewitness: Józef Mackiewicz, https://jozefmackiewicz.com/ponary-baza-jozef-mackiewicz/) until 1943.

[1] In September 1943, he was selected to coordinate the work of the Sonderkommando 1005 to erase evidence of Jewish exterminations i.e unearthing and burning of the corpses.

[4] On 27 March 1944, the children under age 16 of Kailis forced labor camp were rounded up in an operation (Kinderaktion) commanded by Weiss.

[5] Weiss was noted by the innocent people held in the ghetto for his merciless cruelty and frequent beatings.