Erich Priebke
A Nazi war criminal who orchestrated a horrific wartime massacre and evaded justice for half a century by hiding in plain sight in Argentina.
1913–2013 (age 100)·German SS police commander·Birthday: July 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Erich Priebke's life is a dark study in evasion and belated accountability. As a captain in the SS in occupied Rome in 1944, he was directly involved in organizing the Ardeatine Caves massacre, a brutal reprisal that killed 335 Italian civilians. In the war's chaos, he escaped a POW camp and, aided by Nazi escape networks, fled to Argentina, where he lived openly for decades as a community figure. His discovery by an American television news team in 1994 ignited an international firestorm. Extradited to Italy, his 1996 trial became a fraught national reckoning. Convicted but initially benefiting from leniency due to his age, continued public outrage eventually saw him placed under house arrest. He died unrepentant at 100, a living ghost of Europe's darkest hour whose long freedom underscored the incomplete nature of post-war justice.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Erich was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Erich Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Erich's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 60
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 70
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 80
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2013Died at 100
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Was a key organizer and participant in the Ardeatine massacre in Rome on March 24, 1944, which killed 335 Italian civilians.
- Successfully evaded capture after World War II, living under his own name in Argentina for nearly 50 years.
- Was extradited from Argentina to Italy in 1995 and stood trial for war crimes, resulting in a life sentence (later changed to house arrest).
- His capture and trial reopened painful debates about World War II justice and collaboration in both Italy and Argentina.
Did You Know?
For years in Argentina, he was the manager of a German-language school in Bariloche and was a respected member of the local community.
He was interviewed by ABC News in 1994, not realizing it would lead to his identification and eventual arrest.
Priebke died at the age of 100 in Rome while serving his sentence under house arrest.
During his trial, he claimed he was only following orders from his superiors, a defense rejected by the court.
“I was only following orders from my superiors in the SS.”
