“Nothing good ever comes from anger. Any goodwill gesture in my book will win over anger any time.”
Those were the words penned by Eva Mozes Kor, an 81-year-old Auschwitz survivor after she was kissed and embraced by a former Nazi guard during his trial.
Former SS Sgt. Oskar Groening is being tried in Germany as an accessory to the murder of at least 300,000 Jews at Auschwitz. Groening, now 93, admits he kept watch as thousands were led to the gas chambers at the concentration camp.
Kor, who was subjected to horrific medical experiments at Auschwitz, testified last week at Groening’s trial. On Friday, she approached the former SS guard in court. Kor wrote in an op-ed for The Times of London that she wanted to "thank him for having some human decency in accepting responsibility for what he has done.”
Groening's reaction, however, took Kor -- and everyone in the courtroom -- by surprise.
He kissed Kor on the cheek and embraced her.
“I was a little bit astonished,” said Kor, who according to the Times of Israel traveled from Indiana to Germany for the trial. “It was not planned. This is what you see when you see two human beings interact. He likes me, how about that? I am going back to the U.S. with a kiss on my cheek from a former Nazi.”'
On Friday, Kor shared a photograph on Facebook of her and Groening holding hands. She penned a long caption to accompany the moving image.
“I know many people will criticize me for this photo, but so be it,” she wrote. “It was two human beings 70 years after it happened. For the life of me I will never understand why anger is preferable to a goodwill gesture.”
Kor said that she still holds Groening accountable for his actions during the Holocaust.
“He was a small screw in a big killing machine, and the machine cannot function without the small screws,” Kor wrote. However, Kor added that she forgives the man, and believes that there may be value in bringing “the victims” and “the perpetrators” together to “face the truth, try to heal and work together to prevent it from ever happening again.”
Today after the afternoon session of the court, I went up to Oskar Groening. He wanted to stand up. I said, "Please don'...
According to the AP, Groening was “indicted under a new line of German legal reasoning that anyone who helped a death camp function can be accused of being an accessory to murder without evidence of participation in a specific crime.”
At the first day of his trial last week, Groening acknowledged sharing the “moral guilt” of the murders.
"I ask for forgiveness. I share morally in the guilt but whether I am guilty under criminal law, you will have to decide,” he told the court, per the BBC.
If found guilty, Groening could face three to 15 years in prison.
Groening is known for being one of the few Nazis who has spoken publicly about his role in the genocide. He has said previously that he chose to speak out in the hopes of silencing Holocaust deniers.
Auschwitz survivors walk through the gate of the former Auschwitz concentration camp as they arrive to attend fesitivities to mark the 70th anniversary of the camp's liberation on January 27, 2015 at the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Auschwitz survivors arrive to attend fesitivities to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nazi death camp's liberation on January 27, 2015 at the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
One of the Survivors stands near the Wall of Death during the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 2015 in Aushwitz, Poland. The day commemorates when the Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Poland on January 27, 1945. It is hoped that through remembering these events, people will remember the Holocaust and prevent further genocide from taking place.
US director Steven Spielberg (C) is pictured on the sidelines of the unveiling of a plaque at the former Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 2015 at the camp's memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Members of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors walk past a guard tower as they depart after laying wreaths at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (C), Piotr Cywinski (C-R), director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and Auschwitz survivors arrive to lay down a wreath at the former Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 2015 at the camp's memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (C) and Auschwitz survivors lay down a wreath at the death wall of the former Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 2015 at the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Holocaust survivors pay tribute to fallen comrades at the 'death wall' execution spot in the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland, on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp on January 27, 2015. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
A view of Auchwitz Death Camp during the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 2015 in Aushwitz, Poland. The day commemorates when the Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Poland on January 27, 1945. It is hoped that through remembering these events, people will remember the Holocaust and prevent further genocide from taking place
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (C), Piotr Cywinski (C-R), director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and Auschwitz survivors arrive to lay down a wreath at the former Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 2015 at the camp's memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Holocaust survivors pay tribute to fallen comrades at the 'death wall' execution spot in the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland, on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp on January 27, 2015. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
A Holocaust survivor pays tribute to fallen comrades putting her hand on the 'death wall' execution spot in the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland, on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp on January 27, 2015. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Auschwitz survivors arrive at the former Auschwitz concentration camp to attend fesitivities to mark the 70th anniversary of the camp's liberation on January 27, 2015 at the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
A view of Auchwitz Death Camp during the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 2015 in Aushwitz, Poland. The day commemorates when the Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Poland on January 27, 1945. It is hoped that through remembering these events, people will remember the Holocaust and prevent further genocide from taking place
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (C), Piotr Cywinski (C-R, hidden), director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and Auschwitz survivors lay down a wreath at the death wall of the former Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 2015 at the camp's memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (C), Piotr Cywinski (C-R), director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and Auschwitz survivors arrive to lay down a wreath at the death wall of the former Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 2015 at the camp's memorial site in Oswiecim, Poland. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (L) looks on as members of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors arrive to lay wreaths and flowers at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
A member of an association of Auschwitz survivors departs following a wreath-laying ceremony at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Members of an association of Auschwitz survivors, including one showing a medal given to Polish former concentration camp prisoners, depart after laying wreaths at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
A member of an association of Auschwitz survivors stands at the execution wall during a wreath-laying ceremony at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Auschwitz survivor Eugenivsz Dabrowski visits the execution wall on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
A member of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors wears an armband with a barbed-wire pattern at a wreath-laying ceremony at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
A view of Auchwitz Death Camp during the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 2015 in Aushwitz, Poland. The day commemorates when the Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Poland on January 27, 1945. It is hoped that through remembering these events, people will remember the Holocaust and prevent further genocide from taking place
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (L) looks on as members of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors arrive to lay wreaths at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Auschwitz survivors visit the execution wall on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Auschwitz survivor Eugenivsz Dabrowski visits the execution wall on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Auschwitz survivors visit the execution wall on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Bronislaw Komorowski departs after visiting the execution wall on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Auschwitz survivors walk away from the execution wall on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Auschwitz survivors visit the execution wall on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Members of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors depart after laying wreaths at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Members of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors depart after laying wreaths at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Members of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors arrive to lay wreaths and flowers at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
A member of an association of Auschwitz concentration camp survivors walks through the infamous 'Arbeit Macht Frei' entrance gate after laying wreaths with other members at the execution wall at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp on January 27, 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland. International heads of state, dignitaries and over 300 Auschwitz survivors are attending the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27th January, 1945. Auschwitz was among the most notorious of the concentration camps run by the Nazis during WWII and whilst it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll it is alleged that over a million people lost their lives in the camp, the majority of whom were Jewish.
Holocaust survivors greet each others as they arrive to pay tribute to fallen comrades in the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland, on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp on January 27, 2015. Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism.
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