Walter Obodzinsky

Walter Obodzinsky, also known as Volodya Obodzinsky (5 July 1919 – 6 March 2004),[1] was a Polish-born member of the Wehrmacht.[2] He gained notoriety when the Canadian government sought to revoke his citizenship in 1999, on the basis that Obodzinsky had concealed his past Nazi activities.[3]

Walter Obodzinsky
Born(1919-07-05)5 July 1919
Turzec, Poland
Died6 March 2004(2004-03-06) (aged 84)
Canada
Service/branchWehrmacht
Battles/warsWorld War II

Life

Obodzinsky was born July 5, 1919, in Turzec, Poland.[1] Between 1941 and 1944, Obodzinsky collaborated with Nazi occupiers in Belarus, serving as a member of the auxiliary police, Wehrmacht[4] and Jagdzug.[5]

Obodzinsky joined an auxiliary police unit under the command of Heinrich Himmler in 1941.[6] The unit later participated in the massacre of 1300-1500 Jews in the ghetto of Mir, Belarus.[6][7]

From March to July 1944, Obodzinsky was a member of the Wehrmacht.[1] He deserted the Wehrmacht in July 1944 while stationed in France.[1] From December 1944 to May 1945, Obodzinsky fought on the Italian front with the Second Company of the 21st Infantry Battalion of the Polish Second Corps.[1]

Canadian deportation proceedings

In late 1946, Obodzinsky gained temporary admission to Canada from Italy. He was permanently admitted to Canada in 1950, and gained Canadian citizenship in 1955.[8] In 1994, based on information received by the Canadian War Crimes Investigation Unit from the British War Crimes Investigation Unit, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police opened an investigation into Obodzinsky's activities during World War II.[1] In 1999, Obodzinsky was served with a Notice of Intent to Revoke Citizenship by the Canadian government, on the basis that he had not revealed his war crimes during World War II.[9]

In a 2003 ruling that ultimately revoked Obodzinsky's Canadian citizenship, Justice François Lemieux of the Federal Court of Canada described Obodzinsky as "an accomplice in the perpetration of atrocities committed, undeniably, during the German occupation of Belarus."[6] The Government of Canada suspended its attempts to denaturalize Obodzinsky following his death on March 6, 2004.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Federal Court Decisions: Canada v. Obodzinsky". Federal Court of Canada. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. THANH HA, TU. "Man, 84, lied about role with Nazis, court rules". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  3. "Docket 28622 Walter Obodzinsky (alias Wlodzimierz or Volodya Obodzinsky) v. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration". Supreme Court of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  4. David Singer; Lawrence Grossman (1 January 2005). American Jewish Year. Amer Jewish Committee. ISBN 978-0-87495-132-5.
  5. "Un Montréalais de 84 ans risque l'expulsion". Le Devoir. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  6. Jiminez, Marina. "Death defeats justice for Nazi victim's son". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  7. "Mir during the Holocaust". Yadvashem.org. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  8. "Citation: Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Obodzinsky (T.D.), 2002". Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  9. "2002-2003: Sixth Annual Report Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program" (PDF). Government of Canada Publications. Government of Canada. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
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