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Is it illegal to have been a Nazi?

If former members of the Nazi party were found in the US, could they be arrested for war crimes?

(This is asked in the vein of "The Apt Pupil," which is both a short story by Stephen King and a movie featuring Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen: about a former Nazi who is discovered in the US by a student and blackmailed.)

9 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    In that novella, the Nazi had personally been involved in the interrogation and murder of dozens of Jews. It was his acts, and his anti-Semitism, that impelled the kid, his Apt Pupil, to hate his Jewish girlfriend and ultimately, to open up on cars on the freeway with his deer rifle.

    In answer to your direct question, no, having served in the German Army is not reason to bar someone from immigrating to the US. Lying about it or not disclosing it on the citizenship application is illegal and can earn that person a one way trip back to Germany. It was that fate that the Nazi could not accept, because he knew he would be facing life in prison there, so he killed himself. It was a very compelling story, as are so many of Stephen King's books.

  • 1 decade ago

    Being a nazi is not. However having done somethings in the war may get you imprisoned and sent to israel for a trial for warcrimes. They did not go after all the little fish, but the big ones were reeled in or in hiding. The character in the movie was no little fish.

  • Paul
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Do you mean somebody who is guilty of war crimes, or just a Nazi party member. You can probably register at your county clerk's office to be a Nazi party member, just like Democrat or Republican -- that's not a crime.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    to have been a Nazi?

    Once A NAZI Always A NAZI

    This Is An Ideal That Does Not Change

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  • 1 decade ago

    to answer your question, it isnt exactly illegal to become a Nazi . But if your caught being a Nazi you were sent to jail or back to your country or even death sentence .

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    what distinction does it make regardless of if this is criminal or unlawful, who of their good recommendations might placed on something so despicable this is in fairly undesirable flavor for every person who wears/reflects a swatsika must be made to bypass to the bypass to the dying camps to make certain what the logo of Nazism stand for. if it relatively is not unlawful it ahould be.

  • 1 decade ago

    Yes, in the US it is illegal, except maybe in Idaho.

  • 1 decade ago

    they are deported or jailed, but highly doubt any are alive .

  • 1 decade ago

    i doubt its illegal

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