# What Top Nazi(s) Fled to South America? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059 "2008-08-15T02:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/1 "2008-08-15T02:30:24Z")
I seem to recall hearing of at least one top Nazi who was caught in South America maybe decades after World War II ended. I seem to recall he was brought to trial despite how much he had aged. I just checked the obvious Nazi names on Wiki, but Goebles, Gerring, and Himler did not flee to South America. Maybe a SDoper history buff would know what I may be thinking of? Thanks, - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/2 "2008-08-15T02:41:18Z")
[Adolf Eichmann](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Eichmann) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/3 "2008-08-15T02:49:48Z")
[Here](http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=297273&rel_no=1) is a nice little article about them. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/4 "2008-08-15T03:57:12Z")
[Joseph Mengele](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Mengele), The Angel of Death, lived for in Argentina and Brazil for 40 years before he died there in 1979. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/5 "2008-08-15T13:33:57Z")
Otto Skorzeny was another major Nazi who spent some post-war years in Argentina. He also lived lived in Spain, Ireland, and Egypt. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/6 "2008-08-15T18:19:58Z")
[Klaus Barbie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Barbie) fled to Argentina and moved to Bolivia. He was arrested and extradited to France in 1984. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/7 "2008-08-15T19:01:39Z")
Martin Bormann, one of Hitler’s chief assistants, was killed in Berlin as the Russians took the city at the end of the war. However, his body was not found (or not proven to be him) until the end of the 20th Century, and he was **believed to** have fled to South America, and to be living, supposedly in secluded luxury there. While this is not technically an answer to the OP, that erroneous belief contributed greatly to the Nazis-taking-refuge-in-Brazil meme. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/8 "2008-08-15T19:04:03Z")
No cite, but Juan peron (supposedly) provided 10,000 Argentine passports to any ex-Nazi who could pony up hard cash! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/9 "2008-08-15T19:30:41Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] No cite, but Juan peron (supposedly) provided 10,000 Argentine passports to any ex-Nazi who could pony up hard cash! [/QUOTE] That would be excessive. They would only need one apiece. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/10 "2008-08-15T22:06:03Z")
Argentina was a fairly popular desitnation, both because of the relative friendliness of the Peron government as well as large German communities in Argentina. [Some guy from Chicago](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040130.html) wrote a column about it. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/11 "2008-08-15T22:35:27Z")
Of course Otto Skorzeny never had to flee anywhere. While investigated as a possible war criminal, he was never indicted. In fact, he escaped custody shortly before the word came down that he was free to go. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/12 "2008-08-15T22:46:37Z")
Off-topic but the guy who founded the most successful publisher of schoolbooks here, was reputed to have been a nazi, and was named as such by a documentary a few years ago. You never know. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/13 "2008-08-15T22:58:48Z")
[QUOTE=Laudenum] Off-topic but the guy who founded the most successful publisher of schoolbooks here, was reputed to have been a nazi, and was named as such by a documentary a few years ago. You never know. [/QUOTE] Where is "here? ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/14 "2008-08-16T05:49:25Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Where is "here? [/QUOTE] Over there. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/15 "2008-08-16T16:47:53Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Where is "here? [/QUOTE] [Ireland](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10095231&postcount=1), the reference is therefore perhaps to [Albert Folens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Folens). ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/16 "2008-08-17T20:01:13Z")
[Stangl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Stangl) was to me after Eichman, the biggest bona fide criminal who for sure escaped to South America (incl. Mengele in this) & lived in Brazil for nearing 20 years before he was caught by Simon Wiesenthal (& was the biggest 100% for-sure no [fooling](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Wiesenthal#Criticism) “get” by the famed Nazi Hunter IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-top-nazi-s-fled-to-south-america/460059/17 "2008-08-17T22:07:20Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] [Ireland](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10095231&postcount=1), the reference is therefore perhaps to [Albert Folens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Folens). [/QUOTE] Exactly. It’s weird to see my little brother using Folens schoolbooks.