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Liberator's Harrowing Account: Mauthausen Horrors Revealed
22 Jun
Summary
- A medic documented the horrors of Mauthausen with letters and photos.
- He described unimaginable sights of death and starving prisoners.
- His powerful account served as contemporaneous evidence of Nazi atrocities.
As World War II concluded in Europe during late April 1945, Army medic LeRoy "Pete" Petersohn was among the liberators of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. The 22-year-old medic, who had prior newspaper experience, confronted scenes of profound horror.
Petersohn vividly documented his experiences, writing a letter dated May 20, 1945, describing "piles after piles of dead bodies" and starving prisoners eating grass. He also noted prisoners found dead against walls, appearing to be resting. His written report, alongside photographs and film footage, provided critical evidence of the camp's conditions.
His son, Brian Petersohn, shared that his father understood the necessity of historical proof, echoing General Dwight D. Eisenhower's directive for documenting camp atrocities. The letter was published in a local newspaper, serving as contemporaneous testimony. Brian described his father as humble, viewing his actions as simply doing his duty.
