Skip to main content

Virtual reality is helping to bring the last of Auschwitz’s war criminals to justice

More than seven decades have passed since the last prisoners at Auschwitz were liberated, but still, not all those with a hand in the atrocities of the Holocaust have been brought to justice. But now, a new technology is helping to catch some very old war criminals — thanks to breakthroughs in virtual reality, German experts have now found a way to digitally walk through Hitler’s infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, the site of more than 1.1 million murders over the course of World War II. And in this VR representation, investigators and prosecutors can “see” like never before.

In exploring this VR version of Auschwitz, officials don special goggles that allow them to walk about the camp as though they were members of the SS, thereby seeing the landscape through the eyes of a criminal. “The model can be used in trials to counter the objection of suspects who claim that they did not witness executions or marches to gas chambers from their vantage point,” said Jens Rommel, head of Germany’s federal office for the investigation of Nazi war crimes, in an interview with NBC.

Recommended Videos

While suspects have long stood by the defense of not really knowing what was going on in the death camps, Rommel noted that this new model provides a new way to examine intent. “Must a suspect have known that people were being taken to the gas chambers or shot?” he told AFP. “This model is a very good and very modern tool for the investigation because it can help answer that question.”

The 3D model was created by LKA digital imaging expert Ralf Breker, who believes he has created the most exacting representation of the camp to date. Speaking with AFP, he added, “It is much, much more precise than Google Earth. We use the most modern VR goggles on the market. When I zoom in, I can see the smallest detail.”

Ultimately, officials hope that this simulation will aid in the prosecution of the last alleged war criminals who took part in the horrors of the Holocaust. But even going through the virtual camp (and certainly building it) has proven “one of the most difficult tasks” Breker and his colleagues have ever experienced.

“There are truly no words for it,” Breker said. “Unbelievable.”

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Google confirms merging Chrome OS and Android into one platform
Google Chrome app on s8 screen.

Why it matters: Google's push to blend Chrome OS and Android could supercharge affordable laptops like Chromebooks, making them more versatile for work and play. This move echoes Apple's seamless ecosystem across iPadOS and macOS, potentially shaking up the PC market where Windows dominates but innovation lags.

What's happening: In a bombshell interview, Google's Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat outright confirmed the company is "combining Chrome OS and Android into a single platform. This follows months of rumors and aligns with Android 16's new desktop-friendly features, like proper windowing and external display support. But then Samat later clarified on X that it's not a full-on merger killing Chrome OS; instead, it's about weaving Android's tech stack deeper into Chrome for better app compatibility and hardware efficiency.

Read more
WeTransfer backlash highlights need for smarter AI practices
A pair of hands using a keyboard on a laptop.

A recent update to WeTransfer’s terms of service caused consternation after some of its customers feared that it meant content from files uploaded to the popular file-sharing service would automatically be used to train AI models.

But the Netherlands-based company insisted on Tuesday that this is not the case, saying in a statement that it "does not sell user content to third parties,” and nor does it "use AI in connection with customer content.”

Read more
Uber shifts gear in the robotaxi race
Uber app.

Uber has inked a deal with Chinese tech giant Baidu to add “thousands” of its robotaxis to the American company’s ride-hailing app.

Baidu has been testing its Apollo Go robotaxis in several Chinese cities since 2019. But the partnership with Uber will involve Apollo Go ride-hailing services outside of China and the U.S., with the first deployments expected in parts of Asia and the Middle East later this year.

Read more