Max Mannheimer, who survived Auschwitz concentration camp, dies at 96

Holocaust survivor Max Mannheimer, who dedicated his life in post-war Germany to fighting anti-Semitism, has died. He was 96.

Holocaust survivor Max Mannheimer, who dedicated his life in post-war Germany to fighting anti-Semitism, has died. He was 96.

Holocaust survivor Max Mannheimer arrives for a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Munich. (AP File Photo)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel honored Mannheimer Saturday for his efforts to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive.

Her spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, said on Twitter that Merkel is mourning his death and that “we owe him gratitude”.

Mannheimer spent two years being held in different death camps, including Auschwitz. Most of his family was murdered during the Holocaust.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) and Holocaust survivor Max Mannheimer attend a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Dachau concentration camp in Dachau, southern Germany. (AP File Photo)

After the end of the Third Reich, Mannheimer dedicated his life to talking about the horrors he experienced. He also became the head of the community of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp.

German news agency dpa reports that Mannheimer died Friday at a Munich hospital. No cause of death was given.