Historian Uses AI to Identify Nazi Shooter in Infamous 1941 Holocaust Photo

German historian Jürgen Matthäus has used artificial intelligence alongside traditional historical methods to identify a Nazi soldier in one of the Holocaust's most infamous photos, previously known as "The Last Jew in Vinnitsa." The massacre depicted in the photograph occurred on July 28, 1941, in Berdychiv, Ukraine, where Einsatzgruppe C carried out mass executions of Jews and partisans. AI facial recognition helped match the soldier to Jakobus Onnen, a German language and gymnastics teacher and Nazi party member born near the Dutch border. This identification was supported by family photographs and expert analysis from the investigative group Bellingcat, though the match is strong but not absolutely definitive due to the limitations of historical image analysis. Matthäus, formerly head of research at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, continues to work on identifying the victim, collaborating with Ukrainian researchers and using archival sources. This application of AI marks a significant advancement in Holocaust research, where many victims and perpetrators remain unidentified.