Wiesenthal was also responsible for the capture of Karl Silberbauer, the officer who arrested Anne Frank, the 14 year-old German-Jewish girl murdered by Nazis after hiding in an attic in Amsterdam for two years and whose diary of her days in captivity became of the world's most widely read books.
In 1967, Wiesenthal published his book of memoirs, The Murderers Among Us. Apart from the numerous honours heaped on him - including the Dutch Freedom Medal, Luxembourg Freedom Medal, the US Congressional Gold Medal and French Legion of Honour - there were also a great many threats. In June 1982, a bomb exploded in front of his house, but no one was hurt. He lived under police protection from then on.
With his death, his task remains far from complete. Germany's war criminal files are said to contain approximately 90,000 names. Most have never been tried. Many former Nazis are also said to be at large across Germany, often in prominent positions. Wiesenthal's death may slow down the trek towards justice. His supporters, however, continue to believe in his cause.
A portrait of Simon Wiesenthal and his wife Cyla, 1936.
Photo Credit: Simon Wiesenthal Center
Also see: Where's India's holocaust museum?