Wollongong Nazi Bob Sredersas links to killing of Jews confirmed

It's been more than a year since Wollongong City Council was made aware of the philanthropist's possible links to the intelligence arm of the Nazi SS, but it is yet to make a decision on what to do with the artworks he donated to the city's gallery.

On Thursday, Sydney Jewish Museum's resident historian Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet confirmed Mr Sredersas was closely linked with the extermination of Jews during World War II.

Read more: Helensburgh man's alleged penchant for graffittiing train stations

"He was definitely aware and he was part of the criminal police. Whenever criminal police were called in to investigate, to arrest, to torture, to shoot he was part of it," he told a packed crowd at Wollongong Art Gallery.

"He was on the very grassroot level."

While not a lawyer, Prof Kwiet believes Mr Sredersas could have been charged as an accessory to murder.

Mr Sredersas bequeathed his art collection to the gallery five years before his death. On learning of his link to the Nazi SS in January 2022, the council took no action initially.

But once revelations became public in March, the council called on the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies to verify claims Mr Sredersas was a member of the Nazi Party's Schutzstaffel (SS) and Sicherheitsdienst (SD).

In his 12 months of research since then, Prof Kwiet's discovered documents, photographs and Mr Sredersas' own signatures linking him to Nazi atrocities in Lithuania and Eastern Europe.

"He managed to avoid criminal prosecution," he said. "He was never ever investigated and he was never called to give evidence," the professor said.

Research also confirmed Mr Sredersas applied for German citizenship and changed his name to Bronislaus Schroeders in 1941.

Read more: Rock fisherman hospitalised after being swept off Royal National Park beach

After the war he resumed his Lithuanian name and became eligible for resettlement as a political refugee. He moved to Australia in 1950.

While much is know about Mr Sredersas, Prof Kwiet said the Nazis destroyed many documents towards the end of the war to hide their crimes. And, as Mr Sredersas was lower down the ranks of Nazi officials there is not much other information available digitally on his activities.

"He was an experienced criminal. He knew how to evade prosecution. He was in my opinion a Nazi collaborator," Prof Kwiet said.

Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery was among those to hear the findings a day earlier, but said council was yet to make a decision on what to do with Mr Sredersas' art collection which has been moved into storage.

"We're very conscious of the fact that we need to do this honestly," he said.

"We need to be respectful of the true history behind this exhibition."

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark declined to provide advice on what should be done with the artworks.

"These artworks have an opportunity to be rebirthed to tell an enriched story, not just of the art culture but now about the history. The history of an individual, but also the history of the Nazi regime and what that represented," he said.

Read more: Man's midnight bike ride in Figtree leads to cops uncovering ammo, cannabis

"We're there to support and provide partnership with Wollongong council and the Wollongong community so that they can make the best possible decision regards to these artworks."

Mr Bark urged the community to visit the Courage to Care exhibit to be held at the gallery later this year

"It outlines the dangers when there is the persecution and the targeting of individuals and what it can lead to," he said.

In June 2022, a naming plaque at the gallery acknowledging Mr Sredersas as a benefactor was removed.

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.