Heartwarming Tale
Here's a heartwarming tale from Scottish TV which tells the story of a German prisoner of war who left £384,000 to Comrie, a small village in Perthshire Scotland, which he credited with turning his life around.
It's enough to restore your belief in the human spirit.
Nazi prisoner gifts £384,000 to Scots village where he was captive
Douglas Barrie - STV
Heinrich Steinmeyer died in 2014 and left the bequest to Comrie where his ashes are also scattered.
Heinrich Steinmeyer was only 19 years old when he came to Britain as part of Hitler's infamous Waffen SS.
Born to a "very poor family" from Silesia (now part of Poland) in 1924 with only basic education, he left behind his apprenticeship as a butcher to join the SS when he was 17, fighting on the Western Front.
Shortly after D-Day in August 1944 he was captured in Normandy and eventually ended up a prisoner of war at the Cultybraggan Camp in Comrie, Perthshire.
Although the shadow of having a reputation as a hardline Nazi followed the young soldier, some Scots kindness sent him down a different path as the Second World War ended and everyone tried to move on.
Such was the kindness shown to Steinmeyer from the Highland village that when he died in 2014 his ashes were scattered near the camp where he spent the most important years of his life.
Two and a half years later it has emerged the 90-year-old had bequeathed €457,180 (£384,000) to Comrie in his final will and testament.
It read: "I would like to express my gratitude to the people of Scotland for the kindness and generosity that I have experienced in Scotland during my imprisonment of war and hereafter."
Heinrich Steinmeyer died in 2014 and left the bequest to Comrie where his ashes are also scattered.
Heinrich Steinmeyer was only 19 years old when he came to Britain as part of Hitler's infamous Waffen SS.
Born to a "very poor family" from Silesia (now part of Poland) in 1924 with only basic education, he left behind his apprenticeship as a butcher to join the SS when he was 17, fighting on the Western Front.
Shortly after D-Day in August 1944 he was captured in Normandy and eventually ended up a prisoner of war at the Cultybraggan Camp in Comrie, Perthshire.
Although the shadow of having a reputation as a hardline Nazi followed the young soldier, some Scots kindness sent him down a different path as the Second World War ended and everyone tried to move on.
Such was the kindness shown to Steinmeyer from the Highland village that when he died in 2014 his ashes were scattered near the camp where he spent the most important years of his life.
Two and a half years later it has emerged the 90-year-old had bequeathed €457,180 (£384,000) to Comrie in his final will and testament.
It read: "I would like to express my gratitude to the people of Scotland for the kindness and generosity that I have experienced in Scotland during my imprisonment of war and hereafter."
Scots village: Comrie as it stands today with population of around 2000. SWNS
The monetary donation will be received by the local community trust once legalities have been handled, with advisers currently working with German solicitors in a complex and lengthy process.
According to his will it is to be "used exclusively to provide for local developments for older people, suggested by older people".
Andrew Reid, from the Comrie Development Trust, said: "This story is about Heinrich Steinmeyer's gratitude for how he was treated and welcomed in this village and other parts of Scotland.
"His gratitude will live on in the way that it will support older people in Comrie.
"Mr Steinmeyer wanted to express his deep gratitude for the way he was treated as a prisoner and for his time working in Scotland after the war.
"He wanted to give thanks for his welcome back as a visitor to Comrie and Scotland.
"Heinrich's personal history is an amazing story of friendship and appreciation, and people in Comrie will both honour and benefit from his legacy."
It has yet to be decided what will become of the donation, however, a separate account has been set up named the Heinrich Steinmeyer Legacy Fund.
The trust say the bequest has come from the sale of all of his possessions, including his house and car, with all of the proceeds sent to Comrie to benefit older people.
The camp where Steinmeyer was held was bought by the trust in 2007 and has since redeveloped nine of the huts as commercial properties for rent.
The monetary donation will be received by the local community trust once legalities have been handled, with advisers currently working with German solicitors in a complex and lengthy process.
According to his will it is to be "used exclusively to provide for local developments for older people, suggested by older people".
Andrew Reid, from the Comrie Development Trust, said: "This story is about Heinrich Steinmeyer's gratitude for how he was treated and welcomed in this village and other parts of Scotland.
"His gratitude will live on in the way that it will support older people in Comrie.
"Mr Steinmeyer wanted to express his deep gratitude for the way he was treated as a prisoner and for his time working in Scotland after the war.
"He wanted to give thanks for his welcome back as a visitor to Comrie and Scotland.
"Heinrich's personal history is an amazing story of friendship and appreciation, and people in Comrie will both honour and benefit from his legacy."
It has yet to be decided what will become of the donation, however, a separate account has been set up named the Heinrich Steinmeyer Legacy Fund.
The trust say the bequest has come from the sale of all of his possessions, including his house and car, with all of the proceeds sent to Comrie to benefit older people.
The camp where Steinmeyer was held was bought by the trust in 2007 and has since redeveloped nine of the huts as commercial properties for rent.
Cultybraggan Camp: Where Steinmeyer was held during the Second World War SWNS
Steinmeyer's legacy will not only be marked by his generous donation to the village, but by his long-standing friendships and relationships to the community.
After leaving the camp in June 1945 he was transferred to Watten, Caithness, and another camp in Ladybank, Fife, when the war ended.
He stayed in Scotland after his release from detention in 1948 and settled in Stranraer, working on farms in the area.
The former soldier eventually returned to Germany in 1970 and settled in Demlmenhorst, near Bremen, although he did return to visit Scotland on a number of occasions.
In 2008 he first mentioned his plan to leave something to the village in his will to a close friend from Comrie, George Carson, who worked to ensure it would be possible in the event of Mr Steinmeyer's death.
Mr Carson died just a fortnight before the man who was once his enemy in war and eventually became his friend.
Steinmeyer's legacy will not only be marked by his generous donation to the village, but by his long-standing friendships and relationships to the community.
After leaving the camp in June 1945 he was transferred to Watten, Caithness, and another camp in Ladybank, Fife, when the war ended.
He stayed in Scotland after his release from detention in 1948 and settled in Stranraer, working on farms in the area.
The former soldier eventually returned to Germany in 1970 and settled in Demlmenhorst, near Bremen, although he did return to visit Scotland on a number of occasions.
In 2008 he first mentioned his plan to leave something to the village in his will to a close friend from Comrie, George Carson, who worked to ensure it would be possible in the event of Mr Steinmeyer's death.
Mr Carson died just a fortnight before the man who was once his enemy in war and eventually became his friend.
Heinrich Steinmeyer: In his uniform (left), and later on one of his visits (right).
