VIENNA, Austria — Britain has awarded an honorary knighthood to Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal in recognition of a "lifetime of service to humanity," the British Foreign Office said.

Wiesenthal, 95, survived incarceration in Nazi prison camps in eastern Europe during the Second World War and has since dedicated his life to bringing those responsible for the Holocaust to justice.

He is perhaps best known for his role in tracking Adolf Eichmann, the one-time SS leader. Eichmann was found in Argentina, abducted by Israeli agents in 1960, tried and hanged for crimes committed against the Jews.

The British Foreign Office said John Macgregor, Britain's ambassador to Austria, gave Wiesenthal the award on Friday during a ceremony in the Nazi-hunter's home.

The knighthood also recognized the work of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, which was founded in 1977 to promote remembrance of the Holocaust and the defence of human rights.

When British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw first announced the knighthood in February, he said Wiesenthal "has been untiring in his service to the Jewish communities in the UK and elsewhere by helping to right at least some of the awful wrongs of the Holocaust."

"If there is one name which symbolizes this vital coming to terms with the past, it is Simon Wiesenthal's," Straw said.

Because he is not a British citizen, Wiesenthal cannot use "Sir" in front of his name, but he can put the letters KBE after his name. The initials stand for Knight Commander of the British Empire.