list of guards at nuremberg trials

Their voices speak directly to the reader and reflect upon the meaning of justice in the post . But, he gave us no problem and I found him engaging to talk to and an excellent checkers player.. [95][96] As Jackson made clear, the purpose of the trial was not just to convict the defendants but also to assemble irrefutable evidence of Nazi crimes, establish individual responsibility and the crime of aggression in international law, offer a history lesson to the defeated Germans, delegitimize the traditional German elite,[97] and allow the Allies to distance themselves from appeasement. In the Hostages case, several generals were tried for executing thousands of hostages and prisoners of war, looting, using forced labor, and deporting civilians in the Balkans. [74], Although the list of defendants was finalized on 29 August,[75] as late as October, Jackson demanded changes and expansion of the defendants list, but this was rejected. Twelve of the defendants were sentenced to death by hanging. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany invaded many countries across Europe, inflicting 27 million deaths in the Soviet Union alone. The defendants, who included Nazi Party officials . list of guards at nuremberg trialsdelpark homes sutton list of guards at nuremberg trials. Ten of them Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Julius Streicher, Alfred Rosenberg, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Fritz Sauckel, Alfred Jodl, Wilhelm Keitel, and Arthur Seyss-Inquart were hanged on October 16, 1946. So the court then allowed him to choose any lawyer he wanted and Stahmer was his pick. He thought a mature, Lutheran, German-speaking chaplain who had worked in prisons . I rather liked him for the way he acted toward us. Popular radio commentator; head of the news division of the Nazi Propaganda Ministry. Many were resistance fighters or political opponents. Sykes supervised guards, including the iconic. However, some Russian guards who had perhaps the best reason to want to harshly punish the former German leaders in retaliation for previous atrocities and other crimes committed in the Soviet Union, were friendly and, even in some cases, considerate of the prisoners and American personnel.. Number 2 was given to Karl Dnitz, former grand admiral of the German Navy. But Woods, an almost charmingly hapless man with a checkered. FRD provides custom research services to federal agencies, the District of Columbia government, and authorized federal contractors. These visits usually were brief, and participants were separated by a screen. It was the last thing Streicher was known to have written. [134] The second film included footage of the liberation of Majdanek and the liberation of Auschwitz and was considered even more disturbing than the American concentration camp film. [240] The IMT is one of the most well-studied trials in history, and it has also been the subject of an abundance of books and scholarly publications, along with motion pictures such as Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) and The Memory of Justice (1976). Soldiers in tank stand guard in front of the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg where the International Military Tribunal . It was eerie. [49][48] The French government tried to appoint staff who were not tainted by collaboration with the Vichy regime; some appointments were of those who had been in the French resistance. The tribunal was given the authority to find any individual guilty of the commission of war crimes (counts 13 listed above) and to declare any group or organization to be criminal in character. Even before this decision, around 1,000 former Latvian Legion soldiers had served as guards at the Nuremberg trials, guarding Nazi war criminals. I did nothing to be here, he stated. He would have been 92 the following month. [32] The trial was held under modified common law. Hitler's friend, favorite architect, and Minister of Armaments from 1942 until the end of the war. On November 20, 1945, several months after the end of World War II, a series of military tribunals began in the German city of Nuremberg. [146][148] Six defendants were charged with the German invasion of Norway, and their lawyers argued that this invasion was undertaken to prevent a British invasion; a cover-up prevented the defense from capitalizing on this argument. [60] Conspiracy charges were especially central to the cases against propagandists and industrialists; the former were charged with providing the ideological justification for war and other crimes, while the latter were accused of economic mobilization without which no war would have been possible. He looked like a gaunt corpse, like a ghost. Ten condemned Nazi ringleaders died on the gallows in the Nuernberg jail early today but Herman Goering, Adolf . John C. Woods, hangman at Nuremberg Anyone else might have been embarrassed about botching such a high-level execution. Trial issues are criminal activities or subjects at issue in a trial that are addressed by a document. Prestianni particularly liked Speer, Hitlers architect and the designer of many of Berlins most spectacular buildings and later minister of armament and munitions. God have mercy on my soul. When asked how the individual personalities, habits, and mannerisms differed, Prestianni responded that they were varied. The United States and United Kingdom refused to endorse this proposal, citing the failure of war crimes prosecutions after World War I. Gring was one of the surviving leaders of the Third Reich and the highest-ranking Nazi to be tried at the Nuremberg Trials where he was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death. [204] In the United Kingdom, although a variety of responses were reported, it was difficult to sustain interest in a long trial. In July 1945 the 98 th set up operations in a hospital in Munich, and several months later Col. Burton C. Andrus, prison commandant at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, requested Gerecke's service. Gring enjoyed baiting his guards. Procurement is quick and merely requires an . Public to Get Access to Nuremberg Trials Digital Recordings [46], The French prosecutor, Franois de Menthon, had just overseen trials of the leaders of Vichy France;[37] he resigned in January 1946 and was replaced by Auguste Champetier de Ribes. To some, he was demeaned as the foreigner., I didnt like his looks at all. U.S. veteran Gerald M. Boe, the guard for Hermann Gring during the Nuremberg Trials, shares his memories of that time. By early 1946, Western prosecutors were uneasy about the Katyn charge, although they never publicly rejected it for fear of casting the entire proceedings into question. His name was Raymond J Arsenault. Despite being accused of the same crimes, Sauckel was sentenced to death, while Speer was given a prison sentence because the judges considered that he could reform. An excerpt from The Post of Oct. 16, 1946: Nuernberg (Wednesday), Oct. 16 (AP). When Hess exercised or sat on a bench in the courtyard it was always alone, a single, disheveled old man staring at the courtyard bricks. All female prisoners were segregated on a third tier. [139] Some defendants denied their involvement in, or knowledge of, certain crimes,[140] even resorting to implausible lies. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. All I can recall is that he was standing to the left in the court room. He was released in 1966. [99] Nevertheless, defense lawyers (although not most of the defendants) often argued that the prosecution was trying to promote German collective guilt and forcefully countered this as a strawman argument. I would like any information that would lead me to a more detailed understanding of what my father did while part of this undertaking. I tried to treat each prisoner without rancor.. [13] Planners in the United States Department of War were drawing up plans for an international tribunal in late 1944 and early 1945. All sessions of the tribunal were held in Nrnberg, Germany, under the presidency of Lord Justice Geoffrey Lawrence. Adam Weishaupt, Abraham: The World's First Psychopath. The only part of the French charges that were accepted by the judges was the deportation of Jews from France and other parts of Western Europe. That was enough. The Federal Research Division (FRD) is a fee-based research and analysis unit within the Library of Congress that produces world-renowned and nonpartisan products to support research-informed policy- and decision-making. They merely brushed the guilt away with self-serving claims that they were following orders from superiors or perhaps even from Hitler himself in an atmosphere where failure to do so often meant banishment to a concentration camp, Gestapo torture, or even a summary execution. [63] Jackson also rewrote the indictment with the intent of keeping the proceedings under American control by separating out an overall conspiracy charge from the other three charges. His daily diary notes culminated in a book after his release. He is in several pictures standing at Hans Franks left. I never heard him speak, Prestianni remembered. [94] All defendants pleaded not guilty. [230] The selectivity in trying Germans but not the Allies has garnered the most persistent criticism. On October 15, 1946, guards and prisoners listened to the pounding of the gallows being constructed. ;"God protect Germany. End of the trial: Guardian report on the executions, 16 October 1946 Hermann Gring last night died by his own hand. [143] Although a few defense lawyers inverted the arguments of the prosecution to assert that the Germans' authoritarian mindset and obedience to the state exonerated them from any personal guilt, most rejected such arguments. Strict attention was always paid to the prisoners. Courtroom MPs wore stylish white MP-emblazoned helmet liners and similarly labeled brassards. During his three-month tour of duty at Nuremberg prison, Prestianni was assigned to 16 different prisoners. During the months of imprisonment, the brisk gait of some of the prisoners gradually evolved into defeatist, head-bowed shuffling as acceptance of their fate gradually wore them down and eroded their will. [54] The Soviet judges and prosecutors were not permitted to make any major decisions without consulting a commission in Moscow led by Soviet politician Andrei Vyshinsky; the resulting delays hampered the Soviet effort to set the agenda. Give me information about your Dad and I will help you research about your fathers deployment to Germany. 1 They were convened under the authority of Control Council Law No.. Uncover the topics related to the Nuremberg trials. Nuremberg was chosen as the location for the trials because of its symbolic value. He guarded top Nazis at Nuremberg trials; now he'll share his story By CAROL SMITH, P-I REPORTER Updated Nov 7, 2007 Jack Carver holds a portrait of top-ranking Nazi Hermann Goering, whom he met. Mark Felton Productions. Outside the cellblock complex, a small courtyard with a few scraggly pear trees allowed each prisoner the opportunity to walk for 20 minutes each day. His name was David C. Porter from Pennsylvania. [201], At the same time as the Nuremberg Charter was finalized, the Allies also signed the Potsdam Agreement, which provided for the mass expulsion of millions of Germans from central and eastern Europe, so that certain acts for which Nazis were convicted at Nuremberg were therefore made an official policy of the Allies. List of Judges Francis Biddle (American) John J Parker (American) Edward Francis Carter (American) Colonel Sir Geoffrey Lawrence, Lord Justice (British, President of the Tribunal) Sir Norman Birkett (British) Henri Donnedieu de Vabres (French) Robert Falco (French) Major General Iona Nikitchenko (Soviet) Others subjected inmates to horrific experiments and torture. [177] In the latter case, the Wehrmacht leadership was not considered an organization within the meaning of the charter;[177][178] but this verdict was later misrepresented as an acquittal of the criminality of the Wehrmacht, forming one of the foundations of the clean Wehrmacht myth. [232] On 11 December 1946, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution affirming "the principles of international law recognized by the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the judgment of the Tribunal". My dad, Frederick M. Bencriscutto, was in the field artillery in the 1st Infantry Division during WWII. All of those with whom I came in contact spoke flawless English, he remembered. [28] The charter limited the jurisdiction of the court to Germany's actions because the Allies did not want to answer to an international court for their own actions;[29] only Germans could be tried. [119] Unlike the British and American prosecution strategy, which focused on using German documents to make their case, the French prosecutors took the perspective of the victims, submitting postwar police reports and calling eleven witnesses. [41][42], The United States' chief prosecutor was Supreme Court justice Robert H. [66][67] The prosecutors wanted to try representative leaders of German politics, economy, and military; and the Americans had a list of 70 names at the London Conference. [114], In mid-December the Americans switched to presenting the case against the indicted organizations, while in January both the British and Americans presented evidence against individual defendants. [208][209] Many Germans lumped criminal trials with denazification, internment, and confrontation with the concentration camps, as illegitimate victor's justice and the imposition of collective guilt. [198] The trials targeted 177 defendants and obtained 142 convictions, including 25 death sentences;[199] the severity of sentencing was related to the defendant's proximity to mass murder. [98] Jackson maintained that while the United States did "not seek to convict the whole German people of crime", neither did the trial "serve to absolve the whole German people except 21 men in the dock". And when he spoke, it was to lash out violently at anyone close to him at the time, even the guards.. After two years he was released and promptly reestablished himself in a successful career as a financial consultant for developing nations. Because of his moral corruption, the other prisoners shunned him. When he failed to respond to the periodic shouted challenges from the sergeant-of-the-guard, Prestianni was taken to a hospital in Nuremberg where he remained for two weeks before returning to duty. A mother of three small children, she would eventually serve as a guard at Auschwitz, Ravensbruck and Majdanek concentration camps. [156], On 31 August, closing arguments were presented. Ribbentrop, Prestianni related, was a man without humor. [4], In early 1942, representatives of eight governments-in-exile in the United Kingdom issued a declaration on Punishment for War Crimes, which demanded an international court to try the Axis crimes committed in occupied countries. [101] He described the fact that the defeated Nazis received a trial as "one of the most significant tributes that Power has ever paid to Reason". How Gring obtained the lethal capsule has never been firmly established. The photograph shows some of the security measures taken at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. There was a large clock on the wall that was above his right shoulder. [36][35] On 8 August, the Nuremberg Charter was signed in London. This is a good documentary on the Nuremberg Trials that occurred after the end of the war. [214] By then, the Americans were hoping to use the offer of pardon to convicted war criminals in order to bind West Germany to the Western Bloc. However, fraternization did occur on a regular basis and, for the most part, went unpunished by the prison administration. The United States delegation outlined the overall Nazi conspiracy and criminality of Nazi organizations. One was sentenced in absentia. He was a rather low key person at Nuremberg who caused the guards no problems at all, said Prestianni. [123] The next week, the Soviet prosecution suddenly produced former field marshal Friedrich von Paulus, captured after the Battle of Stalingrad, as a witness and questioned him about the preparations for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Posted September 22, 2014. There was also a picture of him guarding Hitler. Koch was later tried at Buchenwald and sentenced to life imprisonment. After the war, she and other WACS were asked to stay for the Nuremburg trials to serve as stenographers . After his release from prison in Nuremberg, a Stuttgart court sentenced him to eight years in a work camp. [17] On 8 May, Germany surrendered unconditionally. April 22, 2020. I had no idea of the magnitude of what they had done. [50][51] Because the Soviet Union expected a show trial, its appointees were familiar with this form. [146][147] Defense lawyer Alfred Seidl[de] repeatedly tried to disclose the secret protocols of the GermanSoviet pact. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Prestianni did not recall any such instances. I have been searching for evidence that my Dad was a guard, so that the stories I have been told since I was a child could be documented. Courtesy Emily Aho Around Memorial Day of 2000, Emily Aho took her then 75-year-old father, Emilio "Leo". [181] All three acquittals (Papen, Schacht, and Fritzsche) were based on a deadlock between the judges; these acquittals surprised observers. No favoritism was shown nor was a selection offered. [88], The charter allowed the admissibility of any evidence deemed to have probative value, including depositions. [67] Former Nazis were allowed to serve as counsel[45] and by mid-November all defendants had lawyers. [158][136] In contrast to the opening prosecution statements, all eight closing statements highlighted the Holocaust; and the French and British prosecutors made this the main charge, as opposed to that of aggression. Although controversial at the time for their use of ex post facto law, the trials' innovation of holding individuals responsible for violations of international law established international criminal law. Hess, former deputy fhrer of the Nazi party and Hitlers private secretary during the early years of the National Socialist movement, was sentenced to life imprisonment and served every day of it to the age of 92 when he died in 1987 under mysterious circumstances in Berlins Spandau Prison. . A further 12. After encountering a you tube video by accident I have a different answer. [60] The American prosecution became derailed during attempts to provide evidence of the German annexation of Austria. . The first session, under the presidency of Gen. I.T. We were given strict orders to have no contact whatsoever with these women, no conversation, no nothing and to stay well away from them, noted Prestianni. Alfried was tried in a separate Nuremberg trial (the Krupp Trial) for the use of slave labor, thereby escaping worse charges and possible execution; found guilty in 1948, pardoned and all property returned 1951. [55], The work of drafting the indictment was divided up by the national delegations. On October 1, 1946, the International Military Tribunal handed down its verdicts in the trials of 22 Nazi leaders - eleven were given the death penalty, three were acquitted, three were given life imprisonment and four were given imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years. He held the rank of seargent when he was discharged in 1945. The speech was favorably received by the prosecution, the tribunal, the audience, historians, and even the defendants. When I once asked him why he had done what he was convicted of doing, he replied that he only did what the Fatherland [Germany] instructed him to do. Following the Second World War, many concentration camps such as Bergen-Belsen and Auschwitz were liberated. [233] In 1950, the International Law Commission drafted the Nuremberg principles to codify international criminal law, although the Cold War prevented the adoption of these principles until the 1990s. She was released after four years and eventually committed suicide in a Bavarian prison. For example, Baldur von Schirach, former head of the Hitler Youth, was known only as Number 1. His initial assignment was as a guard at the Nuremberg prison. These parapets included watchtowers at the four corners equipped with telephones to contact or summon supervising sergeants or lieutenants, who were constantly on call to resolve problems that might develop. [236][237], The trials were the first use of simultaneous interpretation, which stimulated technical advances in translation methods. His remembrance of duty at Nuremberg remains vivid. [138], From March to July 1946, the defense presented its counterarguments. [130] The defense presented evidence of Soviet responsibility,[131] and Katyn was not mentioned in the verdict. He was largely overlooked in prison, Prestianni said of von Papen. [6][7] Trainin's ideas were reprinted in the West and widely adopted. Three of the defendants were acquitted: Hjalmar Schacht, Franz von Papen, and Hans Fritzsche. Im always looking for pictures of the guards and hoping one day I will see him as a young soldier. He had been instrumental in establishing a totalitarian state. Back in 1945, his grandfather was stationed in Germany for the infamous Nuremberg trials, during which he got his hands on a pair of sunglasses allegedly worn by a high ranking Nazi. He recently passed in January of 2020 at the age of 91. He said that he had the pleasure of meeting the judge known as the Hanging Judge. My mothers cousin was a WAC serving in England during WW2. [90][91] The bringing of conspiracy charges also slowed the trial, as the same evidence ended up being read out multiple times, when it was relevant to both substantive and conspiracy charges. The Wiener Holocaust Library's holdings on war crime trials largely pertain to those crimes committed by the Nazis and their allies during the Second World War. In addition to this brass pot I have three skeleton keys to the cells that held the Nazi war criminals, as well as a pair of wooden spoons used by them. He was physically one tough guy, Prestianni offered. Immediately following the end of the IMT, the American military government held twelve more war crimes trials in Nuremberg. My father Paul Davis Smith served at a guard at Nuremberg though he never really talked much about it so I dont know in what capacity. He always was respectful, always the consummate gentleman. Speer was convicted and served 20 years in prison. [16] On 2 May, at the San Francisco Conference, the United States' new president Harry S. Truman announced the formation of an international military tribunal. Some of these camps, such as Treblinka, were death camps, intended to kill every prisoner that passed through their gates. Other Units at Nuremberg were The US Constabulary, the 793rd MP . After trial, incarcerated at. Between 20 November 1945 and 1 October 1946, the International Military Tribunal (IMT) tried 24 of the most important political and military leaders of Nazi Germany. Today I found out that most of the soldiers who guarded the high ranking Nazi prisoners during the Nuremberg trials were in fact former members of Baltic SS . Corrections? I do remember that Schacht, like most of the others, steadfastly maintained his innocence, never admitting to guilt in any form. we went to Germany with and my younger brother was born there, dad remained un the Army until 1960, when he retired after 32 years service. I played checkers with him on a number of occasions, Prestianni revealed. [155] In the context of the brewing Cold War, the trial became a means of condemning not only Germany but also the Soviet Union. Joined: Oct 14, 2007 Messages: 2,804 It was difficult and tiring duty. Raeder kept to himself, voraciously reading and writing his memoirs, but when he interacted with the others, it was often to lash out in anger. [73] Also on trial were propagandists Julius Streicher and Hans Fritzsche; Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy who had flown to Britain in 1941; Hans Frank, governor-general of the General Governorate of Poland; Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach; Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Reich Commissioner for the Netherlands; and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the leader of Himmler's Reich Main Security Office. During our conversations, he often asked questions about the United States, a subject in which he appeared to be quite interested, Prestianni added. Also represented were some leaders of the German economy, such as Gustav Krupp (of the conglomerate Krupp AG) and former Reichsbank president Hjalmar Schacht.[2]. [154] The United States controlled the prison where the defendants and some of the witnesses were held, and tried its best to shut the Soviets out of the proceedings. If he is American it will be easier to find some kind of information about him. Sixteen of these captives were guarded by Pfc. [108][109], On 12 December, Shawcross gave the opening speech for the British. On the night he was to be hanged, Streicher gave Prestianni a signed, handwritten note after supper. [200] The case law of the trials fleshed out the skeleton provided by the Nuremberg charter and the IMT verdict. [129] The Soviet prosecution also attempted to fabricate German responsibility for the Katyn massacre, which had in fact been committed by the Soviet Union. It was in my family until the early 2000s. The whole focus was on keeping the prisoners under surveillance through the opening in the cell doors, Prestianni said. He never repented for anything he ever did. I dont remember the name of the game after all these years. Prestianni guarded Streicher many times. [8][9] On 1 November 1943, the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States issued the Moscow Declaration to "give full warning" to the Nazi leadership of the Allies' intent to "pursue them to the uttermost ends of the earthin order that justice may be done". I wish peace to the world. He rarely talked, but when he did his speech was rambling. The requested reassignments were generally granted.. Known as the Jew Baiter, even in the United States, he was rabidly anti-Semitic. 10 issued by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They were told they would be part of history. Beginning on November 20, 1945, all sessions of the tribunal were held in Nrnberg under the presidency of Lord Justice Geoffrey Lawrence (later Baron Trevethin and Oaksey), the British member. Attitudes toward certain prisoners were determined by the prisoners themselves, their demeanor in captivity, and their personality traits and attitudes toward their American, British, or French guards. The film, compiled from footage of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps, shocked both the defendants and the judges, who adjourned the trial. Nuremberg Trials Nuremberg Trials after WWII Nuremberg Trials post Second World War Categories: General news, War and unrest, Government and politics, Military and defense, Social affairs; Location: Germany Display: All Displaying 1 - 124 of 124 Results < Prev | 1 | Next > 4508300110 4508301118 4508310176 4508310168 451007142 490414058 490414049 events, and resources, Michael Prestianni: Guarding the War Criminals at Nuremberg. Soviet prosecutors in Nrnberg, Germany brought out Friedrich Paulus and Erich Buschenhagen by surprise as witnesses in the war crimes trials. He was sent to Nuremburg and stood guard at the Judges quarters. Ribbentrop was held in low esteem by others close to Hitler due to his perceived ineptness in many areas. They were not to be shown disrespect. Number 3 was Konstantin von Neurath, a former high-ranking politician. Front row, from left to right: Hermann Gring, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Alfred Rosenberg, Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Julius Streicher, Walther Funk, Hjalmar Schacht. He was able to get to get the Hitler peoples autographs. Where the convicted were housed on the ground floor, lower-tier cellblock, the main corridor was 60 meters (195 feet) long, lined by 16 cells on each side, and constantly patrolled by 1st Division guards. Examine the Nrnberg (Nuremberg) trials of formerleaders of Nazi Germany for war crimes, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Nurnberg-trials, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Holocaust Encyclopedia - The Nuremberg Trials, Famous Trials - Nuremberg Trials (1945-49), Nuremberg Trials - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Nuremberg trials - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Konstantin von Neurath at the Nrnberg trials, Ernst Kaltenbrunner at the Nrnberg trials. With the change of command by rotating countries every month, each of the countries altered the previous countrys rules. What was the name of that individual? [173] The war crimes and crimes-against-humanity charges held up the best, with only two defendants who were charged being acquitted on those charges.

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