And when he spoke, it was to lash out violently at anyone close to him at the time, even the guards.. [43] The United States prosecution believed that Nazism was the product of a German deviation from Western history (the Sonderweg thesis) and sought to correct this deviation with a trial that would serve both retributive and educational purposes. The trials were not fair, though not in the way you are suggesting. [185] Twelve military trials were convened solely by the United States in the same courtroom that had hosted the International Military Tribunal. These were 60 year old Emma Zimmer, nee Mezel, and 36 year old . Let me have that again, please. [160] On 2 September, the court recessed; and the judges retreated into seclusion to decide the verdict and sentences, which had been under discussion since June. Emilio DiPalma (right) stands on guard at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945. My father Gordon Fitzgerald also spent several months as a guard there. I had a chance to meet Mr. Christian Delage at a workshop on the . In most respects, fraternization between guards and prisoners was closely monitored by those who set the policies for the prisoners confinement. Perhaps the most feared group of accused criminals in the annals of history was a potpourri of personalities who had been associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Prestianni said of von Neurath, He looked like the movie version of a Prussian general with his mop of white hair and erect bearing. [171] Only eight defendants were convicted on that charge; all of whom were also found guilty of crimes against peace. How Gring obtained the lethal capsule has never been firmly established. Dnitz remained an unrepentant Nazi until his death in 1980. [227] The main legal criticisms of the trial focused on questions of retroactivity, selectivity, and jurisdiction. Frick, one of Hitlers closest advisers during the early years of the Nazi regime, was one of those hanged. Alfred Rosenberg was considered by Hitler the philosopher of National Socialism. [217][218] The last prisoner was released in 1958. Nuremberg Trials On November 20, 1945, six months after the surrender of Nazi Germany to allied forces, twenty-one military, political, media, and business leaders of the Third Reich filed into the dock of the Palace of Justice in the devastated and occupied German city of Nuremberg. I had no idea of the magnitude of what they had done. My father was a guard in the courtroom (Palace of Justice) at the Nuremberg trials in 1946. The photograph shows some of the security measures taken at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. Nuremberg was chosen as the location for the trials because of its symbolic value. my father david c bergeron was a 1st LT with the guards at the war trials. My Dad was a guard at the Nuremberg trials. During the Nuremberg Trial, American guards maintain constant surveillance over the major Nazi war criminals in the prisonattached to the Palace of Justice. Postal Service. Verdicts were handed down on October 1, 1946. National Archives Collection of World War II War Crimes Records (Record Groups 153, 238 and 549) The United States conducted war crimes trials in Europe under three jurisdictions: the International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuernberg (RG 238), U.S. military tribunals at Nuernberg (RG 238) and U.S. Army courts (RG 153 & RG 549). [1] Most of the defendants were also charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The material which the Library possesses on this topic can be loosely divided into the following sections: Nuremberg Trial. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Boy I wish I asked more questions of the trials. [235] In the 1990s, a revival of international criminal law included the establishment of ad hoc international criminal tribunals for Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR), which were widely seen as part of the legacy of the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials. [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. 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. 23rd September 2021 at 5:18pm. He could never understand why he had been tried for war crimes. As a good military officer I was only following orders, he steadfastly maintained with quiet military bearing. His initial assignment was as a guard at the Nuremberg prison. 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. If he is American it will be easier to find some kind of information about him. As well as the tank three Military Policemen can be seen on duty. Four were convicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years. [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. Twelve sets of trials, involving over a hundred defendants and several different courts, took place in Nuremberg from 1945 to 1949. He was good, real sharp, Prestianni related. After the war, she and other WACS were asked to stay for the Nuremburg trials to serve as stenographers . The tribunal consisted of a member plus an alternate selected by each of the four signatory countries. [103], Much of the American case focused on the development of the Nazi conspiracy before the outbreak of war. Asked whether the 60-year myth about Streicher struggling for 20 minutes at the end of the hangmans rope was true, Prestianni said guards never witnessed the hanging and he had not heard any such rumors at the time, but guessed it could have happened. Other prisoners were outspoken in their condemnation of Hess as a traitor to the Fatherland when he flew to England in May 1941, ostensibly to arrange a peace between Hitlers Germany and Great Britain. Eighteen-inch rectangular holes were cut from the heavy, oaken cell doors, slightly below eye level. The trial, which had lasted nearly 10. All female prisoners were segregated on a third tier. Koch was later tried at Buchenwald and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, fraternization did occur on a regular basis and, for the most part, went unpunished by the prison administration. When asked how the individual personalities, habits, and mannerisms differed, Prestianni responded that they were varied. Public to Get Access to Nuremberg Trials Digital Recordings Joined: Oct 14, 2007 Messages: 2,804 A huge crowd of soldiers stands at . [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. At the time, it was just a job we were told to do. The SA, the Reich Cabinet, and the General Staff and High Command were not ruled to be criminal organizations. [206], Many Germans at the time of the trials focused on finding food and shelter; few followed the trial closely. (November 1945) Sources: All photos copyright and courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum All were destined for incarceration, at least during their trials, in two of Germanys most feared prisons: the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg and Spandau Prison on the western outskirts of Berlin. He remained bombastic and arrogant right up to the end, all the while looking upon the other prisoners as inferior beings., Ribbentrop, another of Prestiannis checker opponents, was vainglorious, almost constantly given to pompous bragging and considered stupid by the other prisoners. The British government was still opposed, unable to see the benefit of such a trial and preferring summary execution of Nazi leaders. The 24 accused were, with respect to each charge, either indicted but not convicted (I), indicted and found guilty (G), or not charged (), as listed below by defendant, charge, and eventual outcome: Gustav was selected for indictment in error, instead of his son Alfried, who ran Krupp during most of the war. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Prompt medical attention was readily available to all prisoners. Former field marshal Keitel, another prisoner who was eventually executed, gradually alienated himself from the other prisoners. 56 high-ranking SS and other police officers, including 24 leaders of the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) and key officials in Heinrich Himmler's . I never treated him differently than I did the others I guarded.. The Palace of Justice was relatively intact but needed to be renovated for the trial due to bomb damage; it had an attached prison where the defendants could be held. [2] German aggression was accompanied by immense brutality in occupied areas and the systematic murder of millions of Jews in the Holocaust. I never heard him speak, Prestianni remembered. [180][172] On 16 October, ten were hanged, with Gring committing suicide the day before. One can only imagine the effect the pounding had on the condemned prisoners, now with only one more day to live. View full size Courtesy, U.S. Army The Military Tribunal proceedings in Nuremberg, Germany, Herman Goering sits between two guards, the left one being Andrew Wendland of Bay City. Prestianni, the guard contingent, and supervisors under the command of Colonel B.C. Answer (1 of 5): None of the footage I have seen of the trials revealed anyone but American MPs. [58], The charge of conspiracy was spearheaded by the United States prosecution and was less popular with the other Allies. [27] Especially the United States wanted to avoid countenancing any rule that would give an international court jurisdiction over a government's treatment of its own citizens. He always was respectful, always the consummate gentleman. Speer was convicted and served 20 years in prison. [85] The prosecution examined 110,000 captured German documents[40] and entered 4,600 into evidence,[87] along with 30 kilometres (19mi) of film and 25,000 photographs. How long did it take you to learn what you are doing? he often asked. 1. All the prisoners smoked pipes, and they all tried to wheedle cigarettes from us.. [106] Although these aspects had already been covered by the American prosecution, Soviet prosecutors introduced new evidence from Extraordinary State Commission reports and interrogations of senior enemy officers. The IMT focused on the crime of aggressionplotting and waging aggressive war, which the verdict declared "the supreme international crime" because "it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole". [92], The International Military Tribunal began trial on 20 November 1945,[93] after postponement requests from the Soviet prosecution, who wanted more time to prepare its case, were rejected. Ten of those men would be hung 16 days later. [203], In all, 249 journalists were accredited to cover the IMT[40] and 61,854 visitor tickets were issued. [18], At the London Conference, held from 26 June to 2 August 1945, representatives of France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States negotiated the exact form that the trial would take. 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. These sketches were given to guards who requested them and to prison officials. [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. The United States delegation outlined the overall Nazi conspiracy and criminality of Nazi organizations. Everyone within hearing distance knew what the hammering signified. Adam Weishaupt, Abraham: The World's First Psychopath. [234][235] Further developments in international criminal law in the aftermath of the trials included the Genocide Convention (1948) and the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949). 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. The speech was favorably received by the prosecution, the tribunal, the audience, historians, and even the defendants. Nuremberg, Germany, November 1945. Below are facts about what has been called the greatest trial in history. [95] None of the defendants tried to assert that the Nazis' crimes had not occurred; instead, they attempted to divert blame from their own actions. The prisons concrete walls, most of which were more than three feet thick, encased the solitary cell window that offered the prisoners no view of the outside world. [65], Some of the most prominent NazisAdolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and Joseph Goebbelshad committed suicide and therefore could not be tried. Twelve of the defendants were sentenced to death, three to life imprisonment, four to imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years, and three were acquitted. list of guards at nuremberg trialsdelpark homes sutton list of guards at nuremberg trials. Others subjected inmates to horrific experiments and torture. The Russians always were a problem and only cooperated with the other countries about 10 percent of the time. [117] The French prosecutors, more than their British or American counterparts, emphasized the guilt of the German people;[118] they barely mentioned the charge of aggressive war and instead focused on forced labor, economic plunder, massacres, and Germanization. Raeder was sentenced to life imprisonment but was released for poor health on September 26, 1955. Guards, for the most part, were not allowed to talk to each other or to prisoners while on security duty. Three others were acquitted. The first, held by an international tribunal (American, British, French, and Russian), was the "War. Seven others, including Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler 's former deputy, were given prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life. With the change of command by rotating countries every month, each of the countries altered the previous countrys rules. For the subsequent trials held by the United States, see, "International Military Tribunal" redirects here. The tribunal responded that such acts had been regarded as criminal prior to World War II. [116] In contrast to the other prosecution teams, the French prosecution emphasized how Nazi ideology and pan-Germanism had led to the Nazis' crimes, and delved into the Sonderweg theory of Germany's development in the nineteenth century. 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. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany waged war across Europe, invading Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Low Countries, France, Denmark, Norway, Yugoslavia, Greece, and the Soviet Union, among others. [89] Because of the loose evidentiary rules, photographs, charts, maps, and films played an important role in making incredible crimes believable. These were the intellectuals; the ramrod-stiff military officers; the cunning politicians; the worlds most vicious, depraved, notorious mass murderers; an architect; a filthy-minded and sex-obsessed anti-Semitic newspaper publisher; a gentle writer of poetry; the bombastic bullies; an unrepentant, ghost-like figure; the subservient military lackeys; and even their self-appointed leader, a bloated, drug-addicted former war hero. Each of the governing countries, the United States, England, France, and Russia, had its own interpretation of punishment. The British worked on putting together the aggressive war charge; the French and Soviet delegations were assigned the task of covering crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the Western Front and the Eastern Front, respectively. [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". [230] The selectivity in trying Germans but not the Allies has garnered the most persistent criticism. I do remember that Schacht, like most of the others, steadfastly maintained his innocence, never admitting to guilt in any form. Epidemic jaundice experiments High . Joachim von Ribbentrop, Nazi Germanys foreign minister beginning in 1938, was amiable, Prestianni said. [183][184] The judges proved their independence from the governments that appointed them, the defendants were seen as receiving due process, and the evidence of guilt amassed by the prosecution was overwhelming. These were the intellectuals; the ramrod-stiff military officers; the cunning politicians; the world's most vicious, depraved, notorious mass murderers; an architect; a filthy-minded and sex-obsessed anti-Semitic newspaper publisher; a gentle writer of poetry; the bombastic bullies; an unrepentant, ghost-like figure; the subservient military [194] Luftwaffe general Erhard Milch was tried for using slave labor and deporting civilians. What were the verdicts of Nrnberg trials? My mother gave the journal to my oldest brother who died in 1998. events, and resources, Michael Prestianni: Guarding the War Criminals at Nuremberg. [165] The official interpretation of the IMT held that all of the charges had a solid basis in customary international law,[166] which was elaborated in the verdict. Prestianni guarded Streicher many times. I inherited all of it. 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. Some, over time, even grew to despise him. [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.