Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 1556 WL 1208
Held at	: Wiener Library   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/ ›
Full title	: Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals
Date(s)	: 1938-1948
Level of description	: Collection level
Extent	: 3 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Subsequent Nuremberg Trials (more formally, the Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals (NMT)) were a series of twelve US military tribunals for war crimes against surviving members of the military, political, and economical leadership of Nazi Germany, held in Nuremberg after World War Two, 1946-1949 following the Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal. The Subsequent Nuremberg Trials proceedings were instigated as a result of the promulgation of the Allied Control Council's 'Law No. 10', 20 Dec 1945. This law empowered the commanding officers of the four zones of occupation to conduct criminal trials on charges of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and membership of an organisation carrying out such crimes. There were 12 trials, held between Dec 1946 and Apr 1949. 177 people were tried, including representatives of the leadership of the Reich ministries, the Wehrmacht, industrial concerns, and the legal and medical establishments. The cases were as follows: 1) Medical Case; 2) Milch Case; 3) Justice Case; 4) Pohl Case 5) Flick Case; 6) IG Farben Case; 7) Hostage Case; 8) RuSHA Case; 9) Einsatzgruppen Case; 10) Krupp Case; 11) Ministries Case; 12) High Command Case.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers from seven of the twelve Subsequent Nuremberg Trials, 1938-1948, comprising copies of trial transcripts including trial judgements, reports and correspondence. The trial transcripts are verbatim. The cases are as follows:

The 'Medical Case', officially entitled United States vs. Karl Brandt: 20 of the 23 defendants were doctors, and the charges related principally to medical experimentation on human beings. Including 'CINFO Report No. 5': confidential report from the US Director of Intelligence, Military Government, Germany, consisting of an account of Nazi medical experimentation on Jews, including the case of Ahnenerbe, the institute for war related scientific research; sterilization; luminescent microscopy; and various other forms of experimentation, interspersed with transcripts of documents and a commentary, including appendices which provide short biographical details of staff involved in SS medical research and a roster of Ahnenerbe personnel and copy of an extract from the trial judgement entitled 'Permissible Medical Experiments'.

The 'Justice Case', officially designated United States of America vs. Josef Altstoetter, et al, of the 16 defendants indicted, nine were officials in the Reich Ministry of Justice. The others included the chief public prosecutor of the People's Court and several prosecutors and judges of both the Special Courts and the People's Courts. These papers comprise a part of the official transcript of the judgement and sentencing, 3-4 Dec 1947.

The 'IG Farben Case', the trial of 23 officials of I.G. Farben, officially designated United States of America vs Carl Krauch et al. Krauch was a member of the company's managing board from 1934 to 1940, and thereafter, until 1945, the chairman of its supervisory board. The material in this collection consists of transcripts of parts of the proceedings and documents relating to the case.

The 'Hostage Case', officially designated United States of America vs Wilhelm List et al. The term 'hostages' was used by the Germans to designate innocent civilians executed in retaliation for German soldiers killed. Comprising opening statement for the prosecution, 15 Jul 1947.

The 'Krupp Case', officially designated United States of America vs Alfred Felix Alwyn Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach et al, was the trial of the 12 officials of the Krupp concern. Papers include trial judgement, 31 Jul 1948; dissenting opinions of trial judges; reports on the Krupp complex produced by the German Economic Department of the Foreign Office, 1945; report and other papers on Baron Kurt von Schroeder prepared by Foster Adams and Emil Lang, of the Finance Division of the Military Government for Germany.

The 'Ministries Case' was officially designated United States of America vs Ernst von Weizsaecker et al. It became known as the 'Ministries Case' because most of the 21 defendants were charged with criminal conduct arising principally out of their functions as officials of the Reich government. Papers comprise a partial transcript of the case proceedings.

The 'High Command Case' was officially designated United States of America vs Wilhelm von Leeb et al. The defendants held various leading command or staff positions in the German armed forces. They were charged with having committed, together with other leaders of the Third Reich, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and with having participated in a common plan or conspiracy to commit crimes against peace. Papers include the trial judgement, 27- 28 Oct 1948; confidential memo of incriminating evidence based on an analysis of documentation, referring to Brauchitsch, Runstedt, Manstein and Strauss; typescript annotated draft analysis of the role of the SS; annotated draft section of the indictment dealing with allegations against Raeder, head of the German navy from 1928-1943 and part of a document containing chapters on the Commando Order, the Commissar Order and Walter Warlimont.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:

Mostly English

System of arrangement:

Chronological by trial.

Conditions governing access:

Open

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies can be made for personal use. Permission must be sought for publication.

Finding aids:

Description exists to this archive on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk.

Archival Information

Archival history:

The material was donated to the Wiener Library by Sir Elwyn Jones, QC, formerly Major Elwyn Jones, a junior barrister, who played an active role in the prosecution of the Nuremberg defendants.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Elwyn-Jones, Frederick

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Entry compiled by Howard Falksohn.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
January 2008