Judgment at Nuremberg.

Judgment at Nuremberg

The Nuremberg trials took place between 1945 and 1949 and were used to judge the acts of over a hundred judges accused of committing war crimes. The movie “Trials at Nuremberg” dealt specifically with the justice trials. The justice trials adjudicated the criminal responsibility of judges accused of enforcing immoral, unjust, and inhumane laws set by the Nazi party.

Justice Werner Lammpe

Werner Lammpe was accused of sending numerous citizens to concentration camps where they were later killed. I feel that he was innocent because he did not have the mens rea to commit these crimes. He did send people to the camps but had no knowledge of the mass killings that were about to take place. This is most obvious in the cafeteria scene where he ask the other 3 judges how they could have known what was happening behind the walls of the many camps.

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Justice Frieidrich Hofstetter

Frieidrich Hofstetter was accused of sending numerous Jewish and mentally handicapped citizens to be sterilized. Under the Nuremberg laws set by the Nazi party, this was a necessary action to ensure the progression of a pure Aryan race. Justice Hofstetter was doing his duty as a judge to send these people for sterilization; if he would have chosen not comply with the rules set by the Nazi party her could be punished. According to the laws of the time, what he did was legal therefore I feel that he should be innocent.

Justice Emil ...

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Justice Frieidrich Hofstetter

Justice Emil Hahn

The primary evidence against Emil Hahn was his involvement in the “Feldenstein case” where he sent a Jewish man to his death for sleeping with a German girl (Hoffman). Under the laws during that time it was illegal for any Aryan person to have relations with a non-Aryan person. If so they could be punished by death. Hoffman was sent to jail for 2 years for not for not admitting to sleeping with Feldenstein even though there was no evidence proving that she did. Before this the Feldenstein case went to court Justice Hahn told Hoffman that there was no point in her defending herself as the decisions were already made. I feel that Hahn was guilty for wrongfully taking the life of Feldenstein and imprisoning Hoffman. Hahn should be sentenced to death. Also, Hahn had an idea of what was happening in the concentration camps but showed no remorse.

Justice Ernst Janning

In Janning’s testimonial in front of the court he said, “If we didn’t know, it was because we didn’t want to know.” Justice Janning eventually admitted to knowing what happened in the concentration camps. He knew what was happening but it was still his duty as minister of justice to fallow the Nazi party laws. If he were to step down from his position he would risk being prosecuted and killed. I feel Ernst Janning should be innocent because although he knew what was happening in the camps, he was under too much pressure to do anything about it.

Finding these judges guilty or innocent is very difficult because of the extremely unique situation that surrounds the cases. World War II was a time of disorder, chaos, and most of all ignorance. Each of these judges were fighting a battle with their on ignorance and conscience while they were all put under pressure from the Nazi party. It is important to see justice served, but in this situation, the guilt of a few men seems very minute and unimportant compared to the millions of lives already lost.