Flick Trial
Encyclopedia
The United States of America vs. Friedrich Flick, et al. or Flick trial was the fifth of twelve Nazi
war crimes trials held by United States
authorities in their occupation zone Germany
(Nuremberg
) after World War II
. It was the first of three trials of leading industrialists of Nazi Germany
; the two others were the IG Farben Trial
and the Krupp Trial
.
These trials were all held before American military tribunals. The Flick trial was one of the 12 Subsequent Nuremberg Trials
of the military, political, and economical leadership of Nazi Germany
, held after the Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal
, the most well-known trials which tried 22 of the most important captured Nazis. Like the other trials, the Flick trial took place at the Palace of Justice.
The defendants in this case were Friedrich Flick and five other high-ranking directors of Flick's group of companies, officially called Flick Kommanditgesellschaft, or Flick KG. The charges centered on slave labor and plundering, but Flick and the most senior director, Otto Steinbrinck, were also charged for their membership in the "Circle of Friends of Himmler
." The circle was a group of influential German industrialists and bankers—founded originally in 1932 by Wilhelm Keppler
and taken over by Himmler in 1935—for the purpose of giving financial support to the Nazis. Its members "donated" annually about 1 million Reichsmark
to a "Special Account S" in favor of Himmler.
The judges in this case, heard before Military Tribunal IV, were Charles B. Sears
(presiding judge), former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
; William C. Christianson, former Minnesota Supreme Court
justice; Frank N. Richman, former Supreme Court of Indiana
justice; and Richard D. Dixon, former North Carolina
Superior Court judge, as an alternate judge.
The Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution was Telford Taylor
, and the lead Prosecutor in this case was Joseph M. Stone, Esq., a labor lawyer on leave from the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. The indictment
was filed on February 8 and amended on March 18, 1947; the trial lasted from April 19 to December 22, 1947. Friedrich Flick was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment, two of the other defendants received shorter sentences, and the remaining three were acquitted.
Count 2 excluded Terberger, count 3 applied to Flick, Steinbrinck, and Kaletsch, count 4 to Flick and Steinbrinck, while count 5 applied only to Steinbrinck, who had been an SS Brigadeführer
. The SS had been declared a criminal organization previously by the IMT.
All defendants pleaded "not guilty".
The court dismissed count 3, stating that the evidence presented (which was all for cases prior to September 1939) fell outside its jurisdiction as the tribunal had a mandate only for acts committed during World War II, i.e. from September 1939 to May 1945.
I — Indicted G — Indicted and found guilty
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
war crimes trials held by United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
authorities in their occupation zone Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
) after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was the first of three trials of leading industrialists of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
; the two others were the IG Farben Trial
IG Farben Trial
The United States of America vs. Carl Krauch, et al., also known as the IG Farben Trial, was the sixth of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany after the end of World War II....
and the Krupp Trial
Krupp Trial
The Krupp Trial was the tenth of twelve trials for war crimes that U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone at Nuremberg, Germany after the end of World War II....
.
These trials were all held before American military tribunals. The Flick trial was one of the 12 Subsequent Nuremberg Trials
Subsequent Nuremberg Trials
The Subsequent Nuremberg Trials were a series of twelve U.S...
of the military, political, and economical leadership of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, held after the Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, the most well-known trials which tried 22 of the most important captured Nazis. Like the other trials, the Flick trial took place at the Palace of Justice.
The defendants in this case were Friedrich Flick and five other high-ranking directors of Flick's group of companies, officially called Flick Kommanditgesellschaft, or Flick KG. The charges centered on slave labor and plundering, but Flick and the most senior director, Otto Steinbrinck, were also charged for their membership in the "Circle of Friends of Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
." The circle was a group of influential German industrialists and bankers—founded originally in 1932 by Wilhelm Keppler
Wilhelm Keppler
Wilhelm Karl Keppler was a German businessman and one of Adolf Hitler's early financial backers. Introduced to Hitler by Heinrich Himmler, Keppler helped to finance the Nazi Party....
and taken over by Himmler in 1935—for the purpose of giving financial support to the Nazis. Its members "donated" annually about 1 million Reichsmark
German reichsmark
The Reichsmark was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.-History:...
to a "Special Account S" in favor of Himmler.
The judges in this case, heard before Military Tribunal IV, were Charles B. Sears
Charles B. Sears
Charles Brown Sears was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:...
(presiding judge), former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
; William C. Christianson, former Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
justice; Frank N. Richman, former Supreme Court of Indiana
Supreme Court of Indiana
The Supreme Court of Indiana is the state supreme court of Indiana. The court was established by Article Seven of the Indiana Constitution and is the highest judicial authority within Indiana...
justice; and Richard D. Dixon, former North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Superior Court judge, as an alternate judge.
The Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution was Telford Taylor
Telford Taylor
Telford Taylor was an American lawyer best known for his role in the Counsel for the Prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, his opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s, and his outspoken criticism of U.S...
, and the lead Prosecutor in this case was Joseph M. Stone, Esq., a labor lawyer on leave from the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. The indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
was filed on February 8 and amended on March 18, 1947; the trial lasted from April 19 to December 22, 1947. Friedrich Flick was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment, two of the other defendants received shorter sentences, and the remaining three were acquitted.
Indictment
- War crimes and crimes against humanity by participating in the deportation and enslavement of the civilian populations of countries and territories under the belligerent occupation of or otherwise controlled by Germany, and of concentration camp inmates, for use in slave labor in Flick mines and factories.
- War crimes and crimes against humanity through the plundering and spoliation of occupied territories, and the seizure of plants both in the west (France) and the east (Poland, Russia).
- Crimes against humanity through participation in the persecution of Jews and the "aryanization" of their properties.
- Membership in the NSDAP and the "Circle of Friends of Himmler".
- Membership in a criminal organization, the SS.
Count 2 excluded Terberger, count 3 applied to Flick, Steinbrinck, and Kaletsch, count 4 to Flick and Steinbrinck, while count 5 applied only to Steinbrinck, who had been an SS Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
. The SS had been declared a criminal organization previously by the IMT.
All defendants pleaded "not guilty".
The court dismissed count 3, stating that the evidence presented (which was all for cases prior to September 1939) fell outside its jurisdiction as the tribunal had a mandate only for acts committed during World War II, i.e. from September 1939 to May 1945.
Defendants
| Name | Charges | Sentence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Friedrich Flick | G | G | I | G | 7 years, incl. time already served | |
| Otto Steinbrinck Otto Steinbrinck Brigadier General Otto Steinbrinck was a German industrialist and an accused in the Nuremberg Flick Trial.... |
I | I | I | G | G | 5 years, incl. time already served |
| Bernhard Weiss | G | I | 2½ years, incl. time already served | |||
| Odilo Burkart | I | I | acquitted | |||
| Konrad Kaletsch | I | I | I | acquitted | ||
| Hermann Terberger | I | acquitted |
I — Indicted G — Indicted and found guilty