People's Court (German)
Encyclopedia
The People's Court was a court established in 1934 by German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
, who had been dissatisfied with the outcome of the Reichstag Fire
Trial (all but one of the accused were acquitted). The "People's Court" was set up outside the operations of the constitutional frame of law. The court had jurisdiction over a rather broad array of "political offenses," which included crimes like black marketeering, work slowdowns, defeatism
and treason
against the Third Reich. These crimes were viewed by the court as Wehrkraftzersetzung
("disintegration of defensive capability") and were accordingly punished severely. The death penalty was meted out in numerous cases in this court.
The Court handed down an enormous number of death sentences under Judge-President Roland Freisler
, including those that followed the July 20 Plot
to kill Hitler. Many of those found guilty by the Court died in the Plötzensee prison
. The proceedings of the court were often even less than show trials in that some cases, such as that of Sophie Scholl
and her brother Hans Scholl
and fellow White Rose
activists concluded in less than an hour, without evidence being presented or arguments made by either side. The president of the court often acted as prosecutor, denouncing defendants, then pronouncing his verdict and sentence without objection from defense counsel, who usually remained silent throughout. Unsurprisingly, it did not follow the laws and procedures of regular German trials, being easily characterized as a "kangaroo court
". It almost always sided with the prosecution, to the point that being hauled before it was tantamount to a death sentence.
The best-known trials in the People's Court began on August 7, 1944, in the aftermath of the plot of July 20th of that same year. The first eight men accused were Erwin von Witzleben
, Erich Hoepner
, Paul von Hase
, Peter Yorck von Wartenburg
, Helmuth Stieff
, Robert Bernardis
, Friedrich Klausing
, and Albrecht von Hagen
. The trials were held in the imposing Great Hall of the Berlin Chamber Court
on Elßholzstrasse, which was bedecked with swastika
s for the occasion and there were around 300 spectators including Ernst Kaltenbrunner
and selected civil servants, party functionaries, military officers and journalists. A film camera ran behind the red-robed Roland Friesler so that Hitler could view the proceedings, and to provide footage for newsreels and a documentary entitled Traitors before the People's Court. The last documentary of Die Deutsche Wochenschau
, it was not shown at the time.
The accused were forced to wear shabby clothes and denied neck ties and they were marched into the courtroom handcuffed to policemen. The proceedings began with Freisler announcing he would rule on "...the most horrific charges ever brought in the history of the German people." Throughout the proceedings, Friesler heaped loud and violent verbal abuse on the defendants.
The 62-year-old Field Marshal
von Witzleben was the first to stand before Freisler and he was immediately bawled at for giving a brief Nazi salute. He faced further humiliating insults while holding onto his trouser waistband, having been deprived of braces or a belt. Next, former Colonel-General Erich Hoepner, dressed in a cardigan, faced Freisler, who addressed him as "Schweinehund". When he said that he was not a Schweinehund, Friesler asked him what zoological category he thought he fitted into.
The accused were unable to consult their lawyers, who were not seated near them. None of them were allowed to address the court at length, and Freisler interrupted any attempts to do so. However, Major General Helmuth Stieff attempted to raise the issue of his motives before being shouted down, and Witzleben managed to call out "You can hand us over to the hangman. In three months the enraged and tormented people will drag you alive through the muck of the streets." All were condemned to death by hanging, and the sentences were carried out shortly afterwards in Plötzensee prison
.
Another trial of plotters was held on 10 August. On that occasion the accused were Erich Fellgiebel
, Alfred Kranzfelder
, Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
, Georg Hansen
and Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
.
On 15 August, Wolf-Heinrich Graf von Helldorf
, Egbert Hayessen
, Hans Bernd von Haeften
, and Adam von Trott zu Solz
were condemned to death by Freisler.
On 21 August, the accused were Fritz Thiele
, Friedrich Gustav Jaeger
and Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld
who was able to mention the "...many murders committed at home and abroad" as a motivation for his actions.
On 30 August, Colonel-General Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
, who had blinded himself in a suicide attempt, was led into the court and condemned to death along with Caesar von Hofacker
, Hans Otfried von Linstow
, and Eberhard Finckh
.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, who had been dissatisfied with the outcome of the Reichstag Fire
Reichstag fire
The Reichstag fire was an arson attack on the Reichstag building in Berlin on 27 February 1933. The event is seen as pivotal in the establishment of Nazi Germany....
Trial (all but one of the accused were acquitted). The "People's Court" was set up outside the operations of the constitutional frame of law. The court had jurisdiction over a rather broad array of "political offenses," which included crimes like black marketeering, work slowdowns, defeatism
Defeatism
Defeatism is acceptance of defeat without struggle. In everyday use, defeatism has negative connotation and is often linked to treason and pessimism, or even a hopeless situation such as a Catch-22...
and treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
against the Third Reich. These crimes were viewed by the court as Wehrkraftzersetzung
Wehrkraftzersetzung
Wehrkraftzersetzung is a term from German military law during the Third Reich. In 1938, with Adolf Hitler moving Germany closer to war, the Nazi government issued a decree for the purpose of suppressing any expression or activity opposed to the Nazi regime or the Wehrmacht...
("disintegration of defensive capability") and were accordingly punished severely. The death penalty was meted out in numerous cases in this court.
The Court handed down an enormous number of death sentences under Judge-President Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge. He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the People's Court , which was set up outside constitutional authority...
, including those that followed the July 20 Plot
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
to kill Hitler. Many of those found guilty by the Court died in the Plötzensee prison
Plötzensee Prison
Plötzensee Prison was a Prussian institution built in Berlin between 1869 and 1879 near the lake Plötzensee, but in the neighbouring borough of Charlottenburg, on Hüttigpfad off Saatwinkler Damm. During Adolf Hitler's time in power from 1933 to 1945, more than 2,500 people were executed at...
. The proceedings of the court were often even less than show trials in that some cases, such as that of Sophie Scholl
Sophie Scholl
Sophia Magdalena Scholl was a German student, active within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of high treason after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother Hans...
and her brother Hans Scholl
Hans Scholl
Hans Fritz Scholl was a founding member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany.-Biography:...
and fellow White Rose
White Rose
The White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor...
activists concluded in less than an hour, without evidence being presented or arguments made by either side. The president of the court often acted as prosecutor, denouncing defendants, then pronouncing his verdict and sentence without objection from defense counsel, who usually remained silent throughout. Unsurprisingly, it did not follow the laws and procedures of regular German trials, being easily characterized as a "kangaroo court
Kangaroo court
A kangaroo court is "a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted".The outcome of a trial by kangaroo court is essentially determined in advance, usually for the purpose of ensuring conviction, either by going through the motions of manipulated procedure or...
". It almost always sided with the prosecution, to the point that being hauled before it was tantamount to a death sentence.
The trials of August 1944
Erwin von Witzleben
Job-Wilhelm Georg Erdmann Erwin von Witzleben was a German army officer and in the Second World War an Army commander and a conspirator in the July 20 Plot.-Early years:...
, Erich Hoepner
Erich Hoepner
Erich Hoepner was a German general in World War II. A successful panzer leader, Hoepner was executed after the failed 20 July Plot in 1944.- Life :Hoepner was born in Frankfurt an der Oder, Brandenburg...
, Paul von Hase
Paul von Hase
Karl Paul Immanuel von Hase was a German career soldier and figured among the members of the resistance against Adolf Hitler's Nazi régime.-Biography:Hase was born in Hanover...
, Peter Yorck von Wartenburg
Peter Yorck von Wartenburg
Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg was a German jurist and a member of the German Resistance against Nazism.-Biography:...
, Helmuth Stieff
Helmuth Stieff
Helmuth Stieff was a German general and a member of the OKH during World War II. He took part in attempts by the German resistance to assassinate Hitler, on July 7 and on July 20, 1944....
, Robert Bernardis
Robert Bernardis
Robert Bernardis was an Austrian resistance fighter involved in the attempt to kill German dictator Adolf Hitler in the July 20 Plot in 1944....
, Friedrich Klausing
Friedrich Klausing
Friedrich Karl Klausing was a resistance fighter in Nazi Germany, and one of the July 20 Plotters.-Biography:Friedrich Klausing was born in Munich, Germany...
, and Albrecht von Hagen
Albrecht von Hagen
Albrecht von Hagen was a German jurist and a resistance fighter in the time of the Third Reich.- Life :Hagen was born in Langen, Pomerania , on the manor of the original East Brandenburg-Pomeranian noble family in which he was rooted...
. The trials were held in the imposing Great Hall of the Berlin Chamber Court
Kammergericht
The Kammergericht is the Oberlandesgericht for the state of Berlin. Its name differs from Germany's other state courts for historic reasons. There are no other courts called Kammergericht in Germany.-Overview:...
on Elßholzstrasse, which was bedecked with swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
s for the occasion and there were around 300 spectators including Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian-born senior official of Nazi Germany during World War II. Between January 1943 and May 1945, he held the offices of Chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , President of Interpol and, as a Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS, he was the...
and selected civil servants, party functionaries, military officers and journalists. A film camera ran behind the red-robed Roland Friesler so that Hitler could view the proceedings, and to provide footage for newsreels and a documentary entitled Traitors before the People's Court. The last documentary of Die Deutsche Wochenschau
Die Deutsche Wochenschau
Die Deutsche Wochenschau is a series of German newsreels from 1940 until the end of World War II.After the invasion of Poland , the Nazis consolidated four separate newsreel production efforts into one...
, it was not shown at the time.
The accused were forced to wear shabby clothes and denied neck ties and they were marched into the courtroom handcuffed to policemen. The proceedings began with Freisler announcing he would rule on "...the most horrific charges ever brought in the history of the German people." Throughout the proceedings, Friesler heaped loud and violent verbal abuse on the defendants.
The 62-year-old Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
von Witzleben was the first to stand before Freisler and he was immediately bawled at for giving a brief Nazi salute. He faced further humiliating insults while holding onto his trouser waistband, having been deprived of braces or a belt. Next, former Colonel-General Erich Hoepner, dressed in a cardigan, faced Freisler, who addressed him as "Schweinehund". When he said that he was not a Schweinehund, Friesler asked him what zoological category he thought he fitted into.
The accused were unable to consult their lawyers, who were not seated near them. None of them were allowed to address the court at length, and Freisler interrupted any attempts to do so. However, Major General Helmuth Stieff attempted to raise the issue of his motives before being shouted down, and Witzleben managed to call out "You can hand us over to the hangman. In three months the enraged and tormented people will drag you alive through the muck of the streets." All were condemned to death by hanging, and the sentences were carried out shortly afterwards in Plötzensee prison
Plötzensee Prison
Plötzensee Prison was a Prussian institution built in Berlin between 1869 and 1879 near the lake Plötzensee, but in the neighbouring borough of Charlottenburg, on Hüttigpfad off Saatwinkler Damm. During Adolf Hitler's time in power from 1933 to 1945, more than 2,500 people were executed at...
.
Another trial of plotters was held on 10 August. On that occasion the accused were Erich Fellgiebel
Erich Fellgiebel
Fritz Erich Fellgiebel was a career German Army officer and a "July 20th" conspirator in the plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.-Military career:...
, Alfred Kranzfelder
Alfred Kranzfelder
Lieutenant Commander Alfred Kranzfelder was a German naval officer and a member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime....
, Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
Fritz-Dietlof Graf von der Schulenburg-Tressow was a German government official and a member of the German Resistance in the July 20 Plot against Adolf Hitler.-Personal development:...
, Georg Hansen
Georg Hansen
Colonel Georg Alexander Hansen was a German army officer and a member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.-Early life:...
and Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Berthold Alfred Maria Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg was a German aristocrat, lawyer and conspirator in the 20 July plot of 1944, along with his brother, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, an army colonel...
.
On 15 August, Wolf-Heinrich Graf von Helldorf
Wolf-Heinrich Graf von Helldorf
Wolf-Heinrich Graf von Helldorf was a leading figure in the Nazi regime.-Early life:Helldorf was born in Merseburg, a landowner's son, Helldorf served as a lieutenant from 1915 in the First World War, and from 1918 was a member of the Prussian state assembly.-Berlin chief of police:Already by...
, Egbert Hayessen
Egbert Hayessen
Egbert Hayessen was a German resistance fighter in the struggle against Adolf Hitler, and a major in the army....
, Hans Bernd von Haeften
Hans Bernd von Haeften
Hans-Bernd August Gustav von Haeften was a German jurist and member of the German Resistance against Adolf Hitler....
, and Adam von Trott zu Solz
Adam von Trott zu Solz
Adam von Trott zu Solz was a German lawyer and diplomat who was involved in the conservative opposition to the Nazi regime, and who played a central part in the 20 July Plot...
were condemned to death by Freisler.
On 21 August, the accused were Fritz Thiele
Fritz Thiele
General Fritz Thiele was a member of the German resistance who served as the communications chief of the German Army during World War II.Thiele was born in Berlin and joined the Imperial Army in 1914...
, Friedrich Gustav Jaeger
Friedrich Gustav Jaeger
Friedrich Gustav Jaeger was a resistance fighter in Nazi Germany and a member of the July 20 Plot.-Life:...
and Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld
Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld
Ulrich-Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld was a German landowner, officer, and resistance fighter against the Nazi régime.- Biography :...
who was able to mention the "...many murders committed at home and abroad" as a motivation for his actions.
On 30 August, Colonel-General Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, was a German general and a member of the July 20 Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Early life:...
, who had blinded himself in a suicide attempt, was led into the court and condemned to death along with Caesar von Hofacker
Caesar von Hofacker
Caesar von Hofacker was a German Lieutenant Colonel and member of the 20 July plot against Adolf Hitler....
, Hans Otfried von Linstow
Hans Otfried von Linstow
Hans Otfried von Linstow, was a German Colonel. He took part in the July 20 Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Early life:Born in Berlin, von Linstow joined the German military, Reichswehr, after the First World War....
, and Eberhard Finckh
Eberhard Finckh
Colonel Eberhard Finckh was a German army officer who was a colonel on the general staff of the German army, a long time opponent of nazism and a member of the German resistance to Adolf Hitler’s regime....
.
Notable people sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof
- 1942 – Helmuth HübenerHelmuth HübenerHelmuth Guddat Kunkel Hübener was the youngest opponent of the Third Reich to be sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof and executed.-Life:...
. At the age of 17, he was the youngest opponent of the Third Reich executed as a result of a trial by the Volksgerichtshof. - 1943 – Otto and Elise HampelOtto and Elise HampelOtto and Elise Hampel were a working-class couple who created a simple method of protest while living in Berlin during the early years of World War II. They composed postcards denouncing Hitler's government and left them in public places around the city. They were eventually caught, tried, and...
. The couple carried out civil disobedience in Berlin, were caught, tried, sentenced to death by Freisler, and executed. Their story formed the basis for the 1947 Hans FalladaHans FalladaHans Fallada , born Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen in Greifswald, Germany, was a German writer of the first half of the 20th century. Some of his better known novels include Little Man, What Now? and Every Man Dies Alone...
novel Every Man Dies AloneEvery Man Dies AloneEvery Man Dies Alone or Alone in Berlin is a 1947 novel by German author Hans Fallada. It is based on the true story of a working class husband and wife, Otto and Elise Hampel, who committed acts of civil disobedience in Berlin during World War II before being caught, tried by infamous Nazi judge...
. - 1943 – Members of the White RoseWhite RoseThe White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor...
resistance movement: Sophie SchollSophie SchollSophia Magdalena Scholl was a German student, active within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of high treason after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother Hans...
, Hans SchollHans SchollHans Fritz Scholl was a founding member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany.-Biography:...
, Alex Schmorell, Willi GrafWilli GrafWilli Graf was a member of the White Rose resistance group in Nazi Germany....
, Christoph ProbstChristoph ProbstChristoph Hermann Probst was a German student of medicine and a member of the White Rose resistance group.-White Rose:...
, and Kurt HuberKurt HuberKurt Huber was a member of the White Rose group, which carried out resistance against Nazi Germany.-Early life:...
. - 1943 – Julius FučíkJulius Fucíkthumb|Julius FucikJulius Fučík was a Czechoslovak journalist, an active member of Communist Party of Czechoslovakia , and part of the forefront of the anti-Nazi resistance. He was imprisoned, tortured, and executed by the Nazis.- Early life :Julius Fučík was born into a working-class family in...
. A CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n journalist, Communist Party of CzechoslovakiaCommunist Party of CzechoslovakiaThe Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
leader, and a leader in the forefront of the anti-Nazi resistance. On August 25, 1943, in Berlin, he was accused of high treason in connection with his political activities. He was found guilty and beheaded two weeks later on September 8, 1943. - 1943 – Karlrobert KreitenKarlrobert KreitenKarlrobert Kreiten was a German pianist, though holding Dutch citizenship his entire life due to his Dutch father....
. A German pianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. NaziNazismNazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Ellen Ott-Monecke notified the GestapoGestapoThe Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
of Kreiten's negative remarks about Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and the war effort. Kreiten was indicted at the Volksgerichtshof, with Freisler presiding, and condemned to death. Friends and family frantically tried to save his life to no avail. The family was never notified officially about the judgment. They only accidentally learned that Kreiten had been executed with 185 other inmates in Plötzensee Prison. - 1944 – Max Josef MetzgerMax Josef MetzgerMax Josef Metzger was born in Schopfheim in Baden, Germany.Metzger became a Roman Catholic priest and worked as a military chaplain for the forces of Imperial Germany during World War I. During that war he began to see peace work as an urgent task...
. A German Catholic priest. Metzger was the founder in 1938 of the "Una Sancta Brotherhood," an ecumenical movement for bringing Catholics and Protestants to unity. During the trial Freisler said that people (meaning clergyClergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
) like Metzger should be "eradicated." - 1944 – Erwin von WitzlebenErwin von WitzlebenJob-Wilhelm Georg Erdmann Erwin von Witzleben was a German army officer and in the Second World War an Army commander and a conspirator in the July 20 Plot.-Early years:...
. A GermanGermanyGermany , 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...
Field Marshal (GeneralfeldmarschallGeneralfeldmarschallField Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
). Witzleben was a German Army (WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
) conspirator in the July 20 Bomb PlotJuly 20 PlotOn 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
to kill Hitler. Witzleben, who would have been Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in the planned post-coup government, arrived at Army HeadquartersOberkommando des HeeresThe Oberkommando des Heeres was Nazi Germany's High Command of the Army from 1936 to 1945. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht commanded OKH only in theory...
(OKH-HQ) in Berlin on July 20 to assume command of the coup forces. He was arrested the next day and tried by the People's Court on August 8. Witzleben was sentenced to death and hanged the same day in Plötzensee Prison. - 1944 – Johanna "Hanna" KirchnerJohanna KirchnerJohanna "Hanna" Kirchner was a German opponent of the Nazi régime.Johanna Stunz came from a social-democratic family from Frankfurt, Hesse-Nassau. Her grandfather was one of Frankfurt's first social-democratic aldermen...
. A member of the Social Democratic Party of GermanySocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD). - 1944 – Lieutenant-Colonel Caesar von HofackerCaesar von HofackerCaesar von Hofacker was a German Lieutenant Colonel and member of the 20 July plot against Adolf Hitler....
. A member of a resistance group in Nazi Germany. Hofacker's goal was to overthrow Hitler. - 1944 – Carl Friedrich GoerdelerCarl Friedrich GoerdelerCarl Friedrich Goerdeler was a monarchist conservative German politician, executive, economist, civil servant and opponent of the Nazi regime...
– Conservative German politician, economist, civil servant and opponent of the Nazi regime, who would have served as the Chancellor of the new government had the 20 July plot of 1944 succeeded. - 1944 – Otto KiepOtto KiepOtto Carl Kiep was the Chief of the Reich Press Office . He became involved with the resistance against the Nazis and was executed in 1944.-Life:...
– the Chief of the Reich Press Office (Reichspresseamts), which became involved in resistance. - 1944 – Elisabeth von ThaddenElisabeth von ThaddenElisabeth Adelheid Hildegard von Thadden was a German educator who founded a private school that now bears her name, and an outspoken critic of the Nazi régime...
, as well as other members of anti-Nazi Solf Circle. - 1944 – Julius LeberJulius LeberJulius Leber was a German politician of the SPD and a member of the German Resistance against the Nazi régime.-Early life:...
– German politician of the SPD and a member of the German Resistance against the Nazi régime. - 1944 – Johannes PopitzJohannes PopitzJohannes Popitz was a Prussian finance minister and a member of the German Resistance against Nazi Germany.- Life :...
– Prussian finance minister and a member of the German Resistance against Nazi Germany. - 1945 – Helmuth James Graf von MoltkeHelmuth James Graf von MoltkeHelmuth James Graf von Moltke was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany during World War II and subsequently became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group, whose members...
– German jurist, a member of the opposition against Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, and a founding member of the Kreisau CircleKreisau CircleThe Kreisau Circle was the name the Nazi Gestapo gave to a group of German dissidents centered on the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke. The Kreisauer Kreis is celebrated as one of the instances of German opposition to the Nazi regime...
resistance group. - 1945 – Klaus BonhoefferKlaus BonhoefferKlaus Bonhoeffer was a German jurist and resistance fighter against the Nazi régime who was executed after the July 1944 plot to kill Hitler....
and Rüdiger SchleicherRüdiger SchleicherRüdiger Schleicher was a German resistance fighter against the Nazi régime.Born in Stuttgart, Schleicher was married to Ursula Bonhoeffer , Karl Bonhoeffer's daughter and Dietrich and Klaus Bonhoeffer's sister...
– German resistance fighters. - 1945 – Erwin PlanckErwin PlanckErwin Planck was a German politician, and a resistance fighter in the Third Reich.Born in Berlin, Erwin Planck was theoretical physicist Max Planck's and his first wife's fourth child. After his Abitur in 1911, Planck went into the military and pursued a career as an officer...
. Politician, businessman, resistance fighter and son of physicist Max PlanckMax PlanckMax Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, ForMemRS, was a German physicist who actualized the quantum physics, initiating a revolution in natural science and philosophy. He is regarded as the founder of the quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.-Life and career:Planck came...
. Planck was an alleged conspirator in the July 20 plotJuly 20 PlotOn 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
. - 1945 – Artur Nebe. An SS-General (GruppenführerGruppenführerGruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
). Nebe was a conspirator in the July 20 Bomb PlotJuly 20 PlotOn 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
to kill Hitler. He was the head of the KriminalpolizeiKriminalpolizeiis the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the police forces of Germany, Austria and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. In Nazi Germany during 1936, the Kripo became the Criminal Police Department for the entire Reich...
, or Kripo, and the commander of Einsatzgruppe B. Nebe oversaw massacres on the Russian Front, and at other locations as he was commanded to do by his superiors in the SS. After the failure to assassinate Hitler, Nebe hid on an island in the WannseeWannseeWannsee is a locality in the southwestern Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the larger Großer Wannsee and the Kleiner Wannsee , are located on the river Havel and are separated only by the Wannsee bridge...
until he was betrayed by one of his mistresses. On March 21, 1945, Nebe was hanged, allegedly with piano wirePiano wirePiano wire, or "music wire", is a specialized type of wire made for use in piano strings, as well as many other purposes. It is made from tempered high-carbon steel, also known as spring steel.-Manufacture and use:...
(Hitler wanted members of the plot "hanged like cattle") at Plötzensee PrisonPlötzensee PrisonPlötzensee Prison was a Prussian institution built in Berlin between 1869 and 1879 near the lake Plötzensee, but in the neighbouring borough of Charlottenburg, on Hüttigpfad off Saatwinkler Damm. During Adolf Hitler's time in power from 1933 to 1945, more than 2,500 people were executed at...
.
Judge-Presidents of the People's Court
- Fritz RehnFritz RehnFritz Rehn was a German lawyer and the first Judge-President of the Nazi People's Court.In 1901 he became an attorney. In 1905 he was appointed to the court in Bochum and in 1913 he moved to Koblenz...
: 13 July – 18 September 1934 - Otto Thierack: 1936–1942
- Roland FreislerRoland FreislerRoland Freisler was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge. He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the People's Court , which was set up outside constitutional authority...
: August 1942 – 3 February 1945 - Harry HaffnerHarry HaffnerHarry Haffner was a German lawyer and the last Judge-President of the Nazi People's Court.Haffner was born in Uslar, Lower Saxony. He graduated in law in 1926 and worked as a prosecutor. He joined the Nazi Party and SA on 1st May 1933, he was then Head of Staff at the federal National Socialist...
: 12 March – 24 April 1945
See also
- List of members of the July 20 Plot
- SondergerichteSondergerichteA Sondergericht was a Nazi "special court." After taking power in 1933, the Nazis quickly moved to remove internal opposition to the Nazi regime in Germany. The legal system became one of many tools for this aim and the Nazis gradually supplanted the normal justice system with political courts...
(Special Courts) - People's Court (Bavaria)People's Court (Bavaria)The People's Courts of Bavaria were special courts established by Kurt Eisner during the German Revolution in November 1918 and part of the Ordnungszelle that lasted until May 1924 after handing out more than 31,000 sentences...