TRIAL OF ULRICH GREIFELT AND OTHERS

UNITED STATES MILITARY TRIBUNAL, NUEREMBERG,

10TH OCTOBER, 1947 - 10TH MARCH, 1948

Source: Law Reports of the Trials of War Criminals. United Nations War Crimes Commission. Vol. XIII. London: HMSO, 1949

INTRODUCTION

Criminal nature of racial persecutions-Genocide-Membership of Criminal Organisations-Plea concerning annexed territory.

Ulrich Greifelt and the other accused in this trial were involved in various capacities in the carrying out of the Nazi racial policy in countries occupied by Germany, mainly in East and South-East European countries. They were leading members of four organisations to which racial tasks were assigned : the Main Staff Office (Stabshauptamt) of the Reichs Commissioner for the Strengthening of Germanism (Reichskommissar fuer die Festigung des Deutschen Volkstums), commonly known as “ RKFDV ” ; the SS. Main Race and Settlement Office (Rasse-und Siedlungshauptamt) commonly known as “ RUSHA ” ; the Repatriation Office for Ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle), commonly known as “ VOMI ” and the Well of Life Society (Lebensborn).

The accused were charged with committing, in pursuance of a systematic programme of genocide, crimes against humanity and also war crimes between September, 1939, and April, 1945, as individual perpetrators. All of them, but one, were also charged with membership of criminal organisations, as defined in the Judgment of the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal.

One accused was found not guilty and acquitted, and the remaining thirteen were held guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes, membership of criminal organisations, or of one or more of the foregoing three counts. Sentences pronounced ranged from 25 years’ down to several periods of less than 3 years’ imprisonment.

The essence of the charges and convictions was that the above crimes were committed in furtherance of and as an integral part of the Nazi racial ideology and policy. The

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trial therefore dealt with the main body of racial persecutions which distinguished so conspicuously the Nazi regime inside the Third Reich and in all countries invaded and occupied by Germany, during the war of 1939-1945. It is of the utmost importance both as a record of events and facts of an unparalleled nature in modern history and as a piece of jurisprudence applying the ever developing rules of international penal law.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  
  
• Outline of the proceedings
  
  
• Notes on the case
  
  
• Comments on the Nazi conducted child abdution programme
  and the comparative reflection with the German legal policy reality of these days

Compare in this respect also :

• German history of child abduction & boycott of access