Chapter XXVII: Section 40: Validity in the Protectorate

This decree is also valid for the German courts in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

Berlin, 21 February 1940

The Plenipotentiary for the Administration of the Reich
FRICK

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NG-938
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 438

LETTER FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SUPREME CHIEF OF THE SA, SIGNED BY DEFENDANT KLEMM, 4 DECEMBER 1936, PROPOSING FIVE SA LEADERS AS ASSOCIATE JUDGES OF THE PEOPLE’S COURT

Kl/Hz

Supreme Chief of the SA
Adjutant’s office of the Chief of Staff
SA Liaison officer in the Reich Ministry of Justice.
Correspondence Record: None

Berlin W 8 4 December 1936
Voss-strasse 1

Subject: Members of the SA as members of the People’s Court

Enclosures: [Handwritten] Proposal for supplementary
appointments of the below-mentioned five nominees. W. 4 December.

To: The Reich Ministry of Justice, Section I, Special attention:
Ministerial Counsellor Wanger, Berlin W, Wilhelmstrasse 65.

I understand that more honorary associate judges [ehrenamtliche Beisitzer] of the People’s Court are to be appointed. _On behalf of the Chief of Staff_ [of SA] the following SA leaders are proposed:

Obergruppenfuehrer Arthur Boeckenhauer, Munich, Barerstrasse 11
Gruppenfuehrer von Hoerauf, Munich
Brigadefuehrer Hanns Bunge, Munich
Brigadefuehrer Daniel Hauer, Stuttgart, Herdweg 72
Oberfuehrer Erich Kaul, Berlin, Wilhelmstrasse 106

I should be grateful if the above-named would be included among the nominees proposed to the Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor.

Chief of the adjutant’s office

BY ORDER:

[Signed] KLEMM
Obersturmbannfuehrer

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NG-160
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 124

LETTER FROM FREISLER, PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE’S COURT, TO THE REICH MINISTER OF JUSTICE, 17 JANUARY 1944, TRANSMITTING SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE’S COURT FROM 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 1943

The President of the People’s Court
1440 E-1. 123g
[Stamp] 01/3

Berlin W 9, 17 January 1944
Bellevuestrasse 15
Telephone 22 18 23

18 January 1944

[Stamp] Secret

To: the Reich Minister of Justice
Berlin W 8
2 Enclosures

[Stamp] Reich Ministry of Justice
18 January 1943
Dept. IV
[Initial] Th [Thierack]

My dear Reich Minister!

Attached please find two enclosures giving you a summary on the activity of the People’s Court from 1 January to 31 December 1943. The activity of the special senate is not contained therein as the documents were lost in the terror attack of 24 November 1943.

Heil Hitler!
Obediently yours
[Signed] FREISLER

[Handwritten] taken out 1 copy [signed] KLEMM

1440E-1. 116

SUMMARY ON THE ACTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE’S COURT
FROM 1 JANUARY UNTIL 31 DECEMBER 1943

-------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+-----
| 1st | 2d | 3d | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|senate|senate|senate|senate|senate|senate|Total
-------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+-----
1. Number of sentences | 505 | 177 | 114 | 186 | 140 | 190 |1,312
| | | | | | |
2. Number of decrees | 232 | 54 | 85 | 122 | 97 | 127 | 717
| | | | | | |
3. Number of persons sentenced |1,332 | 610 | 141 | 259 | 384 | 612 |3,338
thereof those under | | 6 | | 5 | | 1 | 12
18 years of age. | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
4. Number of days of session | 550 | 164 | 115 | 131 | 162 | 148 |1,270
thereof those outside of | 183 | 83 | | 27 | 116 | 71 | 480
Berlin. | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
5. Death sentences | 769 | 368 | 49 | 72 | 200 | 204 |1,662
| | | | | | |
6. Life terms | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | 8 | 24
| | | | | | |
7. 15–10 years of hard labor | 80 | 29 | 6 | 25 | 48 | 78 | 266
| | | | | | |
8. 10–5 years of hard labor | 234 | 92 | 15 | 37 | 47 | 161 | 586
| | | | | | |
9. Less than 5 years of hard | 97 | 57 | 12 | 19 | 51 | 64 | 300
labor. | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
10. Penal camp: | | | | | | |
_a._ 15–10 years | | | | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10
_b._ 10–5 years | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | | 5 | 21
_c._ less than 5 years | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | | 2 | 11
| | | | | | |
11. Imprisonment | 87 | 43 | 25 | 42 | 20 | 42 | 259
| | | | | | |
12. Fined: | | | | | | |
_a._ by judgment | | | | | | |
_b._ additional | 6 | | | | | | 6
| | | | | | |
13. Acquittals | 50 | 16 | 12 | 47 | 14 | 42 | 181
| | | | | | |
14. Procedure suspended: | | | | | | |
(persons) | | | | | | |
_a._ by judgment | 1 | | 8 | 8 | 1 | | 18
_b._ by decree | 20 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 6 | 60
| | | | | | |
15. Settled in other ways | 381 | 92 | 22 | 90 | 35 | 103 | 723
(persons) | | | | | | |
-------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+-----

[Handwritten] IV a 35. 44g

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NG-186
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 340

MEMORANDUM FROM FREISLER, PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE’S COURT, 1 APRIL 1944, CONCERNING ASSIGNMENT OF VARIOUS TYPES OF CASES TO THE SEVERAL SENATES OF THE PEOPLE’S COURT

[Handwritten] To the Minister
3204-1. 65

The examination of the charges filed during the first quarter of 1944 shows the necessity of a change in the procedure. For the charges coming in after 1 April 1944, I distribute our work as follows:

A

The first senate will take up--

I. _a._ Attacks against the Fuehrer,

_b._ Attacks against leading men of the State, the movement [Nazi Party] or the armed forces,

_c._ Attacks against Germans in foreign countries, on grounds of their German nationality to thereby hit the Reich, or against representatives of the Reich, insofar as these attacks go beyond verbal attacks; in this category also belong all crimes against section 5 of the decree of 28 February 1933.[136]

II. _a._ Punishable acts of Germans of the intelligentsia or of the economic leadership,

_b._ Acts hostile to the State based on religious convictions from the Gauen: Baden, Bayreuth, Berlin, Danzig-West Prussia, Duesseldorf, Essen, Franconia, Carinthia, Cologne, Aix-la-Chapelle, Main-Franconia, Moselland, Munich-Upper Bavaria, Lower Danube, Upper Danube, Upper Silesia, Salzburg, Swabia, Styria, Sudetenland, Tyrol-Vorarlberg, Wartheland, Westmark, Vienna, Wuerttemberg-Hohenzollern, and from the Government General, excepting both treason [Landesverrat] and Marxist high treason.

III. Punishable acts of Germans from Alsace, from Luxembourg, Lower Styria, or Upper Carinola and punishable offenses in these areas; punishable acts of Germans in Bohemia and Moravia.

IV. Marxist high treason from Berlin and the areas incorporated since the beginning of the war.

[stamp] The Minister is informed 20 April

V. Non-Marxist high treason, with the exception however of separatist (often called legitimist) high treason, insofar as it concerns the Alps and Danube and Gauen or Bavaria.

VI. Defeatism, cases of undermining of morale and intentional evasion of military service (Art. 5, KSSVO) from the Gauen Berlin, Brandenburg, Silesia, Pomerania, East Prussia, Mecklenburg, Sudetenland, Upper Silesia, and the Reich Gauen Danzig-West Prussia, and the Wartheland.

VII. Punishable offenses of foreigners [Fremdvoelkischer]--except high treason--from Bohemia, if these offenses were committed after the establishment of the protectorate.

VIII. Impeachment of non-German civilians for punishable offenses against the Reich or the occupying power in the occupied northern areas according to the special instructions for the area.

IX. Chiefly punishable acts committed abroad--with exception of high treason.

B

The second senate will take up--

I. All other cases of Marxist high treason within the borders of the Altreich [pre-1938 Reich].

II. Impeachment of non-German civilians for punishable offenses against the Reich or the occupying power in France and Belgium in accordance with the special directions pertaining thereto.

III. Acts hostile to the State based on religious convictions from the Gauen Halle-Merseburg, Hamburg, Hessen-Nassau, Kurhessen, Magdeburg-Anhalt, Mark Brandenburg, Mecklenburg, Lower Silesia, East-Hannover, East Prussia, Pomerania, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, South Hannover-Brunswick, Thuringia, Weser-Ems, Westphalia-North, Westphalia-South--with exception of high treason.

IV. Endangering of the armed forces of befriended states (sec. 5 of the decree of 25 November 1939).

C

The third senate will take up--

I. High treason in favor of the Soviet Union and Poland.

II. Defeatism, undermining of morale, and intentional evasion of military service (Art. 5, KSSVO) from the entire Reich, as far as these affairs are not dealt with by the first senate (A II and A VI) or the second senate (B III), excepting however the Gauen Essen, Duesseldorf, Cologne-Aix-la-Chapelle, Moselland, Westphalia-North, Westphalia-South, and Saxony.

D

The fourth senate takes up--

I. High treason in favor of all countries of the world except the Soviet Union and Poland.

II. Damaging of means of defense.

III. Punishable offenses of Germans from Lorraine and punishable offenses in Lorraine.

IV. Punishable offenses of foreigners from Moravia, in case they were committed after the establishment of the protectorate, however not high treason in favor of the Soviet Union or Poland.

E

The fifth senate takes up--

I. Punishable crimes except high treason and defeatism, undermining of morale as well as evasion of military service, in the Reich Gauen Vienna, Upper and Lower Danube.

II. Separatist high treason involving the Reich Gauen Vienna, Upper and Lower Danube, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg, and Tyrol-Vorarlberg.

F

The sixth senate takes up--

I. Punishable offenses except treason and defeatism, undermining of morale and evasion of military service in the Reich Gauen Styria and Carinthia, Salzburg, and Tyrol-Vorarlberg.

II. Separatist high treason involving Bavaria.

III. Accusations according to the law against sabotage of the economy of 1 December 1936.

IV. Accusations according to the decree of the Fuehrer for the protection of the armament economy from 21 March 1942.

V. Defeatism, undermining of morale, intentional evasion of military service (Art. 5, KSSVO) from the Gauen Essen, Duesseldorf, Cologne-Aix-la-Chapelle, Moselland, Westphalia-North, Westphalia-South, and Saxony, insofar as these cases are not taken care of by the first (A II and A VI) or the second senate (B III).

G

Impeachment for failing to report a crime to be dealt with by the senate, competent for the crime involved.

H

If a defendant is accused of high treason or treason against his country, the assignment is to be determined by the accusation of treason, if this is not irrelevant.

Favoring the enemy by treasonous activities, defeatism, undermining of morale, or evasion of military service does not bear any influence on the assignment.

Interrelated cases may be handled by _one single_ senate in agreement with the other senates involved. Cases of nonagreement are to be submitted to me.

J

For charges, entered before 1 April 1944 the former plan of distribution of work applies, however, I wish to be notified by 1 June whether and which of these accusations are not yet settled.

Berlin, 1 April 1944

DR. FREISLER

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NG-157
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 103

LETTER FROM THE REICH MINISTER OF JUSTICE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE’S COURT, 18 OCTOBER 1944, COMMENTING UPON ITS FUNCTIONS AND THE SELECTION OF PRESIDING JUDGES “IN PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT POLITICAL CASES”

[Handwritten] MIi Berlin, 18 October 1944 [Handwritten]T 276

_Copy_

The Reich Minister of Justice

To: The President of the People’s Court, Dr. Freisler Berlin W 9 Bellevuestrasse 15

[Handwritten] 18 October Bz

Dear Mr. President:

The importance of the People’s Court for the maintenance of the home front has greatly increased and is bound to increase still further after carrying into effect of the Fuehrer’s decree of 20 September 1944. The functions of the People’s Court must, therefore, not be confined to meting out adequate punishment to the accused, they must moreover fulfill the specific task of political leadership.

This is inherent in the fact that the population not only recognizes the sentences of the People’s Court as right, but that, moreover, it also learns why any particular sentence has become expedient.

The President of the senate is often hampered in conducting the proceedings, because in some particularly important political cases--including cases occurring frequently--the political evaluation of the offense is not always sufficiently shown up with a view to the prevailing situation of the people and of the Reich. If it is sufficient in nonpolitical criminal cases to show up the perpetrator, the deed and the effects of both on the national community and thus to find a just sentence, this is not sufficient for cases tried in the People’s Court. With due stress for the political aspect of the case it is necessary to discuss the conditions of the Reich and of the people. When conducting proceedings the president must be able to justify why this particular offense is especially dangerous for the population and the Reich and why it is especially grave. Everybody who is taking part in the proceedings must have the inner conviction when leaving the courtroom not only that the punishment was just but also why it was just. This also and quite particularly applies to the so-called cases of defeatism which from now on will be tried in an increased measure. Likewise, utterances must not be allowed to spring up which, for instance, say that proceedings before a certain senate mean certain death, or that the term “general public” is stretched too far in its legal definition. Whenever such utterances occur they can only be parried by a manner of conducting the proceedings which is superior, calm and--if need be--stone cold. In that case the people must always understand why in these crucial months of the war the instigator deserves death--but not so the gossip monger unless it happened not to be merely silly gossip but a gossip which became dangerous because it was unscrupulous.

The above applies in corresponding measure to all other cases tried before the People’s Court.

I, therefore, would like to ask you, Mr. President, to make a special endeavor especially that only such judges will preside in particularly important political cases, who master the material involved also along political lines and who warrant that they are able not only to pass just sentences but also by their manner of conducting the proceedings to convince those present of the correctness of the sentence. If any difficulties as to personnel should occur here, please let me have your oral report.

Heil Hitler!

Yours
DR. THIERACK

5. HEREDITARY HEALTH COURTS[137]

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NG-715
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 112

LAW OF 14 JULY 1933 FOR THE PREVENTION OF PROGENY WITH HEREDITARY DISEASES (GESETZ ZUR VERHUETUNG ERBKRANKEN NACHWUCHSES)

1933 REICHSGESETZBLATT, PART I, PAGE 529

The Reich government has enacted the following law, which is promulgated herewith:

Article 1

1. Whoever is afflicted with a hereditary disease can be sterilized by operation, if according to experience of medical science a hereditary impairment of his progeny, either physical or mental, is to be expected in all likelihood.

2. Whoever suffers from one of the following diseases is afflicted with a hereditary disease according to this law--

(1) Hereditary imbecility.
(2) Schizophrenia.
(3) Circular (manic-depressive) psychosis.
(4) Hereditary epilepsy.
(5) Hereditary St. Vitus’ dance (Huntingtonian Chorea).
(6) Hereditary blindness.
(7) Hereditary deafness.
(8) Bad hereditary physical malformation.

3. Any person suffering from chronic alcoholism can also be sterilized.

Article 2

1. The right to file such an application rests with the person to be sterilized. If he is incompetent or has been put under tutelage because of feeble mindedness or being under 18 years of age, this right rests with the legal representative and is subject to approval by the court of guardianship. In all other cases of limited competence, the consent of the legal representative is needed for the application. In case an adult person has been under guardianship, the guardian’s consent is mandatory.

2. A certificate of a physician, approved in Germany, has to be attached to this application, stating that the person to be sterilized has been familiarized with the meaning and the consequences of a sterilization.

3. The application can be rescinded.

Article 3

Sterilization can also be proposed by--

1. A public health officer.

2. The superintendent of a hospital, sanatorium, asylum, or of a penitentiary for its inmates.

Article 4

The application is to be made in writing and is to be submitted to the attention of a hereditary health court. The facts, upon which this application is based must be corroborated by a medical expert opinion or in some other way. The office [of the hereditary health court] must inform the public health office of this application.

Article 5

The hereditary health court of the district where the person to be sterilized resides has jurisdiction over the decision.

Article 6

1. The hereditary health court is to be affiliated with a local court. It is composed of a local court judge as president, a public health officer and another physician approved in the German Reich, with expert knowledge of matters pertaining to eugenics. A deputy is to be appointed for each member.

* * * * * * *

Article 10

1. The higher hereditary health court is to be affiliated to a district court of appeal covering the same district. It consists of a member of the district court of appeal, a public health officer and another physician, approved in Germany, with expert knowledge of matters pertaining to eugenics. A deputy is to be appointed for each member. Article 6, paragraph 2 applies accordingly.

* * * * * * *

3. The decisions of the higher hereditary health courts are final.

Article 11

1. The operation necessary for the sterilization is to be performed only in a hospital and by a physician approved in Germany. He can perform this operation only after the decree for sterilization has become valid. The supreme provincial authority will appoint the hospitals and physicians authorized to perform the sterilization. The operation is not to be performed by the physician who made the application or who was a member of the board during the proceedings.

Article 12

1. Once approved by the court, this sterilization has to be performed even against the will of the person to be sterilized, unless he made the application himself. The public health officer has to arrange the necessary measures with the police. Direct force may be used if other measures do not suffice.

2. If circumstances demand a re-examination of the facts, the hereditary health court has to reopen the case and to suspend the sterilization order temporarily. In case of a rejection of the application a reopening of the case is permissible only if new facts have appeared which justify the sterilization.

* * * * * * *

Berlin, 14 July 1933

The Reich Chancellor
ADOLF HITLER

The Reich Minister of the Interior
FRICK

The Reich Minister of Justice
DR. GUERTNER

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NG-715
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 112

EXTRACTS FROM DECREE OF 5 DECEMBER 1933 FOR THE
EXECUTION OF THE LAW FOR THE PREVENTION OF
PROGENY WITH HEREDITARY DISEASES

1933 REICHSGESETZBLATT, PART I, PAGE 1021

* * * * * * *