Ministries Trial

The Ministries Trial (or, officially, The United States of America vs. Ernst von Weizsäcker, et al.) was the eleventh of the twelve trials for war crimes the US authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany in Nuremberg after the end of World War II.

Disagreements between the Allies meant only one trial was held by the International Military Tribunal (IMT). Other trials were held by the Allies in their own zones of occupation. The Americans held twelve trials, in the same rooms at the Palace of Justice as the IMT. These twelve trials are known as the "Subsequent Nuremberg Trials" or, more formally, as the "Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals" (NMT).

This case is also known as the Wilhelmstrasse Trial, because the German Foreign Office was on the Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin. The defendants in this case were officials of various Reich ministries, facing various charges for their jobs in Nazi Germany and responsibility for the numerous atrocities committed both in Germany and in occupied countries during the war.

The judges in this case, heard before Military Tribunal IV, were William C. Christianson (presiding judge) from Minnesota, Robert F. Maguire from Oregon, and Leon W. Powers from Iowa. The Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution was Telford Taylor; the chief prosecutor was Robert Kempner. The indictment was filed on November 15, 1947; the hearings lasted from January 6, 1948 until November 18 that year, and then the judges took a whole five months to compile their 833-page judgment, which they presented on April 11, 1949. The sentences were handed down on April 13, 1949. Of all the twelve trials, this was the one that lasted longest and ended last. Of the 21 defendants arraigned, two were acquitted, the others were found guilty on at least one count of the indictment and received prison sentences ranging from three years including time served to 25 years' imprisonment.

 Defendants 
NamePhotoFunctionSentenceErnst von Weizsäcker40pxPermanent Secretary of State in the Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Ministry) under Ribbentrop until 1943, then ambassador to the Holy See; SS-Brigadeführer.7 years' imprisonment; reduced to 5 years on December 12, 1949, released in October 1950.Gustav Adolf Steengracht von Moyland40pxSuccessor of von Weizsäcker as Secretary of State in the Foreign Ministry (until 1945)7 years' imprisonment; reduced to 5 years on December 12, 1949, released 1950Wilhelm Keppler40pxSecretary of State; Hitler's advisor for economy10 years' imprisonment; released 1951Ernst Wilhelm Bohle40pxNS-Gauleiter, Secretary of State in the Foreign Ministry; head of the Auslandorganisation (foreign organization) of the NSDAP.5 years' imprisonmentErnst WörmannSecretary in the Foreign Ministry; head of the political division.7 years' imprisonment; reduced to 5 years on December 12, 1949; released 1951Karl RitterLiaison between Foreign Office and the High Command of the German armed forces.4 years' imprisonment incl. time already served; released after the judgment.Otto von ErdmannsdorffSecretary in the Foreign Ministry; deputy to Wörmann.acquittedEdmund Veesenmayer40pxPlenipotentiary in Hungary20 years' imprisonment; reduced to 10 years in 1951 and released the same year.Hans Heinrich Lammers40pxHead of the Reich Chancellery20 years' imprisonment; reduced to 10 years in January 1951 and released December 16, 1951.Wilhelm StuckartSecretary of State in the Interior MinistryTime already served (3 years and 10 months)Richard Walther Darré40pxMinister for Food and Agriculture7 years' imprisonment; released 1950Otto Meissner40pxHead of the Presidential ChancelleryacquittedOtto Dietrich40pxReichspressechef of the NSDAP and Secretary of State in the Propagandaministerium7 years' imprisonment incl. time already served; released in 1950.Gottlob Berger40pxHead of the SS-Hauptamt, SS-Obergruppenführer25 years' imprisonment; reduced to 10 years in 1951; released the same year.Walter Schellenberg40pxSecond-in-command of the Gestapo, head of the SD and the Abwehr, and successor of Wilhelm Canaris as the head of the Combined Secret Services; SS-Brigadeführer.6 years' imprisonment incl. time already servedLutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk40pxMinister of Finance10 years' imprisonment; released in 1951Emil Johann PuhlVice-president of the Reichsbank5 years' imprisonment incl. time already servedKarl Rasche40pxDirector of the Dresdner Bank7 years' imprisonment incl. time already servedPaul KörnerSecretary of State, deputy of Göring.15 years' imprisonment; reduced to 10 years in 1951; released the same year.Paul PleigerHead of the Hermann-Göring-Werke (confiscated steel plants employing slave laborers)15 years' imprisonment; reduced to 10 years in 1951; released the same year.Hans Kehrl40pxSecretary in the Ministry of Armament; head of the planning office15 years' imprisonment; released in 1951

 Stuckart was tried again in 1950 before a denazification court and sentenced as a Mitläufer (follower) a fine of DM 50,000.

Herbert Ernst Backe, the former minister for agriculture who should also have been tried, committed suicide on April 6, 1947 while in custody awaiting the trial.

 References 

 Description from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
 Another description 
 Transcript  of a German radio broadcast from 1999 (in German).

Category:Nuremberg trials