The law in Nazi Germany
Subtitle: ideology, opportunism, and the perversion of justice
By: edited by Alan E. Steinweis and Robert D. Rachlin
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Published: 2012
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 246
ISBN-13: 9780857457806; 9780857457813
Subjects: Politics and government; Moral and ethical aspects; Jewish lawyers; Jews; Persecutions; History; National socialism; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); Law; Administration of Justice
Description: "While we often tend to think of the Third Reich as a zone of lawlessness, the Nazi dictatorship and its policies of persecution rested on a legal foundation set in place and maintained by judges, lawyers, and civil servants trained in the law. This volume offers a concise and compelling account of how these intelligent and well-educated legal professionals lent their skills and knowledge to a system of oppression and domination. The chapters address why German lawyers and jurists were attracted to Nazism; how their support of the regime resulted from a combination of ideological conviction, careerist opportunism, and legalistic self-delusion; and whether they were held accountable for their Nazi-era actions after 1945. This book also examines the experiences of Jewish lawyers who fell victim to anti-Semitic measures. The volume will appeal to scholars, students, and other readers with an interest in Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, and the history of jurisprudence"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The conundrum of complicity : German professionals and the final solution / Konrad H. Jarausch; title: Civil service lawyers and the Holocaust : the case of Wilhelm Stuckart / Hans-Christian Jasch; title: Roland Freisler and the Volksgerichtshof : the court as an instrument of terror / Robert D. Rachlin; title: Guilt, shame, anger, indignation : Nazi law and Nazi morals / Raphael Gross; title: Discrimination, degradation, defiance : Jewish lawyers under Nazism / Douglas G. Morris; title: Evading responsibility for crimes against humanity : murderous lawyers at nuremberg / Harry Reicher; title: Judging German judges in the Third Reich : excusing and confronting the past / Kenneth F. Ledford.