Overview

Mention war crimes trials to almost anyone and they will respond with one word, 'Nuremberg.' Most think there was only one trial following the Second World War, the International Military Tribunal, but this trial indicted only 24 defendants. They represented the most senior Nazis accused of conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. But few were involved directly in any of the millions of individual atrocities. The victorious allies, the Soviet Union, the USA, Britain and France, tried hundreds of other cases in many different cities. The British trials took place in several locations in Germany, but most war criminals in British custody faced prosecution in one city. The Curiohaus Trials immerses readers in the untold story of war crimes trials that took place in a miraculously intact concert hall in war-torn Hamburg. Using freshly examined archive material, cross-referenced sources and information from the scenes of the crimes, this gripping account unveils the complex legal proceedings in courtrooms where orchestras previously played. Step by step, readers become immersed in the gathering of evidence, moving testimony and the intricate pursuit of truth. Amidst the search for justice, however, moral and ethical dilemmas arose. The book explores the challenges faced by prosecutors, defence lawyers and judges who had to navigate the fine line between seeking retribution and ensuring a fair trial in a shattered post-war society. It reveals an almost exclusive reliance on eye-witness testimony (even when physical evidence was available), a shocking decline in appetite to try those responsible for grievous atrocities and an astonishing absence of justice at the end of the process. The Curiohaus Trials is an essential read for those interested in modern history, international law and the search for justice. AUTHOR: Russell Kent is a retired IT consultant. In a 35-year career, he owned and managed two companies which provided writing and training services to many of the world's largest users of digital technology. He has a degree in physiology from the University of London and is a published scientist. His interests in forensic medicine, modern history and law led him to the discovery that some victims of WW2 war crimes had been autopsied. Since then he has developed an enduring interest in how the British prosecuted hundreds of suspected war criminals in the 1940s. Russell lives in Cambridgeshire and The National Archives in Kew. 20 b/w illustrations

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9781036111755

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Russell Kent is a retired IT consultant. In a 35-year career, he owned and managed two companies which provided writing and training services to many of the world's largest users of digital technology. He has a degree in physiology from the University of London and is a published scientist. His interests in forensic medicine, modern history and law led him to the discovery that some victims of WW2 war crimes had been autopsied. Since then he has developed an enduring interest in how the British prosecuted hundreds of suspected war criminals in the 1940s. Russell lives in Cambridgeshire and The National Archives in Kew.

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