Nuremberg trials courtroom witnesses last ever judgement
Courtroom 600 in the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, the site where Nazis were tried for war crimes after World War II, is perhaps the world's most famous hall of justice. It will now become an exclusive full-time museum.
Famous post-WWII courtroom
Courtroom 600 in the Nuremberg Palace of Justice was the site of the famous Nuremberg trials, a series of military tribunals that took place between November 20, 1945 and October 1, 1946. The trials, held by Allied officials, prosecuted high-ranking Nazis and collaborators responsible for the Holocaust and other war crimes.
City of Nazi rallies
Allied powers chose the site because it was within the US occupation zone, it had not sustained too much damage during the war and it had an adjacent prison to hold inmates. But it was also chosen for Nuremberg's symbolic role as the "City of Nazi Party Rallies" and as the place where the Nazis' race laws persecuting German Jews were announced.
Top Nazis face justice
Several members of the Nazi leadership were tried in the famous hall. Among them were Air Force Commander Hermann Göring, deputy party leader Rudolf Hess and Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. All three were convicted for their crimes. Göring committed suicide in his jail cell, von Ribbentrop was executed by hanging, while Hess spent the rest of his life in jail.
The Doctors' trial
Following the end of the trials in October, 1946, the courtroom was used for a separate war-crimes trial held before US officials. Known as the Doctors' trials, the cases prosecuted 23 individuals, mostly medics, for horrific medical experiments on, and murders of, concentration camp prisoners, among other crimes. Those convicted were hanged.
Justice continues
In June, 1960, the courtroom was officially given back to justice officials in the southern state of Bavaria and continued to be used for trials. In 2000, the City Museum of Nuremberg began offering weekend guided tours of the hall. The visits drew a large number of tourists, but they were stopped in 2008 due to construction of the Memorium Nuremberg Trials.
Courtroom 600 retires
On February 20, courtroom 600 held its last trial. A man was sentenced to over two years in prison for trying to strangle his wife. Now, the historic room will become part of the permanent exhibition of the Memorium Nuremberg Trials museum. The courtroom leaves a lasting legacy as the start of international criminal law and the first step towards the creation of the International Criminal Court.