Euthanasia trials
The Euthanasia trials (German: Euthanasie-Prozesse) were legal proceedings against the main perpetrators and accomplices involved in the euthanasia killings of the Nazi era in Germany.
Grafeneck trial
After several years of preparation the Grafeneck trial began in summer 1949 at Hohentübingen Castle. Eight defendants were accused of participating in the murder of over 10,000 patients at the Grafeneck Euthanasia Centre. The accused were: Otto Mauthe, Max Eyrich (former state youth doctor), Alfons Stegmann (former doctor in the Zwiefalten Sanatorium), Meta Fauser (senior female doctor at Zwiefalten), Jakob Wöger and Hermann Holzschuh (official at the registry office), Heinrich Unvertau (former nurse) and nursing sister, Maria Appinger.[1]
Nuremberg Doctors' Trial
The Nuremberg Doctors' Trial took place from 9 December 1946 to 20 August 1947 at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice before an American military court. In addition to 20 concentration camp doctors, the accused included Nazi euthanasia chief and Hitler's personal doctor, Karl Brandt. He was sentenced to death and executed on 2 June 1948.
Frankfurt trials
There were four trials at the Frankfurt high court between 1946 und 1948 for people involved in the Nazi euthanasia programme. Amongst the 44 defendants were doctors, nursing sisters and male nurses from the Hadamar, Eichberg and Kalmenhof institutions who had been involved in the killing of patients. Six death sentences were passed and 19 were given gaol sentences. In the end, the death sentences were not carried out and all bar two of those convicted were pardoned.
Dresden trial
The Dresden trial ran from 16 to 25 June 1947 and was held in public.[2] The trial attracted considerable attention due to the presence of the media and the Saxon newspaper, Sächsische Zeitung reported the proceedings daily.[3]
Hartheim trial
Defendants
The main Hartheim trial tried 61 defendants, including medical directors, Georg Renno and Rudolf Lonauer. The following table breaks the defendants down by function and gender:[4]
| Male | Female | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Nursing staff | 15 | 8 | 23 |
| Managerial staff | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| Drivers | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| "Stokers" | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Unknown | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Totals | 43 | 18 | 61 |
Proceedings
The case against 13 of the accused was withdrawn, and the trial was adjourned for 22 defendants because they could not be found. Charges were also dropped against seven defendants who had died. Two accused were given prison sentences, the case against 13 more was taken forward into another trial and the fate of the remaining three is still unknown.
Sentencing
Sentence was passed on 7 July 1947. The state prosecution had sought the death sentence in eleven cases, but only four were passed. The sentences on the nursing sisters were generally more lenient than had been asked for. The death sentences were carried out in March 1948 in Dresden. Those with long prison sentences were released in 1956 as part of an amnesty.[5]
Klagenfurt trial
The Austrian psychiatrist and senior doctor in the Klagenfurt euthanasia programme, Franz Niedermoser, was brought to trial before the Klagenfurt Division of the Graz People's Court. He was found guilty of having ordered the killing of at least 400 patients. In addition he was accused of the forced mistreatment of patients, with complete disregard for human dignity, often leading to the death of the victims. Niedermoser was sentenced to death by hanging on 4 April 1946 and his property confiscated. The sentence was carried out on 24 October 1946 in the Klagenfurt State Court. Head nurse, Eduard Brandstätter, head sister, Antonie Pachner, and head nurse, Otillie Schellander, who were accomplices, were also sentenced to death by hanging. On the day of his sentencing, Brandstätter committed suicide. Pachner and Schellander had their sentences commuted to long gaol terms. On 8 April 1951 Antonie Pachner died in prison, but Schellander was released as part of a further pardon on 1 April 1955. Nurses Paula Tomasch, Julie Wolf, Ilse Printschler and Maria Cholawa as well as a head nurse, who were all involved in the torture of patients, were given long gaol sentences, some in combination with financial penalties.
References
- ↑ Baden-Württemberg State Archives at www.landesarchiv-bw.de. Retrieved 27 Sep 2014
- ↑ NS-Euthanasie vor Gericht - Chronologie des Prozesses vom 16. Juni bis 7. Juli 1947 at www.stsg.de. Retrieved 27 Sep 2014
- ↑ NS-Euthanasie vor Gericht - Der Prozess in der Öffentlichkeit at www.stsg.de. Retrieved 27 Sep 2014
- ↑ JUSTIZ UND ERINNERUNG No. 8/Oct 2003 at www.nachkriegsjustiz.at. Retrieved 27 Sep 2014
- ↑ NS-Euthanasie vor Gericht - Das Urteil und seine Vollstreckung at www.stsg.de. Retrieved 27 Sep 2014
Literature
- Joachim S. Hohmann: Der Euthanasie-Prozeß von Dresden 1947. Eine zeitgeschichtliche Dokumentation. Lang, Frankfurt a.M., 1993.