With November marking the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Nuremberg Trials, Professor Dr. Christoph Safferling came to the Heritage Room at the Homer Babbidge Library on Tuesday, Nov. 4 to give insight on the history of the trials and the ways its principles are being challenged by current political affairs.
“It’s very important that… we are of the firm conviction that, 80 years ago in Nuremberg, a promise was given,” said Safferling. “A promise for a more reliable international legal order that would base itself on individual accountability, that would be based on prevention [and] on punishment of those who are responsible for international crimes.”
According to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, the trials, which began in November 1945, were held by the Allied Powers to bring Nazi officials to justice. Safferling said the trials began with hearings for 24 of the most powerful military and political leaders in Nazi Germany, with a series of subsequent proceedings following. According to the museum, 19 were convicted during the initial hearing, including three death sentences, and an additional 24 sentences were handed out during the subsequent proceedings.
Safferling said that the Nuremberg Palace of Justice was the chosen location due to the mostly undamaged structure of the building, abundant office space for some 2,000 staff and the presence of a connected prison for defendants and witnesses. The London Agreement and Charter, which laid the groundwork for the prosecution of Nazi officials, set the precedent for how war criminals are tried. According to Safferling, three major changes in applicable law from the trials were crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“[Today, it is more important] than ever to learn about the history of the Nuremberg Trials and to understand why we need to support and strengthen institutions that uphold international law when they’re under attack,” said Dr. Sebastian Wogenstein in an email following the presentation. Wogenstein is the co-director of the Connecticut/Baden-Württemberg Human Rights Research Consortium and collaborated with the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute to put on the event.
Safferling isthe Chair for the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. His appearance in Storrs was part of a weeklong American tour coordinated by the German Embassy in Washington. The event was Safferling’s first appearance at the University of Connecticut.
Also in attendance was Dr. Sonja Kreibich, the New England Consul General of Germany, who gave brief remarks prior to Safferling. In addition to UConn staff and outside community members in the audience, Wogenstein was happy to see the number of students that attended the lecture.
“I was so glad to see so many students in the audience yesterday, and I’m glad there is an interest in the topic,” Wogenstein said. “I think there is a real concern on [the] part of the students that not enough is done to recognize the suffering of populations in war zones and to protect civilians.”
Safferling concluded his speech by discussing how sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court by both the Russian Federation and the United States of America threaten the legacy of the law that the Nuremberg Trials established. According to their website, the ICC investigates and tries individuals who violate the three changes in applicable law from the Nuremberg Trials, in addition to those who perpetrate crimes of genocide. Safferling said that substantial concerns, including not being able to deal with American companies that make everyday operations for the ICC possible, exist due to these sanctions.
“We all have to understand that the weakening of the rule of law, whether in a national or international context, is making the world unsafe for all of us,” Wogenstein said. “To break out of the spiral of violence, we need to ensure that there is accountability for violations of international law on all levels and to support victims of such crimes.”
Safferling left attendees with three major takeaways to summarize his message and that he believes can bring international law to a necessary “level of reliability.”
“First of all, wars must end [and/or] be avoided,” said Safferling. “Secondly, international crimes must be prosecuted. Thirdly, human dignity is deemed the very conscience of any legal order, including the international legal order.”