In this thesis, I cover the trials of war crimes before the military tribunal in Nuremberg, which were held between 1946 and 1949 by the Americans. More specifically, I focus on the 8th trial, also known as the RuSHA Trial, in which officials of the Lebensborn programme were convicted. I elucidate the court's definition of the Lebensborn programme and the allegations of the prosecution against its leading members; Sollmann, Ebner, Tesch and Viermetz. Furthermore, I present the allegations by means of sets concerning the persecution of Jews and Jewish property, the kidnapping of foreign children, the kidnapping of children of foreign nationality (Polish, Czech and Yugoslav children) and taking away infants of eastern workers. I continue by providing the evidence and arguments of the prosecution, as well as the evidence and arguments of the defence on every specific charge. Finally, I present the arguments that led to the dismissal of all charges and the subsequent release of the Lebensborn officials. The main source I refer to is the court records from the Nuremberg trials.
|