| Original caption: “German War Crimes Trials, Nuremberg and Dachau. The prosecution charges the defendants with conspiring to destroy the independence of other nations. Goering is in the defendant’s box. The defendants, surrounded by American military police, Goering, Hess, Von Ribbentrop, Keitel, Rosenberg, Frank, Frick, Streicher, Funk, Schacht; back row, Donitz, Raeder, Von Schirach, Sauckel, Jodl, Von Papen, Seyss-Inquart, Speer, Von Neurath, and Hans Fritsche.” The Allies held the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries across Europe and committing atrocities against their citizens in World War II. During the 4th day of testimony, the United States presented 40 documents that outlined the defendant’s positions in the Nazi German government and how political opponents, trade unions, churches, and Jews were targeted. The defendants’ lawyers objected, stating that they had not been given the documents in advance, and the Tribunal adjourned to allow counsel time to review them. Between November 20, 1945, and October 1, 1946, a period of almost a year, the 4 victorious Allied Powers — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union — presented evidence before the defendants were allowed to mount a defense. The verdicts were returned on October 1, 1946, and the sentences of death were carried out 2 weeks later: Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946), Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe (“Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force”), death by hanging, committed suicide the night before; Reichsminister Rudolf Heß (April 26, 1894 – August 17, 1987), Stellvertreter des Führers (“Deputy Leader”), life imprisonment; Reichsminister des Auswärtigen (“Foreign Minister”) Joachim von Ribbentrop (April 30, 1893 – October 16, 1946), death by hanging; Generalfeldmarchall Wilhelm Keitel (September 22, 1882 – October 16, 1946), Chef des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht (“Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces”), death by hanging; Alfred Rosenberg (January 12, 1893 – October 16, 1946), Beauftragter des Führers für die gesamte geistige und weltanschauliche Erziehung der NSDAP (“Führer’s representative for the entire intellectual and ideological education of the Nazi Party”) death by hanging; Generalgouverneur Hans Frank (May 23, 1900 – October 16, 1946), Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete (“General Government for the Occupied Polish Territories”), death by hanging; Reichsminister des Innern (“Reich Minister of the Interior”) Wilhelm Frick (March 12, 1877 – October 16, 1946), death by hanging; Gauleiter of Franconia Julius Streicher (February 12, 1885 – October 16, 1946), Publisher of Der Stürmer, death by hanging; Reichswirtschaftsminister (“Reich Minister of Economics”) 1938-1945 Walther Funk (August 18, 1890 – May 31, 1960), life imprisonment; Reichswirtschaftsminister 1934-1937 Hjalmar Schacht (January 22, 1877 – June 3, 1970), not guilty. From left to right, back row: Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (September 16, 1891 – December 24, 1980), Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine (“Commander-in-Chief of the Navy”) 1943-1945, Leitenden Reichsminister (“Chief Reich Minister”) May 1945, 10 years imprisonment; Großadmiral Erich Raeder (April 24, 1876 – November 6, 1960), Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine 1933-1943 life imprisonment; Reichsjugendführer (“Reich Youth Leader”) Baldur von Schirach (May 9, 1907 – August 8, 1974), 20 years imprisonment; Reichsstatthalter Thuringia (“Reich Governor of Thuringia”) Fritz Sauckel (October 27, 1894 – October 16, 1946), Generalbevollmächtigter für den Arbeitseinsatz (“General Representative for Labor Deployment”), death by hanging; Generaloberst Alfred Jodl (May 10, 1890 – October 16, 1946), Chef des Wehrmachtführungsstabs im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (“Chief of the General Staff in the High Command of the Armed Forces”), death by hanging; Vizekanzler (“Vice Chancellor”) 1933-1934 Franz von Papen (October 29, 1879 – May 2, 1969), Reichskommissar (“Reich Commissioner”) Niederlande Arthur Seyß-Inquart (July 22, 1892 – October 16, 1946), death by hanging; Reichsminister für Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion (“Reich Minister for Armaments and War Production”) Albert Speer (March 19, 1905 – September 1, 1981) 20 years imprisonment; Reichsminister des Auswärtigen 1932-1938 Konstantin Von Neurath (February 2, 1873 – August 14, 1956), 15 years imprisonment; Ministerialdirektor des Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda (“Ministerial Director of the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda”) Hans Fritsche (April 21, 1900 – September 27, 1953), not guilty. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0956.jpg |
| Image Size | 792.96 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2920 x 2347 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 23, 1945 |
| Location | Justizpalast |
| City | Nuremberg |
| State or Province | Bavaria |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NRE-338-FTL(EF)-3161(1) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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