1946-12-09, #1: Defense Pleas
Official Transcript1 of the American Military Tribunal in the matter of the United States of America, against Karl Brandt, et al, defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany, on 9 December 1946, 1000-1700, Justice Beals, presiding.
THE MARSHAL: Military Tribunal No. 1 is now in session. God save the United States of America and this honorable Tribunal. There will be order in the Court.
THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary General will ascertain that all the defendants are present.
THE MARSHAL: The Secretary General will call the roll of the defendant.
(The Secretary General: Karl Brandt, Siegfried Handloser, Paul Rostock, Oskar Schroeder, Karl Genzken, Karl Beghardt, Kurt Blome, Rudolf Brandt, Joachim Mrugowsky, Helmut Poppendick, Wolfram Sievers, Gerhard Rose, Siegfried Ruff, Hans Wofgang Romberg, Victor Brack, Hermann BeckerFreyseng, Georg August Weltz, Konrad Schaefer, Waldemar Hoven, Wilhelm Beiglb?? Adolf Porkorny, Herta Oberhauser, Fritz Fischer.)
THE SECRETARY GENERAL: All of the defendants are present and accounted for.
THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary General will note for the record the prose of the defendants.
I have two questions now to propound to the defendants. As the name of each defendant is called he will rise in his place and proceed to the center in front of the microphone and answer the questions which I shall propound to him. Karl Brandt. Your name is Karl Brandt?
KARL BRANDT: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
KARL BRANDT: I have read the indictment, yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty?
KARL BRANDT: Yes, I am not guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Paul Rostock.
PAUL ROSTOCK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
PAUL ROSTOCK: I have read the indictment,
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty and do you now plead not Guilty to the indictment?
PAUL ROSTOCK: I am Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Oskar Schroeder.
OSKAR SCHROEDER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
OSKAR SCHROEDER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty?
OSKAR SCHROEDER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Karl Genzken. Is your name Karl Genzken?
KARL GENZKEN: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
KARL GENZKEN: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plea Not Guilty to the indictment?
KARL GENZKEN: Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Karl Gebhardt. Is your name Karl Gebhardt?
KARL GEBHARDT: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
KARL GEBHARDT: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to his indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to the indictment?
KARL GEBHARDT: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Kurt Blome. Is your name Kurt Blome?
KURT BLOME: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
KURT BLOME: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to the indictment?
KURT BLOME: Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Rudolf Brandt. Is your name Rudolf Brandt?
RUDOLF BRANDT: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
RUDOLF BRANDT: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to the indictment?
RUDOLF BRANDT: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Siegfried Handloser. Is your name Siegfried Handloser?
SIEGFRIED HANDLOSER: Yes
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
SIEGFRIED HANDLOSER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to the indictment?
SIEGFRIED HANDLOSER: Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Joachim Mrugowsky. Is you name Joachim Mrugowsky?
JOACHIM MRUGOWSKY: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
JOACHIM MRUGOWSKY: I have read it.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
JOACHIM MRUGOWSKY: I plead Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: Helmut Poppendick. Is your name Helmut Poppendick?
HELMUT POPPENDICK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed in this case against you?
HELMUT POPPENDICK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
HELMUT POPPENDICK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Wolfram Sievers. Is your name Wolfram Sievers?
WOLFRAM SIEVERS: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
WOLFRAM SIEVERS: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
WOLFRAM SIEVERS: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You may seated. Gerhard Rose. Is your name Gerhard Rose?
GERHARD ROSE: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
GERHARD ROSE: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
GERHARD ROSE: Yes, Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Siegfried Ruff.
SIEGFRIED RUFF: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed in this case against you?
SIEGFRIED RUFF: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
SIEGFRIED RUFF: Yes, Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: Hans Wolfgang Romberg. Is your name Hans Wolfgang Romberg?
HANS WOLFGANG ROMBERG: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
HANS WOLFGANG ROMBERG: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
HANS WOLFGANG ROMBERG: Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Viktor Brack. Is your name Viktor Brack?
VIKTOR BRACK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
VIKTOR BRACK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
VIKTOR BRACK: I plead Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Hermann Becker-Freyseng. Is your name Hermann Becker-Freyseng?
HERMANN BECKER-FREYSENG: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
HERMANN BECKER-FREYSENG: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
HERMANN BECKER-FREYSENG: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Georg August Weltz. Is you name Geog August Weltz?
GEORG AUGUST WELTZ: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
GEORG AUGUST WELTZ: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
GEORG AUGUST WELTZ: Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Konrad Schaefer.
KONRAD SCHAEFER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
KONRAD SCHAEFER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
KONRAD SCHAEFER: I plead Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: Waldemar Hoven. Is your name Waldemar Hoven?
WALDEMAR HOVEN: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
WALDEMAR HOVEN: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
WALDEMAR HOVEN: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Wilhelm Beiglbock. Is your name Wilhelm Beiglbock?
WILHELM BEIGLBOCK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
WILHELM BEIGLBOCK: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
WILHELM BEIGLBOCK: I plead Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: Adolf Pokorny. Is your name Adolf Pokorny?
ADOLF POKORNY: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
ADOLF POKORNY: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
ADOLF POKORNY: Nor Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: Herta Oberhauser. Is your name Herta Oberhauser?
HERTA OBERHAUSER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
HERTA OBERHAUSER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
HERTA OBERHAUSER: Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: You may be seated. Fritz Fischer. Is you name Fritz Fischer?
FRITZ FISCHER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you received and have you had an opportunity to read the indictment filed against you?
FRITZ FISCHER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you entered your plea of Not Guilty to this indictment and do you now plead Not Guilty to this indictment?
FRITZ FISCHER: Yes, Not Guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary General will note the questions and answers propounded to the defendants.