‘Law. Not War.’ – Special Event honouring Ben Ferencz on his 101st Birthday

 

Honouring the 101st birthday of Benjamin ‘Ben’ Ferencz, the last living prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials, the Nuremberg Academy held a special live online event on 11 March 2021, moderated by Deputy Director Dr. Viviane Dittrich.

Ben Ferencz is the last living prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials and one of the leading lawyers and experts in international criminal law since the Second World War. Moved by the horrors of the Holocaust and the Second World War, Ben Ferencz has continued to push the international community to uphold the rule of law and fight impunity for international crimes. The passionate dedication to the Nuremberg Principles, tirelessly expressed in his slogan ‘Law. Not War.’, has shaped his long career. After the end of the Nuremberg trials, he worked for many years for victims' associations of Holocaust survivors. For decades, he was a tireless advocate of the idea and the creation of a permanent International Criminal Court with worldwide jurisdiction to punish genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

Following brief welcoming remarks, we presented selected photo impressions and video clips of Ben Ferencz featuring a conversation between Dr. Dittrich and him that has been specially recorded for this event. During the ensuing sequence, some selected invitees shared their personal reflections and birthday wishes.

Speakers:

  • Dr. Navi Pillay, former UN-High Commissioner of Human Rights and President of the Advisory Council of the Nuremberg Academy
  • Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, Permanent Representative of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United Nations
  • Dr. Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
  • Professor Claus Kreß, Director of the Institute for International Peace and Security Law at the Universität zu Köln
  • Elisabeth Kaul, close friend of the Ferencz family
  • Klaus Rackwitz, Director of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy
  • Dr. Viviane Dittrich, Deputy Director of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy (Moderator)

The event was recorded and the video will shortly be available on the Nuremberg Academy’s YouTube channel.