The Nuremberg Academy hosted a seminar on 11 June 2024, featuring scholars from the University of Warsaw and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Discussions focused on the legacy of the Nuremberg trials and ongoing efforts against Nazi impunity.
Presentations included Julia Klaus on Rafal Lemkin, the pioneer of the concept of genocide, emphasising his fight against aggression. Professor Dr Adam Bosiacki offered an in-depth analysis of Poland's legal and societal responses to Nazi war crimes, highlighting the country's unique perspective and experiences. Professor Dr Christoph Safferling discussed the historical significance of the Huppenkothen trial and its relation to the atrocities committed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp. The trials held in Poland against Nazi criminals, with a particular focus on the Auschwitz trial, were examined by Blazej Bawolik, providing detailed insights into the legal proceedings and their impact. Dr Gurgen Petrossian explored the complicity of the legal system during the Nazi era, specifically through the lens of the Judges trial revealing the challenges and outcomes of prosecuting judicial actors. Concluding the seminar, Professor Dr Jaroslaw Kostrubiec presented on the Majdanek trial, detailing the prosecution of war criminals associated with the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland.
The seminar provided a platform for robust discussion and reflection on the quest for justice and the importance of historical accountability. (gp)