Stutthof Trials
The Nuremberg Trials did not include staff of the Stutthof concentration camp. However, the Poles held four trials in Gdańsk against former guards and kapos of Stutthof, charging them with crimes of war and crimes against humanity. The first trial was held against 30 ex-officials and kapos of the camp, from April 25, 1946, to May 31, 1946. The Soviet/Polish Special Criminal Court found all of them guilty of the charges. Eleven of them, including the former commander, Johann Pauls, were sentenced to death. The rest were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.
Some of the sentences of the first trial:
- Johann Pauls: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Gerda Steinhoff: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Kapo Josef Reiter: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Wanda Klaff: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Erna Beilhardt: 5 years imprisonment
- Kapo Waclaw Kozlowski: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Jenny-Wanda Barkmann: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Kapo Fanciszek Szopinski: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Ewa Paradies: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Kapo Kazimierz Kowalski: 3 years imprisonment
- Jan Breit: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Kapo Tadeusz Kopczynski: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Elisabeth Becker: death sentence (executed on July 4, 1946)
- Werner Hoppe: Apprehended in 1953 in West Germany, later sentenced to 9 years imprisonment
The second trial was held from January 8, 1947, to January 31, 1947, before a Polish Special Criminal Court. 24 ex-officials and guards of the Stutthof concentration camp were judged and found guilty. Ten were sentenced to death.
The sentences of the second trial:
- Theodor Meyer: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Ewald Foth: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Karl Reger: 8 years imprisonment
- Eduard Zerlin: 12 years imprisonment
- Emil Wenzel: 10 years imprisonment
- Adalbert Wolter: 8 years imprisonment
- Karl Eggert: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Wilhelm Vogler: 15 years imprisonment
- Paul Wellnitz: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Kapo Alfred Nikolaysen: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Hans Rach: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Adolf Grams: 10 years imprisonment
- Josef Wennhardt: 8 years imprisonment
- Fritz Peters: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Kurt Dietrich: death sentencee (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Hugo Ziehm: 3 years imprisonment
- Erich Thun: life imprisonment
- Albert Paulitz: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Werner Wöllnitz: 10 years imprisonment
- Martin Stage: 8 years imprisonment
- Oskar Gottchau: 10 years imprisonment
- Karl Zurell: death sentence (executed on October 10, 1947)
- Walter Englert: 3 years imprisonment
- Johannes Görtz: 8 years imprisonment
The third trial was held from November 5, 1947, to November 10, 1947, before a Polish Special Criminal Court. 20 ex-officials and guards were judged. 19 were found guilty, and one was acquitted.
The sentences of the third trial:
- Karl Meinck: 12 years imprisonment
- Gustav Eberle: 10 years imprisonment
- Harry Müller: 4 years imprisonment
- Alfred Tissler: 5 years imprisonment
- Otto Schneider: 10 years imprisonment
- Johann Lichtner: 5 years imprisonment
- Ernst Thulke: 5 years imprisonment
- Otto Welke: 10 years imprisonment
- Willy Witt: 10 years imprisonment
- Heinz Löwen: 5 years imprisonment
- Erich Stampniok: 5 years imprisonment
- Richard Timm: 4 years imprisonment
- Adolf Klaffke: 10 years imprisonment
- Hans Möhrke: 4 years imprisonment
- Hans Tolksdorf: acquitted and released
- Nikolaus Dirnberger: 4 years imprisonment
- Friedrich Tessmer: 4 years imprisonment
- Erich Jassen: 10 years imprisonment
- Johann Sporer: 4 years imprisonment
- Nikolai Klawan: 3 years imprisonment
The fourth and final trial was also held before a Polish Special Criminal Court, from November 19, 1947, to November 29, 1947. 27 ex-officials and guards were judged, 26 were found guilty, and one was acquitted.
Sentences of the fourth trial:
- Christof Schwarz: 3 years imprisonment
- Albert Weckmüller: 15 years imprisonment
- Kurt Reduhn: 10 years imprisonment
- Walter Ringewald: 7 months imprisonment
- Hermann Link: 5 years imprisonment
- Richard Wohlfeil: 7 months imprisonment
- Waldemar Henke: 5 years imprisonment
- Anton Kniffke: 3 years imprisonment
- Kapo Franz Spillmann: acquitted and released
- Gustav Brodowski: 7 months imprisonment
- Johann Wrobel: 7 months imprisonment
- Ernst Knappert: 7 months imprisonment
- Martin Pentz: 5 years imprisonment
- Horst Köpke: 10 years imprisonment
- Bernard Eckermann: 7 months imprisonment
- Rudolf Berg: 10 years imprisonment
- Josef Stahl: 10 years imprisonment
- Johann Pfister: 5 years imprisonment
- Johannes Wall: 5 years imprisonment
- Leopold Baumgartner: 7 months imprisonment
- Willi Buth: life imprisonment
- Richard Akolt: 3 years imprisonment
- Fritz Glawe: 10 years imprisonment
- Emil Lascheit: 10 years imprisonment
- Gustav Kautz: 5 years imprisonment
- Emil Paul: 7 months imprisonment
- Erich Mertens: 5 years imprisonment
Read more about this topic: Stutthof Concentration Camp
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