Whether high-ranking Nazis or not, Freisler spared no one from his aggressive vitriol and humiliation. In 1942, when Roland Freisler became the President of the People’s Court and under his tenure, he enacted these ideas with the utmost severity. Only loyal Nazis could be judges and treason would be defined as any form of opposition to National Socialism. Adolf Hitler had been sworn in as Chancellor of Germany just one month earlier but did not yet have absolute power. Managed by Caboodle UX design studio in London, Roland Freisler was the most senior and infamous judge at, 1893 in Celle. Indeed, after Freisler defendants had been humiliated and abused, they were almost certainly sent to their deaths. Copy to clipboard. Roland Freisler: The Nazi Judge Who Ran Hitler’s Deadly Kangaroo Court If you went before Roland Freisler, your trial had a 90 percent chance of ending in either life imprisonment or death. From October 1944 on, these trials also included persons aiding fugitives and persons providing support to those involved in the attempted coup. They had two sons, Harald and Roland, and both were baptized. Influenced by Vyshinsky’s techniques, Freisler combined his legal acumen with sadistic verbal abuse and humiliation techniques to turn his courtroom into a house of farcical proceedings that rivaled any of Vyshinsky’s show trials. Nazi Germany - 1944 - Judge Roland Freisler and his sham trials condemning those accused of plotting to assassinate Adolph Hitler. Roland Freisler (center) gives the Nazi salute while standing inside a Berlin courtroom. Roland Freisler was the most senior and infamous judge at Hitler’s People’s Court. On 24 March 1928, she married Roland Freisler, who was a lawyer and city councillor of the Nazi Party in Kassel at the time. Freisler himself rejected all accusations that he had even tentatively approached the hated enemy, but he could never fully escape the stigma of being a bolshie. Han havde en yngre bror, Oswald. In total, he sentenced 2,600 people to death, including Sophie and Hans Scholl and other members of the White Rose movement. Freisler constantly yelled at the defendants, interrupting any attempts they made to address the court. Roland Freisler (30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945) was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge.He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the People's Court (Volksgerichtshof), which was set up outside constitutional authority.This court handled political actions against Hitler's dictatorial regime by conducting a series of show trials. The trial began on August 7, 1944. Roland Freisler : biography 30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945 Contribution to the Nazification of the law Freisler published an article on "Die rassebiologische Aufgabe bei der Neugestaltung des Jugendstrafrechts ("The racial-biological task involved in the reform of Juvenile Criminal Law").In Monatsschrift für Kriminalbiologie und Strafrechtsreform, 1939, p. 209. In all, an appearance before the People's Court could take as little as fifteen minutes. Als einer der 15 Teilnehmer an der Wannseekonferenz gehörte er zu den maßgeblichen Verantwortlichen für die Organisation des Holocaust. Five so-called communist conspirators were arrested for arson and put on trial. Roland Freisler (* 30. Roland Freisler (30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945) was a jurist and judge of Nazi Germany. At the time that the “People’s Court” was created, Roland Freisler was the State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice. 1944. Freisler’s death spared Schlabrendorff, who went on to become a judge himself in Germany after the war. Han var søn af Julius Freisler (født 20. august 1862 i Klantendorf, Moravia), ingeniør og lærer, og Charlotte Auguste Florentine Schwerdtfeger (født 30. april 1863 i Celle - døde 20. marts 1932 i Kassel). He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice, and President of the People's Court. Relatives. But it is known that Freisler served as a cadet during, Just one month after Hitler became Chancellor in, 1942, Freisler was made President of the Court. When he sat on one of the trials held there, the defendant had little chance of even defending himself. Nazi Germany perverted every democratic institution that was supposed to uphold the rule of law and ensure the people of Europes most powerful nation were governed fairly. She admitted to making the joke but said she hadn’t been herself at the time, feeling bitter about the … She is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Anna Freisler. Birthplace: Celle, Lower Saxony Location of death: Berlin, Germany Cause of death: War Remains: Buried, Waldfriedhof Dahlem, Be. However, it was as a judge at the People’s Court that Freisler gained infamy. The fire paved the way for his total control. Just one month after Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, Freisler was appointed Department Head in the Prussian Ministry of Justice. They had two sons, Harald and Roland, and both were baptized. In his will, dated 1 October 1944, Freisler had decreed that their two houses belonged to his wife. Freisler joined the Nazi Party in July 1925. Not only was Freisler judge, jury and prosecutor in the proceedings, he was also the recorder of sentences of the trials he oversaw. The court was like a production line with dead defendants the end result. In February 1945 the courtroom was demolished in a bomb attack and Freisler killed. During this trial, the building was bombed during an Allied raid. On 3 February 1945, her husband was killed during an Allied air raid in Berlin. Instead, he stayed behind to gather files on the trial of Fabian von Schlabrendorff, a July 20 plot conspirator he was hoping to send to his death that day. During this trial, the building was bombed during an. After World War One ended, Freisler studied Law at the University of Jena. Februar 1945 in Berlin) war ein deutscher Jurist der Diktatur des Nationalsozialismus. Freisler also presided over some of the many defendants arrested after the failed plot to assassinate Hitler – the July Bomb Plot of 1944. Roland Freisler. After this look at Roland Freisler, read up on Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and the White Rose Movement, some of the most tragic victims of Freisler’s reign. From left to right: Roland Freisler, Franz Schlegelberger, Otto Georg Thierack, and Curt Rothenberger. Roland Freisler blev født i Celle, Niedersachsen den 30. oktober 1893. This did him in and he was later found crushed to death by a fallen column while clutching the case files. A meeting of the four Nazis who imposed Nazi ideology on the legal system of Germany. Roland Freisler; Harald Freisler; died on 3 February 1945 (70 years ago) in Berlin; Printed dictionaries and other books with definitions for Roland Freisler. Roland Freisler (30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945) was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge. But it is known that Freisler served as a cadet during World War One, was promoted to lieutenant, was decorated for bravery before being captured and held as a prisoner by the Russians. Otto Thierack (RMJ 1943-45) and Curt Rothenberger. He became a Doctor of Law in 1922 and like so many others in Weimar Germany turned to nationalism believing that Stresemann’s government had let down the country – especially after the French and Belgians had entered the Ruhr in 1923 and the government had done nothing about it.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'historylearningsite_co_uk-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',114,'0','0'])); In July 1925, Freisler joined the Nazi Party. Regarding Adolf Hitler's favorite and most fanatical (i.e., activist) judge, Roland Freisler, according to the History Learning website, Roland Freisler was the most high-ranking and notorious judge of Hitler's so-called "People's Court" – a Fuhrer-created Court that would 100% of the time give the guilty judgments Hitler's maniacal revenge worldview demanded against all "Enemies of the Reich" – both … In 1934, he was appointed to the Reich Ministry of Justice. 1944. Von August 1942 bis zu seinem Tod war Freisler Präsident des berüchtigten Volksgerichtshofes, der höchsten juristischen Instanz des NS-Regimes für … Freisler gained a reputation for humiliating those on trial in his court and it seemed that Freisler had no boundaries when it came to accomplishing this objective.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'historylearningsite_co_uk-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',129,'0','0'])); Roland Freisler was born on October 30th 1893 in Celle. Their guilt was sealed even before their trial had begun.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-leader-1','ezslot_16',115,'0','0'])); On February 3rd 1945, Freisler was presiding over a trial in the People’s Court in Berlin. And in relation to the law, Roland Freisler played a huge part in this warped ideology. Harald Freisler: Gender: Male: Description: Haralad Freisler is the son of Roland Freisler and Marion Russegger. Wikimedia Commons Roland Freisler (center) gives the Nazi salute while standing inside a Berlin courtroom. Some witnesses claim that he was crushed to death by falling masonry while others claim that he bled to death outside of the bombed court house. Together, they had two sons, Harald and Roland. This marked the beginning of a series of more than 50 trials that resulted in more than 110 death sentences. cit., p. Freisler was one of the few people selected who attended the notorious Wannsee Conference on January 20th 1942 where the ‘Final Solution’ of the Jews was discussed. [Guido Knopp, op. Freisler allowed just about anything to humiliate those on trial. In fact, 90 percent of cases before the People’s Court resulted in the death penalty or life imprisonment. Wikimedia CommonsRoland Freisler (center) gives the Nazi salute while standing inside a Berlin courtroom. In total, he sentenced 2,600 people to death, including, 1945, Freisler was presiding over a trial in the People’s Court in Berlin. Wikimedia CommonsRoland Freisler in 1942. In his will, dated 1 October 1944, Freisler had decreed that their two houses belonged to his wife. Il débuta sa carrière sous la République de Weimar, puis la continua sous le Troisième Reich. He served as the state secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection from the mid-930s to early 1940s, and later as president of the People's Court until 1945. Years earlier while in the Soviet Union, Freisler had watched Andrei Vyshinsky, the chief prosecutor of the Soviet purge trials. On 24-03-1928, she married Roland Freisler, who was a lawyer and city councillor of the Nazi Party in Kassel at the time. In his will, dated 01-10-1944, Freisler had decreed that the two houses belonged to his wife. Roland Freisler (né le 30 octobre 1893 à Celle (Allemagne) – mort le 3 février 1945 à Berlin) était un juriste allemand. Marianne was called up before the People’s Court, whose president, Roland Freisler, was famous for both his long raving speeches berating defendants, and his death sentences. Roland Freisler was born on October 30th 1893 in Celle. He represented the latter at the Wannsee Conference (20 January 1942), where he stood in for Minister Franz Schlegelberger, as regarding the detailed plans of the Final Solution, the murder of all European Jews. History Learning Site Copyright © 2000 - 2021. Little is known about his early life. Cite this record . On August 20th 1942, Freisler was made President of the Court. Freisler's mastery of legal texts, mental agility and overwhelming verbal fo… Close. Military service: German Army (1914-20) Father: Julius Freisler (engineer, b. Most explanations of his decisions revolved around defeatism, undermining morale and assisting the enemy as a result of the previous two. Roland Freisler is buried in Berlin with his wife and her family. Hitler was furious with this outcome and on April 24, 1934, he decreed that the “People’s Court” would replace trial courts in political cases, including treason. The name Freisler does not appear on the stone. Berlin, Germany, 1944. 222.] Freisler, according to some accounts, declined to evacuate immediately after hearing the air raid siren. For instance, he sent the high-ranking Nazis who nearly succeeded in killing Hitler during the July 20 plot to the gallows naked. She is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Anna Freisler. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster. The People’s Court tried “political offences”, which, in effect, meant just about anything. The VGH dealt solely with cases of treason against Hitler and the Nazis. He would think nothing of not only condemning defendants but stripping them of their dignity — sometimes literally. On 24 March 1928, she married Roland Freisler, who was a lawyer and city councillor of the Nazi Party in Kassel at the time. On 24-03-1928, she married Roland Freisler, who was a lawyer and city councillor of the Nazi Party in Kassel at the time.They had two sons, Harald and Roland, and both were baptized. Then, view this collection of powerful photos taken during the Holocaust. However, the Nazis’ evidence was weak and only one of the five was found guilty and sentenced to death, with the rest acquitted. Freisler combined his vocal skills with his bullying manner as a judge, which involved shouting over a defendant and verbally abusing them, someone on trial for their life had little chance. He believed that trials should be swift, judgments should be final, and punishments should be carried out within 24 hours of conviction. Daughter of Bernhard Adolf Cajetan Russegger, a merchant in Hamburg and Bremen, and Cornelia Pirscher Russegger. When he explained his decisions on paper, he phrased his sentences with as much Nazi ideology as was required. For a man who ordered such brutal deaths from his courtroom, it’s only fitting that he too should die a brutal death in his own courtroom. Nazi Germany perverted every democratic institution that was supposed to uphold the rule of law and ensure the people of Europe’s most powerful nation were governed fairly. Roland Freisler was the most senior and infamous judge at Hitler’s People’s Court. 20-Aug-1862) Mother: Charlotte Auguste Florentine Schwerdtfeger ("Florentine", b. He was Secretary of State in the Prussian Ministry of Justice in 1933–1934, and in the Reich Ministry of Justice from 1934–1942. Inside Hitler's Plan To Build The "Capital Of The World", Julia Pastrana's Tragic Journey From "Ape Woman" To Sideshow Celebrity, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Wearing a scarlet red robe and standing underneath massive scarlet red swastika banners, Roland Freisler would open each day in court with a Nazi salute before carrying out cruel “justice” that involved long, raving speeches and extended verbal humiliation of defendants. During these trials, those who faced him were charged, in the mind of Freisler, with the most heinous of crimes – an attempt to murder Hitler. Those who saw Freisler as a defence lawyer in court recognised that he had skill and this was recognised by the party’s hierarchy. The People’s Court set up in Berlin to try cases of political resistance, presided over by Roland Freisler, sat ‘in camera’, while the prosecutors bullied prisoners into confessing political crimes, as in the Stalinist show trials of the 1930s. Freisler even passed a law that would allow him to send juveniles to their deaths. Involvement with the Nazi Party. Raus aus der Nazi-Kolonie - Zurück in die Heimat durch Umsetzung der GG-Artikel 139 und 146www.staatenlos.info Relation: Name: Birth: Father: Roland Freisler: Oct 30 1893: Mother: Marion Freisler: Feb 10 1910: Spotted an error? He registered with the NSDAP as member number 9679. Freisler gained a reputation for humiliating those on trial in his court and it seemed that Freisler had no boundaries when it came to accomplishing this objective. To add to the shame, Freisler gave them oversized clothing, denied them belts so their trousers kept slipping, then berated them for it. Click on a title to look inside that book (if available): The Encyclopedia of Third Reich Tableware (2013) by James A. Yannes. Freisler displayed a strong patriotic streak towards his country from a young age. Roland Freisler … He was the man who petitioned for the People’s Court to become the Supreme Court of Nazi Germany and for it to adopt National Socialist concepts of law. Roland Freisler (30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945) ... Harald and Roland. Involvement with the Nazi Party. Freisler attended Gymnasium in Aachen and Kassel, where in 1914 he passed his Abitur.He studied law in Kiel, Frankfurt and Göttingen.In February 1924, he opened a law firm with his brother Roland Freisler in Kassel. The only Roland Freisler trial that remains more infamous than the Scholl proceedings is the prosecution of the July 20 plot conspirators. They had two sons, Harald and Roland, and both were baptized. Suggest an alternative. He defended members of the party who had been arrested for a variety of offences. These defendants had no chance and many were made to stand through the proceedings with no belt for their trousers, so that they had to stand holding up their trousers. Roland Freisler (30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945) was a prominent Nazi lawyer and judge. Freisler- Russegger, born 10-02-1910 in Hamburg, the daughter of Bernhard Adolf Cajetan Russegger, a merchant in Hamburg and Bremen, and Cornelia Pirscher. Even though the Nazis declared themselves arch-enemies of Marxism, Freisler joined the Nazi Party in July 1925. The accused were unable to consult their lawyers, who were not even allowed to sit near their clients. He is buried in the family plot but in an unmarked grave. When Adolf Hitler rose to power, he deemed the current judicial system too lenient - or perhaps not loyal enough - and he instituted the "National Socialist People's Court" - the Volksgerichtshof (VGH). “You are crying!” he yelled at one defendant who began to weep in court, “What do you want to tell us with the tears in your eyes?” Freisler soon sentenced that man to be hung with a thin rope so that he would, per Hitler’s orders, suffer a slow death. As a jurist, he was best known for influencing the Nazification of Germany's legal system. On 24 March 1928, Freisler married Marion Russegger who bore the couple two sons, Harald and Roland. On 24 March 1928, she married Roland Freisler, who was a lawyer and city councillor of the Nazi Party in Kassel at the time. Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and the White Rose Movement. Roland Freisler (30 October 1893 – 3 February 1945) was a German Nazi jurist, judge, and politician who served as the State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice from 1934 to 1942 and President of the People's Court from 1942 to 1945. Hitler had reportedly seen Freisler in action and specially requested that he be the man to preside over the activists trial. Roland Freisler: The Nazi Judge Who Ran Hitler’s Deadly Kangaroo Court. Little is known about his early life. Between 1942 and 1945, the figure that reached its zenith with 5,000 Germans sent to their death under Freisler’s leadership. Wife of infamous Nazi judge Roland Freisler. “It is God’s verdict,” one hospital worker reportedly said when Freisler’s body was brought in.