On our latest trip to Germany, we visited the courthouse where the infamous Nuremberg Trials were held where leaders of the Nazi regime had to answer for their crimes between November 20, 1945 and October 1, 1946. After WWII ended in 1945, the International Military Tribunal (IMT) began looking for a place to hold their war crimes trial of German officials. Each of the Allied nations chose a judge and a prosecution team to represent themselves. The first of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials commenced in Courtroom 600 on December 9, 1946.
The Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany was left standing in the rubble of the city as IMT members chose it as their trial location. The Palace of Justice contained 20 courtrooms and a prison capable of holding 1,200 prisoners. In the months leading up to the trials, the main courtroom, “Courtroom 600”, had to be renovated to fit hundreds of people and have space for the intricate translation equipment that would have to be used.
The translation equipment was integral to the trial, as many members spoke different European languages including French, German, English, and Russian. Each participant in the courtroom had a set of headphones and could dial-in to their preferred language channel. Six microphones were set up in the courtroom; one for each judge, one for the witness stand, and one on the speaker’s podium. In order for translators and the equipment to keep up, the trial could not proceed any faster than 60 words per minute.
Unique modifications to Courtroom 600 can still be seen today. Windows are built into various parts of the wall where photographers and news personnel once stood to capture photos, videos, and audio of the trial. Interpreter stations separated by glass panes were set up in the left corner of the courtroom, and the judge’s bench was turned 90 degrees so it faced the windows.
The back wall of the room was removed and the lower portion of the room expanded to serve as a press box with 235 seats. In addition, a gallery with space for another 128 visitors was installed. In its original form, a balcony was located where today, four windows provide a view of the courtroom below.
The courtroom continued to be used for years after the Nuremberg Trials until March 2020. The attic floor has been renovated to house the Memorium Nuremberg Trials exhibition. The special exhibition is a hub of information and documentation on the defendants and their crimes, the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials of 1946-49, and the impact that the Nuremberg Trials still have today. For the first time in over 100 years of its history, Courtroom 600 is no longer a place to serve justice but a site of remembrance of a critical point in world history.
Every Saturday at 2 p.m. the court offers guided public tours for 5 EUR ($5.20 USD). Regular visiting hours vary but are usually between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on all days except Tuesday, on which the court is closed. General admission is 7.50 EUR ($7.80 USD) and includes an audio guide for the permanent exhibition.