More than fifty years after the Nuremberg trials, there remains a great deal of confusion surrounding these revolutionary trials. They certainly served as warning to rogue political leaders, that under the right set of political circumstances, they might find themselves held accountable, other aspects of the Nuremberg legacy remain far less certain. The 1990s were heady times for those who believed that a Nuremberg-derived system of international criminal law would soon take root. However, by the end of the bloodiest century in recorded history, the so called "international community" had grown increasingly indifferent to, and accepting of, the horrors suffered by its most powerless, and politically insignificant members.
Primary Sources
Archives and collections
For original documents and background information--as much as you can use--these sources are prime
- Harvard Law School Nuremberg Documentation Project
- Primary source documents from Nuremberg's International Military and the twelve American subsequent proceedings at Nuremberg. The collection includes trial transcripts, briefs, document books, evidence files, and other papers.
- The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
- Trial records from the Nuremberg trials and a large cross section of eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century human rights documents.
- Truman Library
- Presidential Nuremberg Documents and most of the agreements leading up to the first Nuremberg trial (Morgenthau Plan, Bernays Plan, London Agreement).
- Donovan Nuremberg Trials collection
- Nuremberg trial transcripts and documents from the personal archives of General William J. Donovan (1883-1959). William Donovan played an important part in the International Military Tribunal proceedings in his role as special assistant to the U.S. chief of counsel, Supreme Court justice Robert H. Jackson.
- Telford Taylor Papers at Columbia University
- The personal papers of Nuremberg prosecutor Telford Taylor (1908-1998). This collection includes documents and correspondence from the International Military Tribunal and the subsequent proceedings
Audio Augmentation
Hearing history
Recording-based resources to add to your research
- American Radioworks, "The Legacy of Nuremberg"
- Recorded memories of trial participants like Ben Ferencz, William and Belle Zeck, James Glancy and many others.
- Bard College Human Rights Project
- Transcripts from Bard's 1998 "Accounting For Atrocities" Conference. Many articles about contemporary international law and human rights.
Tomes About the Trials
Books worth a look
These books--and book series--offer additional information and insights about the trials
- The Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal
- These 42 volumes, known as the "blue" series, cover the trials at Nuremberg of the major German war criminals that was held between November 14, 1945 and October 1, 1946.
- Trials of War Criminals before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals
- Commonly known as "the Green series," these fifteen volumes provide an edited trial record of the twelve the American trials of German war criminals (1947-1949). The series will eventually appear in their totality on this web page.
Beyond the Basics
More than Nuremberg
If the Nuremberg trials pique your interest in related events, these tools might be useful
- American Society of International Law Electronic Resources for International Law
- A broad cross section of war crimes trials and human rights legislation.
Additional Links
From DMOZ
I haven't vetted these links, but they might still be useful
- City of Nuremburg
- Official information guide to the businesses, art, recreation, and tourism destinations in the city. (German/English translations)
- The Virtual Post Office Nuremberg
- Send friends and loved-ones postcards from the city of Nuremberg.
