Dachau Trials US vs. Josias Erbprinz zu Waldeck-Pyrmont Trial of 31 war criminals from Buchenwald camp Previous Tech Sgt. Adrian Robinson at Buchenwald trial, May 9, 1947 In the photograph above, Technical Sergeant Adrian Robertson, a photographer with the US Army Air Corps, identifies a photograph taken at the liberation of the Buchenwald camp. Standing on his left is Chief prosecutor Lt. Col. William D. Denson, and behind him is defense attorney Dr. Richard Wacker. Herbert Rosenstock is the court interpreter who is sitting on the right. There were no closing remarks in the Buchenwald case. Testimony in the Buchenwald case ended on August 11, 1947 and both the prosecution and the defense waived their right to make a closing statement. All 31 of the accused in the Buchenwald case were convicted. This was no surprise because in the three previous trials of concentration camp staff members, the conviction rate had been 100%. Although the prosecutor had asked for the death penalty for each of the accused in the Buchenwald case, only 22 of the 31 were sentenced to be hanged. Josias Erbprinz zu Waldeck-Pyrmont, an SS general and a member of German royalty, was sentenced to life in prison for his part in the "common plan" to violate the Laws and Usages of War. He was sent to Landsberg prison near Munich, but was released in 1950 for reasons of ill health. Dr. Edwin Katzen-Ellenbogen had cleverly asked to be sentenced to death, knowing that the Tribunal would deny him his last wish; he was given life in prison instead. The camp Commandant, Hermann Pister, was found guilty of participating in the "common plan" to violate the Laws and Usages of War because Russian Commissars had been executed at Buchenwald while he was the Commandant. Although the Russians had not signed the Geneva Convention and were not following its rules, the Tribunal ruled that the Germans, down to the last man, were responsible for treating the Russians according to the rules of the Convention. Josef Kestel points out where prisoners were executed at Buchenwald Here is the list of the accused and their sentences: Hermann Pister - Death Sentence - Died in prison Sept. 28, 1948 Hans Merbach - Death Sentence - Executed January 14, 1949 Dr. Hans Eisele - Death Sentence - Pardoned in 1952 Hermann Helbig - Death Sentence - Executed November 19, 1948 Hans Wolf - Death Sentence - Executed November 19, 1948 Hubart Krautwurst - Death Sentence - Executed November 26, 1948 Emil Pleissner - Death Sentence - Executed November 26, 1948 Max Schobert - Death Sentence - Executed November 19, 1948 Hermann Grossmann - Death Sentence - Executed November 19, 1948 Friedrich Wilhelm - Death Sentence - Executed November 26, 1948 Richard Köhler - Death Sentence - Executed November 26, 1948 Josef Kestel - Death Sentence - Executed November 19, 1948 Hans - Theodor Schmidt - Death Sentence - Executed June 7, 1951 Gustav Heigel - Death Sentence - Commuted to Life Helmut Roscher - Death Sentence - Commuted to Life Phillip Grimm - Death Sentence - Commuted to Life Albert Schwartz - Death Sentence - Commuted to Life Hermann Hackmann - Death Sentence - Commuted to Life Quido Reimer - Death Sentence - Commuted to Life Anton Bergmeier - Death Sentence - Commuted to Life Otto Barnewald - Death Sentence Commuted to Life Peter Merker - Death Sentence - Commuted to 20 Years Franz Zinecker - Life in prison Werner Greunuss - Life in prison - Commuted to 20 Years Josias Erbprinz zu Waldeck-Pyrmont - Life in prison - Commuted to 20 Years Dr. Edwin Katzen-Ellenbogen - Life in prison - Commuted to 15 Years Ilse Koch - Life in prison - Commuted to 4 Years Arthur Dietzsch - 15 Years in prison Wolfgang Otto - 15 Years in prison Dr. Walter Wendt - 15 Years in prison - Commuted to 5 Years August Bender - 10 Years in prison - Commuted to 3 Years Previous Ilse Koch - human lampshades Hans Merbach - Death Train Back to Dachau Trials Home