Love for Life

Nuremburg Nazi war trials: Legal team's lavish lifestyle disclosed
by Telegraph.co.uk
13th July 2008
Nuremburg Nazi war trials: Legal team's lavish lifestyle disclosed

The lavish lifestyle led by the legal team at the Nuremburg war trials has been disclosed.

Invitations, tickets and photographs kept by a secretary during her year working at the International Military Tribunal show that while the trials took place, the judges, lawyers, clerks and secretaries attended dozens of exclusive events.

The social lifestyle has come to light in a collection of documents twhich has sold at auction for £800.

On an almost nightly basis, those involved in the court proceedings hosted champagne suppers, nights out at the opera and dinner dances.

Kathleen Kentish kept the invitations she received for parties hosted by the likes of Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe, Britain's chief prosecutor, and Airey Neave, the former Tory MP.

These along with rarely seen photographs of the trial and some parties and a floorplan for the court were auctioned.

Andrew Aldridge, from Henry Aldridge and Sons auctioneers in Devizes, Wilts, said the lot was bought by an unnamed man living in New York, US.

He said: "They are very interesting documents that show a thriving social life was a way to escape the grim evidence for those involved in the Nuremberg trials."

The Nuremberg trials began on November 14, 1945 and concluded on October 1, 1946.

The main trial involved 24 Nazi war criminals who were indicted on war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Miss Kentish, aged in her 20s, was the secretary for Sir Maxwell-Fyfe and it was her job to record the proceedings for three months for the official transcript.

She came from from Clapham, south London, and ended up covering the entire trial during which she wrote more than a million words.

During this period she attended a number of dinners at the Grand Hotel in Nuremberg.

These included a reception held by Sir Maxwell-Fyfe and members of the British prosecution team in Zirndorf to meet members of the Soviet prosecution.

Miss Kentish was also invited to a dinner held by GD Roberts, the British lead counsel.

She attended a cocktail party and dance hosted by Russian prosecutor Igor Rasumov and a buffet supper and dance at the Villa Schickdanz held by US prosecutor Justice Robert Jackson.

Airey Neave, who escaped from Colditz and then helped build the prosecution case against Gustov Krupp, also requested her pleasure for a dance.

Miss Kentish kept all the documents in storage although it was nearly burnt by her brother in the 1980s after her death because he didn't appreciate its significance.

The collection was later handed down through her family before being sold on Saturday.

Link to this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/2299504/Nurembu...

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[A personal note: From 1970 to 1991 I travelled very often between the USA and Germany.
During my first stop at the Heathrow Airport in England, an inner voice "inspired" me never
to visit the interior of England, . . . because "THEY ARE YOUR ENEMY !" Well, I followed this
inspiration and I NEVER visited this barbarian Christian-Jewish island called England.

Remember: NAZIS stands for NAtional ZIonists, . . . and they are NO GERMANS.
It's only the constantly LYING JEW PRESS who wants to spread the false PROPAGANDA that NAZIS
are Germans ! Don't trust the Jew press one single word !!! . . . their intend is to cause
CONFUSION !!! - Wolfgram]