The “Doctors Trial” or “Medical Case”—officially designated _United
States of America_ vs. _Karl Brandt_, _et al._ (Case No. 1)—was tried
at the Palace of Justice in Nuernberg before Military Tribunal I. The
Tribunal convened 139 times, and the duration of the trial is shown by
the following schedule:
Indictment filed 25 October 1946
Indictment served 5 November 1946
Arraignment 21 November 1946
Prosecution opening statement 9 December 1946
Defense opening statement 29 January 1947
Prosecution closing statement 14 July 1947
Defense closing statements 14-18 July 1947
Judgment 19 August 1947
Sentences 20 August 1947
Affirmation of sentences by Military 25 November 1947
Commander of the United States Zone of
Occupation
Order of the United States Supreme Court 16 February 1948
denying writ of habeas corpus
The death sentences imposed on Karl Brandt, Rudolf Brandt, Karl
Gebhardt, Joachim Mrugowsky, Viktor Brack, Wolfram Sievers, and Waldemar
Hoven were put into execution on 2 June 1948.
The English transcript of the Court proceedings runs to 11,538
mimeographed pages. The prosecution introduced into evidence 570 written
exhibits (some of which contained several documents), and the defense
901 written exhibits. The Tribunal heard oral testimony of 32 witnesses
called by the prosecution and of 30 witnesses, excluding the defendants,
called by the defense. Each of the 23 defendants testified in his own
behalf, and each was subject to examination on behalf of other
defendants. The exhibits offered by both the prosecution and defense
contained documents, photographs, affidavits, interrogatories, letters,
maps, charts, and other written evidence. The prosecution introduced 49
affidavits; the defense introduced 535 affidavits. The prosecution
called 3 defense affiants for cross-examination; the defense called 13
prosecution affiants for cross-examination. The case-in-chief of the
prosecution took 25 court days and the case for the 23 defendants took
107 court days. The Tribunal was in recess between 18 and 27 January
1947 to give the defense additional time to prepare its case. A further
recess was taken from 3 to 14 July 1947 to allow both prosecution and
defense time for the preparation of their closing arguments.
The members of the Tribunal and prosecution and defense counsel are
listed on the ensuing pages. Prosecution counsel were assisted in
preparing the case by Walter Rapp (Chief of the Evidence Division), Fred
Rodell, Norbert Barr, and Herbert Meyer, interrogators, and Henry Sachs,
Eleanor Anspacher, Nancy Fenstermacher, and Olga Lang, research and
documentary analysts.
* * * * *
Selection and arrangement of the “Medical Case” material published
herein was accomplished principally by Arnost Horlik-Hochwald, working
under the general supervision of Drexel A. Sprecher, Deputy Chief
Counsel and Director of Publications, Office U. S. Chief of Counsel for
War Crimes. Catherine W. Bedford, Henry Buxbaum, Emilie Evand, Gertrude
Ferencz, Paul H. Gantt, Constance Gavares, Olga Lang, Helga Lund,
Gwendoline Niebergall, Johanna K. Reischer, Hans Sachs, and Enid M.
Standring assisted in selecting, compiling, editing, and indexing the
numerous papers.
John H. E. Fried, Special Legal Consultant to the Tribunals, reviewed
and approved the selection and arrangement of the material as the
designated representative of the Nuernberg Tribunals.
Final compilation and editing of the manuscript for printing was
administered by the War Crimes Division, Office of the Judge Advocate
General, under the direct supervision of Richard A. Olbeter, Chief,
Special Projects Branch, with Alma Soller as editor and John W.
Mosenthal as research analyst.