Prosecuting the Holocaust: British Investigations into Nazi Crimes, 1944-1949

During the Second World War, the Nazi state was responsible for the systematic enslavement and extermination of millions of Jews. Other groups, such as Russian prisoners of war, Slavs, Sinti and Romani, homosexuals, the disabled, and political opponents of the regime were also targeted. After Germany’s surrender, Allied forces established a series of military tribunals, known as the Nuremberg Trials, to bring the architects and perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

Drawn from The National Archives (UK) and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, this collection contains a wealth of information regarding the British government's efforts to investigate and prosecute Nazi crimes during the period 1944-1949. The evidence gathered sheds light on almost every aspect of the Holocaust, from the concentration camp system to the mass murder of the “incurably sick” in psychiatric hospitals. More importantly, it gives a voice to the victims of these atrocities, many of whom testified about their experiences immediately after the war.

The files include materials from the WO 309 (War Office: Judge Advocate General's Office; British Army of the Rhine War Crimes Group), WO 311 (War Office: Judge Advocate General's Office; Military Deputy's Department), and WO 235 (War Office: Judge Advocate General's Office; War Crimes Case Files) series.