Historic issue of the American Time magazine – Coverage of the proceedings of the “Main Trial” in which the Nazi war criminals directly responsible for carrying out the “Final Solution” were prosecuted, during the first phase of the hearings and indictments, prior to their execution, at the time the harrowing documentary film “German Concentration Camps” was screened before the defendants. December 10, 1945 – PONY EDITION – a special edition of the magazine printed for members of the United States Armed Forces overseas, in a reduced size – 21 cm. Rare.
American Time Weekly Magazine – Special Issue Covering the Nuremberg Trials and the Reactions of Nazi War Criminals to the Charges Brought Against Them. The correspondent describes the historic scene in the courtroom—when, for the first time, the Nazi criminals themselves, along with the entire world, were confronted with the full scope of the atrocities committed against the Jews during the war. The issue presents the evidence submitted in court and recounts one of the most unforgettable moments of the Nuremberg Trials: the hour in which the film “German Concentration Camps” was screened before the defendants—referred to by the reporter as “the most horrifying record of mass slaughter and torture ever seen.” On a large screen, before all those present in the courtroom, unfolded an unending stream of Jewish corpses in the camps—piled up by bulldozers into mass graves: “bodies beaten with boots or clubs…” The correspondent continues: “Then came the most powerful piece of evidence—a one-hour documentary film of the German concentration camps.” The terrifying footage screened in the courtroom contained chilling scenes filmed directly inside the concentration camps abandoned by the retreating Germans: piles of emaciated corpses of prisoners tortured to death; rows of inmates pushing wheelbarrows loaded with the bodies of those who, just the day before, had been their companions; skeletal survivors barely able to stand before the camera. In the magazine’s main article, the correspondent describes the reactions of the Nazi criminals as the film was projected:: “Göring, after three-quarters of the film had played, stared grimly into his lap until it ended. Keitel wiped his forehead and covered his eyes. Alfred Rosenberg nervously picked splinters from the rail in front of him with his fingernails. Ribbentrop remained calm, shaking his head in disbelief. Hans Frank, the former governor-general of Poland, wept. Only one defendant refused to look at the display of massive death—Schacht sat facing the screen, rigid, from beginning to end.” The reporter also describes the atmosphere in the courtroom during the screening. At one point, someone in the audience murmured: “Oh God, why can’t we shoot those swine right now…?”. The issue includes statements made in court by American prosecutor Robert H. Jackson, who emphasized that history would judge the judges presiding over this most consequential trial in human history. The article also reports on behind-the-scenes events at the tribunal and adds: “Here, in a single trial, was gathered historical evidence that might otherwise have required 50 years of research to assemble.” The charges covered the full scope of Nazi crimes, but one accusation surpassed all others: the murder of four and a half million Jews, with “personal responsibility” attributed to each of the defendants.
Presented here is the PONY EDITION – a special edition of the magazine printed for members of the United States Armed Forces overseas, in a reduced size – 21 cm. On the front cover it states: “This edition is specially printed for the members of the U.S. Armed Forces overseas. The editorial content remains unchanged from the regular edition.”
104 pages. Complete issue. Very good condition.
