Footsteps of WWII · Western & southern Germany
Memorium Nuremberg Trials (Courtroom 600)
Headquarters · 20 Nov 1945 – 1 Oct 1946
The story
Nuremberg was chosen for the trial of the major war criminals because its Palace of Justice had survived the bombing largely intact and had a prison attached, and because the city stood for the party rallies. Before the International Military Tribunal of the four Allied powers, 24 leaders were indicted; 22 were tried, Martin Bormann in absentia. The trial opened in Courtroom 600 on 20 November 1945 and the verdicts came on 1 October 1946: 12 death sentences, seven prison terms and three acquittals. Ten men were hanged on 16 October; Göring killed himself the night before. Twelve further US trials of doctors, judges, industrialists and SS officers followed in the same room until 1949.
What to look for
The courtroom itself, still with its panelling and doors, on the top floor of the Palace of Justice, plus an exhibition on the defendants, the trial and its legacy for international law. A media installation recreates the 1945–46 room layout.
Plan your visit
Mon and Wed–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays. Adults €7.50. Courtroom 600 is occasionally closed for events, so check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
All 160 sites in Footsteps of WWII →
Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The whole Second World War in Europe, from the first shots at Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 to the German surrender in May 1945: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, Stalingrad, Berlin and the camps, in 15 areas from Britain to Russia.
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