Lidový soudní dvůr v Berlíně – Volksgerichtshof – a jeho historie
The history of the German People’s Court (Volksgerichtshof) in Berlin

Summary/Abstract: This study deals with the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the People’s Court (Volksgerichtshof – VGH) in Nazi Germany in 1934. It describes its position in the Nazi justice system and the gradual rise in its importance. In the introductory section, a list is provided of the crimes which this court judged (particularly treason and the betrayal of the country). At the same time, a description is also given of its internal structure and staffing. An important part of the study acquaints readers with the judicial decisions of the VGH, including the fact that Czechs were the second most numerous ethnic group among the condemned after Germans themselves. The actual procedures followed for a trial before the VGH are also not neglected – from arrest, interrogation by the Gestapo and arraignment to the defence of the case and the verdict. The text also includes a passage on Czech patriots who were tried by the VGH during the war.

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