Who was the man who dared to prosecute his persecutors? Right here, in Berlin, rests Robert Kempner. Robert Kempner’s life is a story of remarkable reversals. He was a prominent lawyer in Berlin during the Weimar Republic, rising to become chief legal advisor in the Prussian Ministry of the Interior. Robert Kempner even tried to prosecute Adolf Hitler for high treason and ban the Nazi Party. Imagine Robert Kempner, a Jewish lawyer, in the heart of pre-war Berlin, fighting against the rising tide of Nazism. His efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1933, the Nazis stripped Robert Kempner of his citizenship and forced him to flee. He found refuge first in Italy, then in the United States. He could have stayed there, safe and sound, but Robert Kempner didn’t.
When World War II ended, Robert Kempner returned to Germany as assistant U.S. chief counsel for the Nuremberg trials. Here’s the incredible twist: Robert Kempner found himself prosecuting two men who had once been his superiors and his persecutors: Hermann Göring and Wilhelm Frick. Robert Kempner knew the intricacies of the German legal system better than almost any other member of the Allied staff. He led the Defense Rebuttal Section, anticipating the defense’s strategies and preparing cross-examinations. Newspaper headlines screamed the irony: “Man He Exiled Presents Case Against Frick.” Beyond the high-profile Nuremberg trials, Robert Kempner continued to pursue justice. He unearthed the Wannsee Protocol, a chilling document detailing the Nazis’ plans for the “Final Solution.” Robert Kempner dedicated his life to holding the perpetrators of the Holocaust accountable, representing Jewish clients in restitution cases against Germany and serving as an expert witness at the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem. Robert Kempner, the man who once faced persecution, played a key role in bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. He died in 1993, his life a testament to the enduring power of justice. His story is a stark reminder of the dark chapters of history, and the importance of fighting for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming odds.