On Justice #11: Memory, Responsibility, Justice: From the Nuremberg Trials to The Hague

Out of the ruins of the 20th century’s violent history, the idea of a universal system of international criminal law emerged as a response to genocide and crimes against humanity. Even though it could not heal wounds or undo the suffering endured, the Nuremberg Trials marked a decisive moment: They established truth and accountability—an indispensable step for the affected societies and the survivors of mass crimes.

Today, authoritarian governments and other powerful actors are undermining the hard-won international legal order to secure impunity for wars waged abroad and oppression at home. How can civil society actors defend international law under these conditions? And how can human rights be effectively enforced?

The 2026 German Book Trade Peace Prize laureate and lawyer Philippe Sands, former Federal Minister of Justice Herta Däubler-Gmelin, and human rights attorney Wolfgang Kaleck discuss this topic in Issue #11 of *On Justice*. Drawing on Philippe Sands’ latest book, *The Disappeared of Londres 38: On Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia*, they discuss the relationship between literature and law, the possibilities and limitations of international criminal law, and the significance of memory and testimony—80 years after the verdicts of the Nuremberg Trials.

On Justice #11: Memory, Responsibility, Justice: From the Nuremberg Trials to The Hague
HAU 1, Stresemannstraße 29, 10963 Berlin ➤ Web link

With:

• Philippe Sands, recipient of the 2026 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade and lawyer
• Herta Däubler-Gmelin, former Federal Minister of Justice
• Wolfgang Kaleck, human rights lawyer

 ECCHR in cooperation with the Hebbel am Ufer, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation

An event organized by the ECCHR in cooperation with the Hebbel am Ufer, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, der Heinrich Böll Foundation und der Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Translated with DeepL.com