HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER
ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS
28123 Orchard Lake Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48334-3738
Holocaust Center Receives Dachau Trial Collection
The Library Archive recently
In the aftermath of WWII, Dachau
received an archival collection of
was used as a prison for tens of thou-
great historical significance. Andy
sands of captured German prisoners
Woodiwiss, a grandson of Major
who were under investigation for war
Warren Lambert, a Dachau Trial
crimes. Included in this population
judge in the U.S. Army War Crimes
were hundreds of high-ranking SS and
Tribunal, donated his grandfather's
SD officers who had to be positively
footlocker containing World War II
identified and their individual crimes
memorabilia to our
clearly stated. Some
Center. Major Lambert
of these were camp
commandants of such
accumulated many im-
infamous camps as
portant artifacts during
his stay in Germany,
Dora, Nordhausen,
many of which shed
Mauthausen, Gusen and
light on post-war life
Buchenwald. Word was
in Germany and the
passed from defend-
behind-the-scenes pro-
ant to defendant that
Andy Woodiwiss & Executive
ceedings of the interna-
under American law, the
Director Stephen M. Goldman
tional military trials.
burden of proof lay on
Major Lambert, a native of
the prosecution and that the defend-
Lewiston, Michigan, was a career
ants could save themselves by denying
soldier and not a lawyer by profession.
everything and claiming ignorance.
He was appointed to this difficult
When confronted with eyewitness
position because of his reputation as
testimony and evidence
a compassionate human being and
of the atrocities, the
steadfast seeker of justice. Among
defendants blamed
the materials he brought home were
their already dead
co-workers.
hundreds of photographs, albums,
currency, and a tapestry taken from
Among the many
Hitler's home.
items Major Lambert
To understand the staggering
brought home is a small
responsibility of doling out justice in
loose-leaf where he
the face of horrific and unprecedented
took notes during the
crimes, one must have a little back-
court proceedings, sometimes adding
ground. First, there were a series of
sharp comments, including 'shooting
Dachau Trials. From November 15
festivals,' 'hangings for pleasure,' 'can't
through December 13, 1945, the U.S.
remember how many times I beat or
Army conducted proceedings against
kicked (prisoners).' The word 'LIAR'
40 individuals associated with the
appears in capital letters a number of
administration and operation of the
times as a personal comment.
Dachau Concentration Camp and its
Among the defendants were five
subcamps. On December 14, 1945,
Nazi scientists who escaped justice by
`disappearing' mid-trial. They were
the court sentenced 36 of the men to
death by hanging.
given special permission to come to the
CENTER I Winter 2010
4 WIWCAUST
ZEKELMAN MEMMAL
FAMILY CAMPUS
U.S. because of their scientific knowl-
edge. Major Lambert vehemently
opposed the special treatment given
them, to no avail.
The collection includes hundreds of
photographs depicting life in post-war
Germany. Two of the album covers in
the collection were beautifully painted
by a Buchenwald survivor, Heribert
Froboes. Inside the albums are pho-
tographs of the trials and some of the
evidence presented by the prosecution.
Mr. Froboes gave a graphic account of
his own experiences in a 43 page trans-
lated document. He had been digging
trenches at Buchenwald and was saved
when the SS found out he could paint.
His companions were executed.
During their stay in Bavaria, Major
Lambert and his wife Hazel did every-
thing in their power to provide hu-
manitarian aid to the German citizens
and displaced persons of this war-torn
area. The general popu-
lation was not allowed
to own guns, so the
Lamberts went hunting
and fishing to bring
back food for orphaned
children and others
who eagerly awaited
their food supply.
The Lambert
Holocaust Preservation Fund has been
established with Samuel Gun, a son
of Holocaust survivors, as executive
director and driving force to publicize
Judge Lambert's good deeds. Judge
Lambert's legacy as a humanitarian and
righteous person is being memorialized
in a book, film and traveling exhibit.
The HMC is honored to be the reposi-
tory for such historically important
materials.
STEPHEN M. GOLDMAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
GARY KARP
PRESIDENT
STEVEN D. GRANT, M.D.
CHAIRMAN
ALEXANDER KARP
LARRY KRAFT
ABRAHAM PASTERNAK
DAVID SILBERT, D.C.
MICHAEL H.TREBLIN, M.D.
GEORGE VINE
MARTIN S. WATER
ABRAHAM WEBERMAN
ALAN ZEKELMAN
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
LEO EISENBERG
STUART FALK, D.D.S.
ADAM GRANT, ESQ.
JOEL E JACOB
ARIE LEIBOVITZ
EDWARD MALINOWSKI, M.D.
JUDITH MILLER
ALIZA NIVY
SAM SHAMIE
JACK SHENKMAN
GARY SHIFFMAN
RUSSELL STEINMAN, M.D.
ERIC TODD, M.D.
ARTHUR J. WEISS, ESQ.
Newsletter Coordinator:
Rebecca Swindler
Contributors:
Stephen M. Goldman
Gary Karp
David M. Moss
Norman Pappas
Guy Stern
Feiga Weiss
Design & Photography:
Joshua Nowicki