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Annual Celebrations and Lectures on International Criminal Law 2008 - 2012

2012 Annual Celebration and 5th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law on 22 November 2012: UN Special Rapporteur Professor Dr. Heiner Bielefeldt, Erlangen: “Political Trust Building through Freedom of Religion”

On 22 November 2012, together with several high-ranking guests, the International Research and Documentation Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC) celebrated its fourth anniversary. The 5th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law, given by this year’s guest speaker Professor Dr. Bielefeldt on “Political Trust Building through Religious Freedom”, provided the framework for the celebrations. Professor Bielefeldt serves as Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on freedom of religion or belief and he holds the chair of Human Rights and Human Rights Policy at Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. From 2003 to 2009, he served as director of the German Institute for Human Rights in Berlin. Before the Special Rapporteur gave his presentation, the evening at the crowded Old Auditorium of Philipps University was opened by representatives of the three departments supporting the ICWC: Professor Dr. Hans-Detlef Horn, representative of the Department of Law, Professor Ursula Birsl, representative of the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, as well as Professor Wilhelm E. Winterhager, dean of the Department of History and Cultural Studies. For the first time in the Centre’s history, three graduates of the Trial-Monitoring Programme were awarded certificates for the successful completion of the training to become trial observers.

2011 Annual Celebration and 4th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law on 28 November 2011: Judge at the Federal Constitutional Court Professor Dr. Andreas Paulus, Göttingen: “The Crime of Aggression as an Example of the Relationship between International Law and International Criminal Law”

The 4th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law was given by Judge at the Federal Constitutional Court Professor Dr. Andreas Paulus on 28 November 2011. Professor Paulus holds the Chair for Public and International Law at Georg August University Göttingen. His publications deal with theories of international law, UN law, international jurisdiction and international criminal law.

2010 Annual Celebration and 3rd Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law on 15 November 2010: Professor Dr. Manfred Görtemaker, Potsdam: “Rudolf Heß in Nuremberg – The Process against the Major War Criminals of the Nazi Regime 1945/46”

Professor Dr. Manfred Görtemaker, professor of Modern History at the University of Potsdam, member of the scientific advisory board of the “Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse” until 2010 as well as president of the scientific advisory board of the “Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt (MGFA)” since 1998, gave the 3rd Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law on 15 November 2010, elaborating on the issue of “Rudolf Heß in Nuremberg – The Process against the Major War Criminals of the Nazi Regime 1945/46”. Since 2012, together with ICWC Director Professor Dr. Christoph Safferling, Professor Görtemaker has been entrusted with the review of the Nazi past of the Federal Ministry of Justice by Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Moreover, he is the author of numerous works on recent German history, particularly on both world wars and on the East-West conflict and the Nuremberg Trials.

2009 Annual Celebration and 2nd Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law on 17 November 2009: Professor Dr. Kai Ambos, Göttingen: “Colombia as an Example for Transitional Justice”

Kai Ambos, professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Comparative Law and International Criminal Law at Goeorg August University Göttingen, gave the 2nd Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law, revolving around the topic of “Colombia as an Example for Transitional Justice”. The lecture took place within the framework of the ICWC’s annual celebration on 17 November 2009. Professor Ambos not only is the author of manifold publications on international criminal law and criminal procedure, he also practices as judge at the Regional Court of Göttingen.

2008 Annual Celebration and 1st Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law on 13 November 2008: Professor Dr. Edgar Wolfrum, Heidelberg: “Nazi War Crimes Trials and the Politics of Memory in the Federal Republic of Germany”

On 13 November 2008, the foundation of the International Research and Documentation Centre War Crimes Trials (ICWC) at Philipps University Marburg was commemorated with an academic celebration. The contemporary historian Professor Dr. Edgar Wolfrum, widely known for his work on politics of memory of the Federal Republic of Germany and professor of Public History and Applied History at the University of Heidelberg, gave a presentation on “Nazi War Crimes Trials and the Politics of Memory in the Federal Republic of Germany”.