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The ICWC celebrated its 20th anniversary with a symposium and the 14th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law
On December 7, 2023, the International Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC) celebrated its 20th anniversary. On this special occasion, the center, which has been part of Philipps University Marburg since 2003, organized a symposium on the topic “The Rise and Rise of International Criminal Law?” as well as an evening ceremony featuring the 14th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law. In this anniversary year, the lecture was given by the Attorney General at the Federal Court of Justice, Dr. Peter Frank, who addressed the topic “The Prosecution of International Crimes in Germany from the Perspective of the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office” from a practitioner’s perspective.
Video Recording of the Keynote Lecture by Dr. Peter Frank
Symposium on the Question “The Rise and Rise of International Criminal Law?”
The afternoon symposium took place in the Historic Town Hall Hall in Marburg and was opened with a welcome address by the Mayor of Marburg, Dr. Thomas Spies. In the first panel, Prof. Dr. Annette Weinke (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) and Dr. Gerd Hankel (Hamburg Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Culture), moderated by ICWC Co-Director Prof. Dr. Eckart Conze (Philipps University Marburg), discussed “From Nuremberg to ICC: The Rise of International Criminal Law”, offering a historical perspective on international criminal law and examining whether the legacy of Nuremberg should be considered a curse or a blessing. It was emphasized that historical scholarship must counter an unquestioningly positive narrative of the development of international criminal law with a more differentiated perspective.
This was followed by a panel in which ICWC Director Prof. Dr. Stefanie Bock (Philipps University Marburg) and Dr. Mina Ibrahim (Philipps University Marburg), moderated by Managing Director Dr. Henning de Vries (Philipps University Marburg), addressed the question: “After ICC: Another Rise of International Criminal Law?” This second panel cast a critical light on current developments in international criminal law, particularly regarding the application of the German Code of Crimes against International Law. The discussion highlighted, above all, the insufficient consideration of victims within criminal proceedings, which led to calls for reforming the traditional and inflexible role of (international) criminal law.
Evening Ceremony with the 14th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law
The highlight of the anniversary celebration was the evening ceremony in the Historic Aula of the Old University. Introductory greetings and congratulations were delivered by the University President, Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss, the Dean of Faculty 03, Prof. Dr. Ursula Birsl, and the Hessian Minister of Justice, Prof. Dr. Roman Poseck.
The highlight of the evening concluded with the 14th Marburg Lecture on International Criminal Law. Dr. Peter Frank, Attorney General at the Federal Court of Justice, reported from practical experience on the prosecution of international crimes in Germany. He began with the Nuremberg Main War Crimes Trial and the institutionalization of the Nuremberg Principles, continued through the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the 1990s, and up to the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998, which established the International Criminal Court, providing a comprehensive overview of the development of international criminal law. He then focused on developments in Germany, noting that the Federal Republic had initially been very hesitant in applying the Code of Crimes against International Law, which came into force in 2002: at that time, only one office at the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office was designated for the prosecution of international crimes, and the first indictment was not brought until 2011. Today, Frank reported, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office is not only much better staffed but also pursues a variety of international crimes committed abroad under the principle of universal jurisdiction. This includes proceedings against supporters of the so-called “Islamic State” as well as members of the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad. Crucial to investigative successes in this area is the criminological analysis of the “Caesar Files”—photographs of corpses in a Syrian hospital showing extensive signs of torture. Particularly current is the structural investigation into the Ukraine war, which, although conducted against unknown perpetrators, allows for the collection of witness statements and other evidence to enable future prosecutions against individual perpetrators. Finally, Frank also addressed the limitations of his office’s investigative work: the spatial and often temporal distance from the crimes, which complicates locating and interviewing witnesses, remains a significant challenge.
Following the keynote lecture, ICWC Co-Director Prof. Dr. Eckart Conze looked back on 20 years of ICWC—beginning with its origins as a Volkswagen Foundation–funded pilot project in 2000 and its establishment as a center at Philipps University Marburg in 2003, through numerous research and teaching projects that have been successfully implemented since then. ICWC Managing Director Dr. Henning de Vries concluded with the current annual report, highlighting, among other things, the lecture series “Gender in International Criminal Law,” the ICWC monthly colloquia, study trips, and the recently held symposium in Hanover, “Responsibility to Protect and Humanitarian Interventions – Military Force in the Name of Human Rights?” Also included in the report were events initiated by the ICWC Trial Monitoring Program—foremost among them the contemporary witness discussion with Gerhard Wiese, prosecutor under Fritz Bauer at the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials, which attracted a large audience.
Ceremonial Presentation of Certificates and Diplomas
To ceremonially conclude the 20th-anniversary celebrations, ICWC Director Prof. Dr. Stefanie Bock presented not only the certificates to the graduates of the ICWC Trial Monitoring Program but also the diplomas to the first graduates of the Master’s program “International Criminal Justice: Law, History, Politics.” Following this, the ICWC hosted a standing reception in the foyer of the Old University, providing an opportunity for lively exchange—a delightful finale to a truly special annual celebration!