Nuremberg Trials
1946
Göring, Rosenberg, Admiral Dönitz and von Shirach
Upon an invitation from an American chief photographer, our delegation proceeded to a dimly lit dining area approximately forty square meters in size.
Tables were lined up against the walls, and from four to five men were seated at each table. I noticed that Göring1, Rosenberg2, Admiral Dönitz3, and von Shirach4 were sharing one table, while Keitel5 was sitting with Jodl6. I walked along the wall with my camera, taking pictures with a flash. When I approach Keitel, he promptly covered his face with his hand, and I moved on towards to the table with Göring.
While other photographers – Americans and French – were passing by, Göring remained silent. But as soon as he saw my Soviet uniform, he started shouting in anger. ‘What’s this? I can’t even eat in peace anymore!’ It was unexpected and quite unpleasant. Suddenly, an American lieutenant approached, wondering what was going on and why Göring was shouting. ‘I have no idea,’ I replied. ‘I just wanted to take a photo.’ The lieutenant told Göring to shut up, but he didn’t stop. The lieutenant raised his baton and hit Göring on the back of the head. Göring fell silent.
«The Revenge of Göring»
The photograph by Robert Capa, the legendary American photographer, one of the founders of Magnum agency.
The next day, Robert Capa wanted to take a photo of me with Göring in the same frame, but Göring remembered the baton strike, as well as the reason for it, and deliberately covered his face with his hand when he noticed the same photographer in a Soviet Union uniform…”
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1 Hermann Wilhelm Göring (1893 – 16th October 1946) a German politician, military leader, and convicted war criminal. Committed suicide with a potassium cyanide capsule the night before he was to be hanged.
2 Alfred Ernst Rosenberg (1892 – 1946) a was a Baltic German Nazi theorist and ideologue. Sentenced to death by hanging.
3 Karl Dönitz (1891-1980) – was a German admiral who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as head of state in May 1945. Dönitz died in Aumühle of a heart attack on Christmas Eve 1980 at the age of 89.
4 Baldur Benedikt von Schirach (1907 – 1974) was a German politician. He died there on 8 August 1974, aged 67.
5 Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (1882 – 16th October 1946) – marshal, chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). Sentenced to death by hanging.
6 Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl (1890 – 16th October 1946) – the Chief of the Operations Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). Sentenced to death by hanging.