Seyss-Inquart, in a quiet voice, said: "I hope this execution will be the last act in the tragedy of a second world war and that its lessons will be learned, so that peace and understanding will follow." Then he shouted: "I believe in Germany." I am grateful for the good treatment I have received in prison." Hans Frank, the "butcher of Poland", said in a low voice: "I beg the Lord to receive me mercifully.
I regret that my people were not led by soldiers only and that crimes were committed in which I had no share. I have done my duty by the laws of my country. Kaltenbrunner, asked if he had any last words, said in a mild voice: "I have loved my German people and my Fatherland from the bottom of my heart. Jewish holiday! Jewish holiday, 1946! Now it goes to God." From the top of the scaffold he shouted: "The Bolsheviks will hang you all next. Julius Streicher, the Jew-baiter, unrepentant to the end, shouted "Heil Hitler" as he was led up the steps. Ribbentrop said firmly "God protect Germany", and then: "My last wish is that German unity should remain and that an understanding between the east and west will come about and peace for the world." Each was given a chance to say a last word, and only Alfred Rosenberg, the Nazi party philosopher and most prolific writer of them all, could find no word except a murmured "nein" to leave to history. It was 2.45 when Seyss-Inquart – shouting "I believe in Germany!" – fell to his death. It was 1.11am when Ribbentrop, the first to be hanged in Göring's place, walked through the gymnasium door, his face white but set, his grey hair ruffled. The 10 Nazis were hanged one after the other in one hour and 34 minutes. While Göring was lying in the prison morgue, the 10 other Nazi leaders sentenced to death with him were hanged in the bomb-blasted gymnasium of the prison, its dirty walls lit up by 10 blazing lights in the ceiling. He thus used the same type of poison and phial adopted by Heinrich Himmler, who committed suicide 17 months ago. Without the guard noticing any unusual movement, Göring – who asked for a soldier's death before a firing squad and was refused – slipped a phial of cyanide of potassium into his mouth and crushed it with his teeth. Two and a quarter hours before he was to be executed he took poison under the eyes of the American security guard watching him every moment through the grating in the door of his cell. Hermann Göring last night died by his own hand. He was called to see his attorney, and as we left the cell he reverted to his usually pose of jocularity for the benefit of the guards and any prisoners who might be listening.Įdited extract from Nuremberg Diary by Gustave Gilbert (Da Capo Press) End of the trial: Guardian report on the executions, 16 October 1946 And do you think I would have handed Himmler over to the enemy, guilty as he was? Dammit, I would have liquidated the bastard myself! Or if there was to have been any trial, a German court should have sentenced him! Would Americans think of handing over their criminals to us to sentence?" "For myself, I don't give a damn if I get executed, or drown, or crash in a plane, or drink myself to death! But there is still a matter of honour in this damn life! Assassination attempt on Hitler! Ugh! I could have sunk through the floor. Do you think I give that much of a damn about this lousy life?" He faced me squarely with blazing eyes. "Damn that stupid fool, Speer! Did you see how he disgraced himself in court today? How could he stoop so low as to do such a rotten thing to save his lousy neck? I nearly died with shame! To think that Germans will be so rotten to prolong this filthy life.
Tonight Göring looked tired and depressed.
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