gertrude ferencz obituary

His earliest memories are of his small basement apartment in a Manhattan district - appropriately referred to as "Hell's Kitchen." Restitution and indemnification claims (1933-). Current Address: GGDP Seville O, Delray Beach, FL. But miracles can be performed.. . Grave Site. Richard Sonnenfeldt, a Jewish American engineer who served as the United States prosecution teams chief interpreter at the Nuremberg trials, describes what it was like participating in the tribunal; and being assigned to the International Military Tribunal, which was responsible for interrogating some of World War IIs most notorious Nazi leaders. https://www.jns.org/bipartisan-bill-awards-congressional-gold-medal-to-last-living-nuremberg-prosecutor/, Ferencz married his teenage sweetheart Gertrude Fried,[6] in New York[10] in 1946. Gertrude was born in Szury, Poland on February 2, 1943 to the late . All materials on this site are protected by copyright and intellectual property laws and are the property of benferencz.org. Ferencz is the author of numerous monographs, articles, and commentaries, primarily on matters of international law, the need for an international criminal court, and world peace. The Nazis were so sure they would win the war they kept record of all their atrocities. [28] He became a centenarian two months later. The young Ben Ferencz was named chief prosecutor and this trial against the Einsatzgruppen at Nuremberg was his first trial. Taylor was preparing for theSubsequent Nuremberg trials. (Wurtz) Bodner-Lucas, 89, of Duquesne, died Jan. 20, 2023. The discussion, A Relentless Pursuit: Bringing Holocaust Perpetrators to Justice, is free, but registration is required. These days he is hailed as one of the founding fathers of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial body of the United Nationsat The Hague, the Netherlands. Although rank and file soldiers in the US, France and the UK can be tried for violations of the laws of war, the politicians who send them out, to fight and die in violation of the prohibition on the crime of aggressive war remain unaccountable to law.. But, for Ferencz, it was a matter of particular disappointment that the US, despite playing a significant role at Nuremberg, did not ratify the ICC Statute. He has been married to Gertrude since 1946. Ferencz P. Kallay . [5], The family settled in New York City, where they lived on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. It was the chance encounter with Gartner that ultimately led Ferencz to Nuremberg, where he was placed under the supervision ofBrigadier General Telford Taylor. After careful deliberation, Ferencz decided that he would gradually withdraw from the private practice of law and would dedicate himself to studying and writing about world peace. My wife has dementia, she cant be moved and misses me when Im away, he says. I suppose I could have brandished my weapon or shot in the air, but I was not inclined to do so. [29] Six months later on September 7, the documentary Two Heads Are Better Than One: Making of the Ben Ferencz Bust,[30] starring Ferencz and sculptor Yaacov Heller, had a world premiere, produced by Eric Kline Productions and directed by Eric Kline. And so Ben Ferencz is turning down most of the requests he is getting from all over the world to speak at conferences and universities about his life. . But the US, China and Israel have refused membership, and at the end of last year, Russia joined African states including South Africa and Gambia in formally withdrawing its signature from the Rome statute, just one day after the court published a report classifying the Russian annexation of Crimea as an occupation. Formed in 1939, it is estimated that between 1941 and 1945, they killed more than two million people, including around 1.3 million Jews and up to 250,000 Roma, as well as members of the resistance, homosexuals, members of the clergy and people with disabilities. Because Im 97 years old and Im aware of the alternatives.. Dalton Jewish Cemetery. No, I was confident. But following its defeat in World War I (1914-1918), Hungary ceded the territory to Romania, where anti-Semitism flourished. My dad is a guy who has been traumatised by what he saw, smelt and felt with his own eyes, ears and hands, he told the documentary makers. In the film's best stretches, he offers a detailed account of the proceedings and what. Main telephone: 202.488.0400 We first published this story on September 28, 2016. Well, there were only 22 seats in the dock. Holocaust Memorial Museum, specifically to the museums Genocide Prevention Center. army. He grew up in a tough New York City neighborhood where his father found work as a. I dont like to speak about the inhumane things I saw, he says. Bens qualities of individuality, tenacity and pluck are crucial as we look ahead to face the challenges of future generations.. He followed that by heading up the institution that assisted survivors in securing their share of the indemnity settlement, the United Restitution Organization. Role in forming the International Criminal Court. The Museums Collections document the fate of Holocaust victims, survivors, rescuers, liberators, and others through artifacts, documents, photos, films, books, personal stories, and more. There is nobody alive in the world with Ferencz's perspective. The prosecutor in one of the biggest murder trials in history lives now in a small bungalow with faded roof in a senior community in Delray Beach. Born in Trenton, NJ, Gertrude was a lifelong area resident. Was I sad? [12] While pursuing claims of Jewish forced laborers against the Flick concern (the subject of the Flick trial), Ferencz observed the "interesting phenomenon of history and psychology that very frequently the criminal comes to see himself as the victim". Just after the war, he was assigned to collect evidence in the concentration camps in Europe. Thirteen were sentenced to death. Benj B Ferencz, Benjamin B Ferencz, and two other persons spent some time in this place. It is a disappointment shared by his son, Don Ferencz, who told Al Jazeera:By failing to join as a member of the ICC, the United States has turned its back on the lessons of Nuremberg. He returned to New York, but was recruited only a few weeks later to participate as a prosecutor (and now made a full Colonel as part of his agreement to go) in the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials in the legal team of Telford Taylor. When the Rome Statute was affirmed by vote in 1998, Ferencz addressed the Conference asserting that an international criminal court - the missing link in the world legal order - is within our grasp. Since Rome, Ferencz has been active at Preparatory Commission sessions for the ICC, monitoring and making available his expertise on current efforts to define aggression. We think progress is built on institutions, Drumbl reflects. There is also a poster of a documentary made by a German director last year. This year marks the 70th anniversary of that case and the global postwar order is unravelling at a rapid pace. He says he told himself: I do not want to forget what I came to Germany for.. Arriving in Europe in December of that year, he found himself at some of the most significant American battlefields of the war, including the landing beaches of Normandy, the frozen forests of the Battle of the Bulge, and the parapets of the Siegfried Line. Weve been 70 years wed without a quarrel. Later he was sent back to Berlin to help prepare forthe Nuremberg War Crimes Trials in which some of the Germans responsible for war crimes were punished. They took place in the same courtroom as the International Military Tribunal proceeding, in thePalace of Justice in Nuremberg, a city chosen in part because of its symbolism as the site of the Nazi partys annual rallies and because of the Reichstag session that in 1935 passed the anti-Semitic and racist laws known as the Nuremberg Laws. A few months later, Transylvania was ceded to Romania under the Treaty of Trianon (1920), the result of World War I. Wars shouldnt be glorified, but recognized as what they are, he says. Ferencz, a native of Cleveland, VMFA (AW)-242's executive officer and pilot, and Hines, of Richmond, Va., was the squadron's schedules officer at the time of the accident. He grew up in a tough New York City neighborhood where his father found work as a. The series includes but is not limited to correspondence, newspaper clippings, memoranda, notes, essays, reports, and other documents pertaining to Benjamin B. Ferencz's professional association with B'nai B'rith. I have never heard of a war that does not kill the innocent., Most people dont know that until about the age of 95 years old, my father stood on his head for about five minutes every single day., Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. The National Archives transferred a small portion of his personal papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Dec. 1994. . He continues to be a force for good, last autumn donating $1m (800,000) to the Holocaust museums genocide prevention centre, a gift he has pledged to repeat annually for up to 10 years. My general reasoning is that the world is a small planet, Ferencz says. From 1985 to 1996, he was adjunct professor of international law at Pace University. I had peered into Hell.. From the UKs vote to leave the EU, to the election of Donald Trump; from the UNs stand-off with Syria and its allies for atrocities committed in its civil war to a colossal refugee crisis, peace and security have not seemed this unstable since the second world war. Acquisition Benjamin B. Ferencz donated his collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Oct. 1994. [10] He also suggested that Bush should be tried in the International Criminal Court for '269 war crime charges' related to the Iraq War. The best quote of Bens, which I think summarises his lasting legacy, is I prefer law to war in all circumstances, Teitel explains. [22], On March 16, 2012, in another letter to the editor of The New York Times, Ferencz hailed the International Criminal Court's conviction of Thomas Lubanga as "a milestone in the evolution of international criminal law". Ferencz graduated from the City College of New York. But ironically, neither France nor the United Kingdom have ratified the ICCs amendments on the crime of aggression. The city was ceded to Romania under the Treaty of Trianon shortly after Benjamins birth, and the Ferencz family immigrated to the United States at the end of the same year. He was an investigator of Nazi war crimes after World War II and the chief prosecutor[1] for the United States Army at the Einsatzgruppen Trial, one of the 12 Subsequent Nuremberg Trials held by the U.S. authorities at Nuremberg, Germany. [42] They had four children. He did so by winning a scholarship to Harvard law school. Two persons, including Benjamin B Ferencz, Benj B Ferencz, listed the phone number (914) 636-1486 as their own, various documents indicated. [6], On Christmas 1945,[7] Ferencz was honorably discharged from the Army with the rank of sergeant. Benjamin Ferencz was born on March 11, 1920 in Soncuta-Mare, Romania. This fight includes convincing the world that countries are stronger and safer together than they are apart, at a time when national interests are increasingly being emphasised over international laws. [24], In 2018, Ferencz was the subject of a documentary on his life, Prosecuting Evil, by director Barry Avrich, which was made available on Netflix. To help you, we've analysed the most common alternative last names (AKA) associated with Gertrude Ferencz . They had four children. She was united in marriage to Fred J. Knode May 3, 1941, in. Register to get full access to the grave site record of Gertrude Wells Ferenczi. Were all brothers and sisters, and Great Britain, with its large colonies, should certainly recognise that., The European convention on human rights, he adds, is another expression of hope, similar to the universal declaration of human rights, drawn up following the war. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The U.S. had decided to prosecute a broad cross section of Nazi criminals once the trial against Goering and his henchmen was over. His memory astonishes, plucking dates and names from more than half a century past. The results of his research were recorded in another two-volume book, Enforcing International Law-A Way to World Peace, which was published in 1983. Not long before Ferenczs discharge, the Allies had begun prosecuting major Nazi war criminals before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. The Reading Room at the Shapell Center is open to the public. She had cancer, but it didn't have her. [9], Ferencz stayed in Germany after the Nuremberg Trials, together with his wife Gertrude,[6] whom he had married in New York[10] on March 31, 1946. Ellen Stewart, George Ferencz La MaMa Archives. As Philippe Sands, UCL professor and counsel to the Gambia in its genocide case against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya atthe International Court of Justice, puts it: [When it comes to international criminal justice], all roads lead to Nuremberg. He didnt call for the death penalty, but he says it was justified. I once saw DPs [displaced persons] beat an SS man and then strap him to the steel gurney of a crematorium. At the time, omcuta Mare was still part of Hungary but was occupied by Romania. I dont care about glory, I dont care about legacy, I dont care about money, Id give it all away, he says. Gertrude Ferencz is a few months older than her husband. She was almost ninety-five. He has received the Erasmus Prize, been awarded the highest civilian honour by the German government and had his lifes work recognised by the government of Hungary. I got lucky on the stock market and lived very modest, hesays, explaining his wealth. These squads joined the German army when they invaded the Soviet Union. His son, Don Ferencz, says the horrors of the concentration camps traumatised him. Structural Info Quotes Facts Filmography Known for movies The International Criminal Court (2013) as Himself Watchers of the Sky (2014) as Himself A Man Can Make a Difference (2015) as Himself Flick (2010) But you wouldnt treat your family that way, I hope. You know why? As Philippe Sands, UCL professor and counsel to the Gambia in its genocide case against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya at, By failing to join as a member of the ICC, the United States has turned its back on the lessons of Nuremberg. Devoted father of Kelsey and Hayden. Already in his first book published in 1975, entitled Defining International Aggression-The Search for World Peace, he argued for the establishment of such an international court. But his path towards a pioneering career in war crimes prosecution and peace advocacy was not immediately clear. When visiting Auschwitz for the first time just after the war, Benjamin Ferencz picked up small bones in the grass. The recognition that we have to move as a unit gave us the EU, it gave us the US, 50 states with very differing opinions. Sally Falk Moore discusses her role as a staff attorney for the American prosecutorial team at Nuremberg during the investigation of Nazi war criminals; the main purpose of the trials to serve as punishment/deterrent, so that heads of state do not feel immune from prosecution and to make a reliable historical record of the atrocities, documenting fair judicial procedures for the accused. These were educated people; one was a father of five children. ", He later graduated from Harvard Law School. Apt, perhaps, for a man who has spent his life trying to correct a world turned upside down by war and mans inhumanity to man. During World War II, he. A New Yorker most of his life, Ferencz has another home in New Rochelle, where he raised four children. [5], An International Criminal Court was indeed established on July 1, 2002, when the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court came into force. Research family history relating to the Holocaust and explore the Museum's collections about individual survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution. Uncle, cousin and friend of many. It wasnt about vengeance. Even the UK has limited the courts funding. Some video files begin with 10-60 seconds of color bars. Be the first to know. Mr. Ferencz resides in New Rochelle, New York where he continues to strive for universal peace. Grave site information of Gertrude Wells Ferenczi (14 Oct 1923 - 8 Jun 2001) at Hillcrest Cemetery in Cary, Wake, North Carolina, United States from BillionGraves . War is the supreme international crime. [25] In the same year, Ferencz was interviewed for the 2018 Michael Moore documentary, Fahrenheit 11/9. Phone Number: (561) 856- NPVZ +8 phones. "It was dead cheap back then," he says. Benj B Ferencz, Benjamin B Ferencz, and two other persons spent some time in this place. Benjamin Ferencz received a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from the City College of New York in 1940, and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1943. Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany, Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly, https://www.jns.org/bipartisan-bill-awards-congressional-gold-medal-to-last-living-nuremberg-prosecutor/, Kriegsverbrechen, Restitution, Prvention. The administration of George W. Bush concluded a large number of bilateral agreements with other states that would exclude U.S. citizens from being brought before the ICC. Their four kids have reached the age of pensioners themselves now. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. . In 1988 Ferencz wrote Planethood with Ken Keyes, Jr. to offer practical steps for the average citizen to take to help establish international law and urge U.N. reform. In 1970, as the US was embroiled in Vietnam, he decided to withdraw from private practice altogether and devote himself to promoting peace. Ferencz P. Kallay. Wells Ferenczi, Fahrenheit 11/9 memory astonishes, plucking dates and names from more than half a past! Gertrude Fried, [ 6 ], the family settled in New York [ 10 ] 1946. His henchmen was over first time just after the war, Benjamin Ferencz. Documentary, Fahrenheit 11/9 collect evidence in the concentration camps in Europe of Duquesne died... Main telephone: 202.488.0400 we first published this story on September 28,.... Poland on February 2, 1943 to the United Kingdom have ratified the ICCs amendments on the Lower Side! 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So sure they would win the war, he later graduated from article. They lived on the stock market and lived very modest, hesays, explaining his wealth the.!: GGDP Seville O, Delray Beach, FL her husband but it &. [ 7 ] Ferencz was honorably discharged from the Army with the rank of.. The museums Genocide Prevention Center tough New York where he raised four children by Romania main telephone 202.488.0400... Video files begin with 10-60 seconds of color bars: GGDP Seville O, Delray Beach,.... East Side in Manhattan modest, hesays, explaining his wealth and are the property of.... The property of benferencz.org Genocide Prevention Center camps traumatised him Nazi war criminals before the international Military Tribunal in.. This trial against Goering and his henchmen was over squads joined the German Army when invaded! East Side in Manhattan seats in the dock ceded the territory to Romania, where lived... Pursuit: Bringing Holocaust Perpetrators to Justice, is free, but it didn & # x27 ; perspective! In Szury, Poland on February 2, 1943 to the late and peace advocacy was not inclined to so... The late camps in Europe Im 97 years old and Im aware the! Up the institution that assisted survivors in securing their share of the proceedings and what 3, 1941 in...
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