Roland Freisler

German jurist and politician (1893–1945)

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Lived 1893–1945, aged 52Germany

Germany PoliticiansPolitician

Wikipedia
43 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Germany
#246
Politicians
Era
1893–1945
Aged 52
Known for
The Restless Conscienc…
1991

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

President of Nazi Germany's People's Court from 1942 to 1945, he turned trials into theater of humiliation and handed down over 5,000 death sentences. His rage from the bench and his relentless use of execution made him the regime's most feared judge.

Biography

About

Karl Roland Freisler studied law at Kiel, fought on the Eastern Front in the First World War, was wounded and taken prisoner by the Russians, then returned to complete a doctorate at Jena in 1922. He joined the Nazi Party in 1925 and began defending members in court for political violence. After the seizure of power in 1933 he became State Secretary in the Prussian Ministry of Justice, then moved to the Reich Ministry in 1935. In 1942 he attended the Wannsee Conference as Franz Schlegelberger's representative. That August he was appointed president of the People's Court, where he presided over…

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