Trying Nazi Crimes in Postwar France: the 1987 trial of Klaus Barbie for crimes against humanity

Trying Nazi Crimes in Postwar France: the 1987 trial of Klaus Barbie for crimes against humanity

Distinguished Professor and Director of the French Institute, Dr. Richard. J. Golsan, dives into a comprehensive look into the trial of Klaus Barbie, also known as the “Butcher of Lyon”. Klaus Barbie stood trial in Lyon’s Palace of Justice on charges of crimes against humanity for crimes committed in Occupied Lyon. The Barbie trial has profoundly impacted international law where war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are concerned.

Klaus Barbie, known as the “Butcher of Lyon” served as chief of the Nazi Gestapo in Lyon in occupied France from 1942 until 1944. He was responsible for the torture, murder, and deportation of thousands of Jews and Resistance fighters alike.

After the war, Barbie worked for American intelligence in Occupied Germany before fleeing to South America in the early 1950s. There he became wealthy and served as a security advisor to right-wing dictators. Discovered there in the 1970s, he was eventually expelled and sent back to France in 1883.

Barbie stood trial in Lyon’s Palace of Justice on charges of crimes against humanity for crimes committed in Occupied Lyon against Resistance fighters and Jews. The trial was a national and international event, attracting hundreds of journalists from around the world. Barbie was found guilty, and was sentenced to life in prison. Subsequently, the Barbie trial has had a powerful impact on international law where war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are concerned.

The trial stood as a landmark moment in the French nation’s ongoing efforts to come to terms with the so-called “Dark Years” of World War II and Nazi Occupation.

To RSVP visit https://calendar.tamu.edu/bushschool/event/277051-1

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022
Time: 5:30-6:30 PM CT
Location: Annenberg Presidential Conference Center
Hybrid Capable