The four victorious nations in World War II opted to put the surviving Nazi leaders on trial for their crimes. This had never been done before. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson was named the chief prosecutor for the United States in those trials. He offered his thoughts on the proceedings at the beginning of the trial:
The privilege of opening the first trial in history for crimes against the peace of the world imposes a grave responsibility. The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated. That four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that Power has ever paid to Reason.
This is a photo of Room 600, where the trials actually took place. If you think the room is small, and it is, it was smaller in 1945 before the public seating area was expanded. This is where the full story of atrocities was revealed to the world, and where 21 Nazi war criminals faced charges. Nuremberg was selected for this duty basically out of convenience, as the court facility had a prison connected to it.
It is still used as a working courtroom, at least for the time being. It's interesting that there is a cross in the room. That's a relatively new development, as Bavaria decided to add it to courtrooms. Makes you appreciate separation of church and state here in America.
Here's a three-minute course in what happened in that room:
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