Charles F. Wennerstrum
Charles Frederick Wennerstrum (born October 11, 1889 in Cambridge , Illinois , † June 1, 1986 in Des Moines , Iowa ) was an American lawyer and judge at the Supreme Court of Iowa. He became known to the wider public as one of the presiding US judges at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial.
Wennerstrum graduated from the College of Liberal Arts at Drake University in 1912 and also from the College of Law there in 1914. He began to practice as a lawyer in the town of Adel and moved to Chariton the next year , where he lived for many years.
In 1916 he was elected County Attorney of Lucas County , which he held for three terms. During the First World War he served as a lieutenant. On July 10, 1930, he was elected a judge at the Second District Legal Court, where he worked for a long time until he was appointed to the Supreme Court. In 1935 Wennerstrum became a member of the Board of Trustees at Drake University.
His tenure at the Iowa Supreme Court ran from January 1, 1941 to December 31, 1958. He was Chief Justice there for two years.
From 1947 to 1948 Wennerstrum was the presiding judge in Case VII - Generals in Southeastern Europe of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials, in which ten German officers were charged with, among other things, mass murder and executions (shooting hostages) in violation of international law.
After his retirement, Wennerstrum worked as a lawyer in Des Moines until his death.
Web links
- Obituary in the New York Times
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wennerstrum, Charles F. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wennerstrum, Charles Frederick (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American lawyer, judge at the Nuremberg Trials |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 11, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cambridge , Illinois |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 1, 1986 |
| Place of death | Des Moines , Iowa |