The film is based on the play of the same name by Peter Weiss, written in 1965, which deals with the first Auschwitz Trial (1963–1965) in Frankfurt. Initiated by Hesse’s Attorney General Fritz Bauer, this trial marked a historic turning point: it broke the widespread public silence about the crimes of the Nazi regime and aimed to hold perpetrators legally accountable. The film and the play examine how the extermination in Auschwitz was organized and what responsibility the defendants bore.
Dr. Sara Berger, historian at the Fritz Bauer Institute, will provide historical context for selected film excerpts. Afterwards, Annemarie Hühne-Ramm, Managing Director of the Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation, will lead a conversation with legal historian Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Haferkamp and lawyer Dr. Stefan Lode. Together, they will explore the legal reckoning with Nazi injustice and discuss how these efforts can inform the present from a legal perspective.
Location: University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus Platz 1, 50931 Köln - Hörsaal II
Time: 6:00 PM to approx. 8:30 PM, admission from 5:30 PM
Following the event, we warmly invite you to a reception and informal exchange in the foyer.
Please register by February 22, 2026 via this link.
Further information about the film and the trailer can be found here: Die Ermittlung - Verstehen der Verbrechen des Holocaust (in German)