The Mauthausen Trial

Jardim (history, Ryerson Univ., Toronto) presents a careful study of the Mauthausen trial, conducted by U.S. Army commission courts after World War II on the grounds of former German concentration camp Dachau, outside Munich. Using the original trial transcript, investigative records, and interviews with participants, Jardim develops his argument in five substantial chapters. He begins with an explanation of the U.S. military's background in war crimes prosecution, followed by a brief history of Mauthausen concentration camp, near Linz, Austria. Next he explores the conduct of the trial, including legally questionable strategies used by the prosecution and defense, especially the "common design" charge and the efficiency of the "parent trial" system. While scholarship on the Mauthausen trial remains scant, Jardim provides a critical perspective on American postwar justice relevant to current debates concerning the most effective ways to address international war crimes in the courtroom.