Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945): Bildungsbürger and Revolutionary

The German Protestant theologian and conspirator against the Naziregime, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was executed by hanging atFlossenbürg on 9 April 1945 after a summary trial along withothers of the resistance group around Admiral Wilhelm Canaris.The charge was high treason. It is of significance for this articleto note that the charge had stood effectively until November 1995when the Federal Court rather cautiously distanced itself from a1956 finding of the same court that the Nazi judges who hadcondemned Bonhoeffer and his fellow conspirators to death hadacted according to the law and that their actions were entirelyjustified. In this way, the murder was legitimized and thosemurdered once more retrospectively condemned. Clearly, by 1995there had been a change of heart by the Federal Court because itwas stated then that the number of Nazi judges involved ought tohave been required to answer for their judgments. That of coursewas no longer possible, but at least their judgments could berepealed. This was actually implemented by the State Court ofBerlin (Landgericht) on 6 August 1996 on the basis of a Bavarianlaw enabling compensation for National Socialist crimes.