Criminal Case of SS-Oberscharführer Franz Langner, a Member of the KL Auschwitz Garrison, before the Court of Appeal in Cracow (1949–1952)

The aim of the dissertation is to present the course of court proceedings in the criminal case against Franz (Franciszek) Langner, born in 1891, a Polish volksdeutsch, and member of the SS KL Auschwitz crew, who was tried in Poland from 1949 to 1952. During the Second World War Langner renounced his Polish nationality and joined the SS. He was sent to KL Auschwitz, where he served from April 8, 1942 to January 20, 1945. He performed various functions among the watch-keeping troops, achieving the rank of SS-Oberscharführer. After the war, Langner was arrested and criminal proceedings were instituted against him. Initially, this was related to his declaration of belonging to the German nationality, and then - when his service in the SS came to light - to the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The crimes that Langner was accused of changed several times. The trial was held at the Court of Appeal in Cracow. By virtue of a judgment of 5 April 1950, Langner was sentenced to death. After Langner filed an appeal, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland partly annulled, in the verdict of November 13, 1950, the verdict of the Court of Appeal in Cracow, and remanded the case for reconsideration. On April 13, 1951, the Provincial Court in Cracow (established in place of the Court of Appeal) sentenced Langner to a joint penalty of 10 years imprisonment. The Supreme Court upheld this judgment in a judgment of January 29, 1952. Langner ultimately died in prison on February 2, 1952. Due to the prisoner’s death, the criminal proceedings were discontinued.

The aim of the dissertation is to present the course of court proceedings in the criminal case against Franz (Franciszek) Langner, born in 1891, a Polish volksdeutsch, and member of the SS KL Auschwitz crew, who was tried in Poland from 1949 to 1952. During the Second World War Langner renounced his Polish nationality and joined the SS. He was sent to KL Auschwitz, where he served from April 8, 1942 to January 20, 1945. He performed various functions among the watch-keeping troops, achieving the rank of SS-Oberscharführer. After the war, Langner was arrested and criminal proceedings were instituted against him. Initially, this was related to his declaration of belonging to the German nationality, and then - when his service in the SS came to light - to the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The crimes that Langner was accused of changed several times. The trial was held at the Court of Appeal in Cracow. By virtue of a judgment of 5 April 1950, Langner was sentenced to death. After Langner filed an appeal, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland partly annulled, in the verdict of November 13, 1950, the verdict of the Court of Appeal in Cracow, and remanded the case for reconsideration. On April 13, 1951, the Provincial Court in Cracow (established in place of the Court of Appeal) sentenced Langner to a joint penalty of 10 years imprisonment. The Supreme Court upheld this judgment in a judgment of January 29, 1952. Langner ultimately died in prison on February 2, 1952. Due to the prisoner’s death, the criminal proceedings were discontinued.