1. _The Reich Ministry of Justice_ (_Reichsjustizministerium_)--The centralization of the German administration of justice brought about, of course, a great increase in the scope and functions of the Reich Ministry of Justice. Its more important divisions are shown in the composite chart on the wall of the courtroom; a more detailed chart of the Ministry alone is included in the expository brief. For the first 8 years of the Hitler regime, the Minister of Justice was Franz Guertner, who had taken this office under the von Papen cabinet and retained it until his death in January 1941. Under Guertner, the two principal officials were the defendant Schlegelberger and Roland Freisler, each with the title of under secretary. Schlegelberger took charge of the Ministry from Guertner’s death until August 1942, but throughout that period he was “Acting Minister” and was never officially given cabinet rank. In August 1942, Dr. Georg Thierack, then president of the People’s Court, was appointed Reich Minister and Schlegelberger was retired. Freisler succeeded Thierack as president of the People’s Court. Under Thierack, there was only one under secretary. Thierack first appointed the defendant Rothenberger, but in January 1944 Rothenberger was put on the retired list and replaced by the defendant Klemm. Besides the defendants Schlegelberger, Rothenberger, and Klemm, four of the other defendants held high office in the Ministry of Justice, and still others served in the Ministry at various times during their careers. The defendant Klemm, as well as being the under secretary, headed Division II of the Ministry, which concerned itself with legal education and training. The defendants von Ammon and Mettgenberg, as well as the deceased Westphal, were officials of Divisions III and IV, which were ultimately merged, and which governed virtually all questions of criminal legislation and procedure, and prosecutions. The defendant Altstoetter headed Division VI, which dealt with civil law and procedure. The defendant Engert, after having served on the People’s Court, became the head of Division V, Penal Institutions, and of Division XV, first created in 1942 and dissolved in 1944. Division XV concerned itself with the secret transfer of certain classes of persons from ordinary prisons to the Gestapo. The Ministry of Justice controlled a variety of other judicial institutions, including various Special Courts and the examining office for candidates for admission and qualification of judges and lawyers. It controlled the Academy for German Law and various other associations of attorneys, as well as a special training camp for the Nazi indoctrination of young attorneys. Most important of all, it supervised and administered the entire court system from the Reich Supreme Court clear down to the local courts. This function included the assignment, transfer, and promotion of all judges.