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Hans Koch (lawyer)

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For other persons named Hans Koch, see Hans Koch (disambiguation).
Hans Koch
Hans Koch
Born16 August 1893
Bartenstein, East Prussia, German Empire
Died24 April 1945 (1945-04-25) (aged 51)
Berlin, Germany
Cause of deathextrajudicial killing
NationalityGerman
Alma materUniversity of Königsberg
Occupationlawyer

Hans Koch (16 August 1893 – 24 April 1945) was a German lawyer, a member of the Confessing Church and a member of the German resistance against Nazism. The plotters of 20 July slated Koch for President of the Reichsgericht in post-Nazi Germany.

Early life

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Koch was born in Bartenstein, East Prussia (modern Bartoszyce, Poland),[1] he graduated in law from the University of Königsberg.[2] In 1923, he began working at the Prussian Ministry of Trade and later as the second state commissar of the Berlin stock exchange.[3] In 1927, he opened his own law office.

Opposition against the Nazi regime

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Grave of Hans Koch, Nikolassee Cemetery, Berlin

In 1937, he helped win an acquittal for pastor Martin Niemöller.[4][2] During World War II, he developed contacts with the 20 July plot conspirators, including Hans von Dohnanyi and Hans Oster from the military-intelligence.[5] In the 20 July plot, once the Nazis had been routed, Koch was slated to become the presiding judge of the Reichsgericht, the highest court in the German Reich.[5][6][7] The plot failed, however, and Koch sheltered Hans Bernd Gisevius, one of the conspirators.[8] An informer denounced him and Koch and his family were arrested.[6] He was killed extrajudicially in Berlin by a SS-Sonderkommando of the Reich Security Main Office on 24 April 1945.[2][6]

References

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  1. ^ Ludwig 2008, p. 360.
  2. ^ a b c German Resistance Memorial Center 2024.
  3. ^ Steinbach 1998, p. 115.
  4. ^ Sandvoß 2014, p. 304.
  5. ^ a b Sigler 2014, p. 52.
  6. ^ a b c Steinbach 1998, p. 116.
  7. ^ Badenheuer 2009, p. 10.
  8. ^ Sigler 2014, p. 53.

Sources

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  • Badenheuer, Konrad (2009). Mit dem Leben bezahlt – Hans Koch. Preußische Allgemeine Zeitung, Nr. 44, 31. Oktober 2009, p. 10
  • German Resistance Memorial Center, Biography of Hans Koch
  • Ludwig, H. (2008). Koch, Hans, Dr. jur. In Schultze, Harald. “Ihr Ende Schaut an ...” Evangelische Märtyrer des 20. Jahrhunderts. Evangelische Verlagsanstalt. pp 360-362. ISBN 9783374023707
  • Sandvoß, Hans-Rainer (2014). “Es wird gebeten die Gottesdienste zu überwachen ...” Religionsgemeinschaften in Berlin zwischen Anpassung, Selbstbehauptung und Widerstand von 1933 bis 1945. Lukas-Verlag. ISBN 9783867321846, p. 304
  • Sigler, Sebastian (2014). Corpsstudenten Im Widerstand Gegen Hitler. Duncker & Humblot, ISBN 9783428143191. pp 45-56
  • Steinbach, Peter (1998). Lexikon Des Widerstandes 1933 - 1945. Beck, ISBN 340643861X. pp 115-116
  • Ziemann, Benjamin (2019). Martin Niemöller ein Leben in Opposition. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. ISBN 9783421047120


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