Benjamin Berell Ben

American Lawyer, Nazi War Crimes Investigator, and Chief Prossecutor for the U.S. Army at the Einsatzgruppen trial, one of twelve subsequent Nuremberg trials held in Nuremberg, Germany after WW2. Benjamin Berell Ferencz was born in the Transylvanian village, Şomcuta Mare (Hungarian: Nagysomkút; German: Großhorn), which was at the time Hungary and is now part of north-western, Romania. When he was only 10 months old, his family emigrated to the United States, to avoid the growing persecution of the jews in that region. He grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in New York. His early interests and studies in crime prevention, eventually landed him a scholarship to the prestigious Harvard University Law School. After graduating in 1943, he joined the U.S. Army. He was eventually assigned to the 115th AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery) Battalion. Having fought in numerous battles in the European Theater of Operations, his unit was awarded with five battle stars. He was then transferred in 1945, to Patton's 3rd Army Headquarters and tasked with setting up a War Crimes branch, conducting investigations, and collecting evidence. He was honorably discharged from the Army, on Christmas day 1945, then immediately recruited to be part of the Nuremberg trials legal team. Just a few weeks later, he was also a prosecutor. After the trials had concluded, Ben participated in the setting up of reparation and rehabilitation programs for the victims of Nazi crimes. Finally returning home to the United States, he set up a private legal practice. He later left that practice, to work toward the institution of an International Crime Court. He published several books, and successfully argued for the permanent establishment of such an International Crime Court (which was created in 2002). Over the years he has been bestowed with countless awards, honors, titles, medals, and peace prizes for playing a key role in advancing the cause of international justice. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor. He married his longtime girlfriend (together since their teens), in New York, in 1946, and they remained married for 73 years, until her death in 2019. They had four children together.