Ernst Melsheimer
First State prosecutor of the German Democratic Republic / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ernst Melsheimer (9 April 1897 in Neunkirchen – 25 March 1960 in Berlin) was a German lawyer.
Ernst Melsheimer | |
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![]() Ernst Melsheimer (1952) | |
Born | 9 April 1897 |
Died | 25 March 1960 (1960-03-26) (aged 62) |
Nationality | German |
Alma mater | University of Bonn University of Marburg |
Occupation | Chief state prosecutor |
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/New_York_Times_-_Melsheimer_re-elected_-_13._Januar_1955.png/320px-New_York_Times_-_Melsheimer_re-elected_-_13._Januar_1955.png)
His reappointment as his country's Attorney general in January 1955 was even reported in The New York Times .
In December 1949 he was appointed as the first State prosecutor of the German Democratic Republic, [1] which at that time was a new country being created out of the Soviet occupation zone of what had till recently been Germany.[2] Melsheimer became (after Hilde Benjamin) the second most important state lawyer in the young country.
Melsheimer was a strong believer in party control of the courts. He was opposed to any Western-style separation of powers between the justice system and the state. He took a hands-on approach to his job, appearing in person as the principal (prosecution) advocate in numerous secret trials and in high-profile show trials during the 1950s.[2]