Bequest Benno Erhard

Benno Erhard (1923-2011) was born in Bad Schwalbach on February 22, 1923. Following his Abitur, he was drafted into military service and taken prisoner of war by France. After an agricultural education, Erhard studied law at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz from 1949 to 1956. Thereafter, Benno Erhard worked as a lawyer and a notary from 1964 onwards. He defended Hans Stark in the First Frankfurt Auschwitz trial. Benno Erhard was also active in politics. He was a member of the Hessian Landtag (Parliament) and the German Bundestag. From 1983 to 1987, he was parliamentary undersecretary for the federal minister of justice. Benno Erhard died in Bad Schwalbach November 1, 2011. The bequest consists of written documents created in the context of Benno Erhard's activity as a lawyer. The records are mainly related to his involvement in the penal proceedings against Mulka and others (4 Ks 2/63). He represented Hans Stark as his assigned counsel. After description, demetallization and filing, the bequest contains 23 archival units with a total extent of 0.6 running meters. During the description in February 2021, the processor Sophia Steinmetz created an entirely new order of the record group. The holding is now divided into four sections: "specialist literature and research" ("Fachliteratur und Recherche"), "press" ("Presse"), "proceedings against Mulka and others (4 Ks 2/63)" ("Verfahren gegen Mulka u.a. (4 Ks 2/63)") and "other trials" ("Weitere Prozesse"). The section "specialist literature and research" ("Fachliteratur und Recherche") mainly covers documents regarding justice and jurisdiction in the National Socialist era, as well as research results of the German weather bureau and psychological papers. The section "press" ("Presse") contains the press coverage of the proceedings against Mulka and others, and reviews of plays. The section "proceedings against Mulka and others (4 Ks 2/63)" ("Verfahren gegen Mulka u.a. (4 Ks 2/63)") comprises records of the investigation proceedings against Mulka and others (4 Js 444/59), and of the penal proceedings against Mulka and others (4 Ks 2/63). The topics of witnesses and witness supervision play a large role here. Beyond that, the section covers the correspondence with the Federal Court of Justice concerning the appeal proceedings of the penal proceedings against Mulka and others (4 Ks 2/63). The section "other trials" ("Weitere Prozesse") contains records regarding other proceedings in which Benno Erhard worked as a lawyer.