Benjamin Ferencz receives Honorary doctorate from the University of Cologne
Benjamin Ferencz, Professor of International Law at Pace University (New York), has received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Law at the University of Cologne. To mark the occasion, a ceremony was held on February 11 to honour the life and work of the renowned practitioner and scholar of international law.
Professor Ferencz was an investigator of Nazi war crimes after World War II and served as chief prosecutor for the U.S. Army in the Einsatzgruppen trial. Later, he was among those scholars who contributed decisively to the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
The list of guests of honour included Donald Ferencz, Benjamin Ferencz's son, Elisabeth Kaul, widow of Dr. h.c. Hans-Peter Kaul, former judge at the International Criminal Court and long-time companion of Benjamin Ferencz; Professor Dr. Scott J. Shapiro, professor of law and philosophy at Yale Law School; Abraham Lehrer, vice-president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and board member of the Cologne Synagogue Community; Professor Dr. Moris Lehner, member of the board of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, Dr. Peter Frank, the Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Joachim Bertele, the Commissioner for Questions of General and Special International Law at the German Foreign Office, and Klaus Rackwitz, the director of the International Academy of Nuremberg Principles.
The Rector of the University, Professor Dr. Axel Freimuth, and the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Dr. Ulrich Preis, gave addresses of greeting. Professor Dr. Stephan Hobe, holder of the Chair of International Law, European Law, European and International Economic Law and Director of the Institute for Air Law, Space Law and Cyberlaw at the University of Cologne, delivered the laudatory speech. Professor Dr. Claus Kreß, Chair of German and International Criminal Law and Director of the Institute for International Peace and Security Law at the University of Cologne, moderated the ceremony. The highlight of the ceremony was the broadcast of a video message by Benjamin Ferencz recorded shortly before.
Together with Professor Dr. Angelika Nußberger, Director of the Institute for Eastern European and Comparative Law at the University of Cologne and former Vice President of the European Court of Human Rights, Stephan Hobe and Claus Kreß were responsible for the preparation of the ceremony. The preparatory committee received support from Irmgard Blomenkemper, Leona Coloma Rebolledo, Tabasom Djourabi-Asadabadi and Tim Heckmann.
Recording of the ceremony on the occasion of the honorary doctorate for Benjamin Ferencz. A highlight was the pre-recorded interview with Benjamin Ferencz: 53:29 min Interview with Benjamin Ferencz.
Video of the ceremony
Recording of the ceremony on the occasion of the honorary doctorate for Benjamin Ferencz. For the pre-recorded interview with Benjamin Ferencz, go to 53:29 min of the recording.