Josef Altstötter

Josef Altstötter (4 January 1892 – 13 November 1979) was a high-ranking official in the German Ministry of Justice under the Nazi Regime. Following World War II, he was tried by the Nuremberg Military Tribunal as a defendant in the Judges' Trial, where he was acquitted of the most serious charges, but was found guilty of a lesser charge of membership in a criminal organization (the SS).

Professional career After serving in World War I, Altstötter completed his law studies in Munich in 1920, passed the state jurisprudence examination

Membership in Nazi organizations Prior to its takeover by the Nazi party Altstötter was a member of Der Stahlhelm, a right-wing veterans organisation. After this was restructured as a Nazi organization, Altstötter became a member of the SA (SA-number: Member 31). On 15 May 1937 Altstötter moved from the SA to the SS (membership number 289,254) in 1944 had reached the rank of SS-Oberführer (senior colonel). In September 1938 he also joined the Nazi Party (membership number 5,823,836). Josef Altstötter was friendly with high-level SS leaders with, among others, Heinrich Himmler, Ernst Kaltenbrunner and Gottlob Berger.

After the war In 1947, Josef Altstötter was one of the accused in the Judges' Trial. The indictment accused him, and other Nazi judges and legal officials of the participation in war crime and crimes against humanity. For Altstötter, the particular allegations against him were that he was criminally involved with both the Nazi racial laws and also with kidnapping and secret murder of people pursuant to the Nazi "Night and Fog Decree". However, there was only sufficient evidence to convict him of membership in the SS. According to the Tribunal, Altstötter

In December 1947, he was sentenced to five years in prison. Altstötter served his sentence at Landsberg Prison and was released on 21 December 1949 (several months early due to good behavior). From 1950 to 1966, he worked as a lawyer. In 1979, at the age of 87 years he died in Nuremberg.

Awards German Cross in Gold on 25 March 1942 as Major d.B. in the II./Infanterie-Regiment 475