The Guilt of the Symbol: Who Learns What in a Didactic Trial?

This goal of this thesis is to present a correlation between the didactic war trials of two men following the demise of Nazi Germany, and the ability of society to meet a prescribed list of learning outcomes for the trials. Specifically, this project will focus on the outcomes of the trials of two men- Klaus Barbie and Albert Speer, and will explore if the prosecuted could learn from their mistakes when their trials were intended to teach a moral lesson to various societies, not just prove their guilt or innocence. It will also consider whether their own acceptance of their guilt (or lack thereof) led to a sway in public opinion that negated any potential learning outcomes from their trials. This will be accomplished through an analysis of relevant court documents, and any relevant opinion pieces that further explore the societal reactions