Editing Roland Freisler (section)

== Death ==
On the morning of 3 February 1945, Freisler was conducting a Saturday session of the People's Court when [[United States Army Air Forces]] bombers [[bombing of Berlin in World War II#The largest American raid on Berlin|attacked Berlin]], led by the [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17]] of [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Robert Rosenthal (USAAF officer)|Robert Rosenthal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=4475&Itemid=334 |title=100th Bomb Group Foundation - Personnel - LT COL Robert ROSENTHAL |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=100thbg.com |publisher=100th Bomb Group Foundation |access-date=5 December 2016 |quote=Dec 1, 1944 – Feb 3, 1945 - 418th BS, 100th BG (H) ETOUSAAF (8AF) Squadron Commander, 55 hours, B-17 Air Leader 5 c/m (combat missions) 45 c/hrs (combat hours) '''1 Division Lead (Berlin Feb 3, 1945''', shot down, picked up by Russians and returned to England) Acting Command 4 Wing Leads, Pilot Feb 3, 1945 - BERLIN - MACR #12046, - A/C#44 8379}}</ref> Government and Nazi Party buildings were hit, including the [[Reich Chancellery]], the [[Gestapo]] headquarters, the Party Chancellery and the People's Court. Hearing the air raid sirens, Freisler hastily adjourned the court and ordered that the prisoners be taken to an air raid shelter, but he stayed behind to gather files before leaving.

A bomb struck the court building at 11:08,<ref name="Helfer"/> causing a partial internal collapse, and a masonry column came crashing down on Freisler, crushing and killing him instantly. A large portion of the courtroom also landed on Freisler's corpse.<ref name="JG">Granberg, Jerje. AP dispatch from Stockholm, reprinted as "Berlin, Nerves Racked By Air Raids, Fears Russian Army Most," ''Oakland Tribune'', 23 February 1945, pg. 1.</ref> The flattened remains of Freisler were found beneath the rubble still clutching the files he had stopped to retrieve.<ref name="GK"/> Among the files was that of [[Fabian von Schlabrendorff]], a [[20 July Plot]] member who was on trial that day and facing execution.<ref>Will, George F., "Plot failed, but the spirit lived," reprinted in ''The Anniston Star'', 19 July 1974, pg. 4.</ref>

A differing account stated that Freisler "was killed by a bomb fragment while trying to escape from his law court to the air-raid shelter" and that he "bled to death on the pavement outside the People's Court at Bellevuestrasse 15 in Berlin". Von Schlabrendorff was "standing near Freisler when the latter met his end".<ref name="GK"/>{{efn|Freisler's death saved Schlabrendorff, who after the war became a judge of the [[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany|Constitutional Court of the Federal Republic of Germany]] (''Bundesverfassungsgericht''). }} Von Schlabrendorff was re-tried, acquitted, and survived the war, and ultimately followed Freisler as a judge, on the [[Federal Constitutional Court]]. 

A foreign correspondent reported, "Apparently nobody regretted his death".<ref name="JG"/> [[Luise Jodl]], wife of General [[Alfred Jodl]], recounted more than 25 years later that she had been working at the [[Lützow Hospital]] when Freisler's body was brought in, and that a worker commented, "It is God's verdict." According to Mrs. Jodl: "Not one person said a word in reply."<ref>Buchanan, William, "Nazi War Criminal's Widow Recalls Nuremberg," ''Boston Globe'' report reprinted in ''The Daily Times-News'' (Burlington, N.C.), 20 December 1972, pg. 1.</ref> His body was buried in the grave of his wife's family at the [[Waldfriedhof Dahlem]] Cemetery in Berlin.<ref>In the same cemetery lies the grave of [[Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld]], a 20 July conspiracy member executed upon Freisler's court order a few months earlier for the attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler.</ref> His name is not recorded on the gravestone.<ref name="Helfer"/>