Statens arkiver (Denmark)
Karl Rudolf Werner Best (10 July 1903-23 June 1989) was a German Nazi, jurist, police chief, SS-Obergruppenführer and Nazi Party leader from Darmstadt, Hesse. He studied law and in 1927 obtained his doctorate degree at Heidelberg. Best served as civilian administrator of France and Denmark while Nazi Germany occupied those countries during World War II. After the war, Best testified as a witness at the Nuremberg Trial of the Major War Criminals and was later extradited to Denmark. In 1948, Best was sentenced to death by a Danish court, but his sentence was reduced to five years in prison (of which he had already served four years). This created outrage among the Danish public, and the Supreme Court changed the sentence to 12 years. Best was released in 1951. In 1958 Best was fined by a Berlin de-Nazification court for his actions during the war. In 1972 he was charged again when further war crimes allegations arose. He was found medically unfit to stand trial and was released. After that, Best was part of a network that helped former Nazis and spent his time"campaigning for a general amnesty" He died in Mülheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, in 1989. [Source: Wikipedia]
Copyright Holder: Statens arkiver (Denmark)
695 digital images, JPEG
Arranged in one series: Diary, 1943-1944.
Diary of Werner Best, from July 1, 1943-December 31, 1944. Werner Best was a German Nazi and served as civilian administrator of France and Denmark while Nazi Germany occupied those countries during World War II.
Werner Best diary