Family, friends mourn loss of Ben Ferencz, last surviving prosecutor of Nuremberg trials
MIAMI - Family and friends are remembering the life and legacy of the late Benjamin Ferencz. At 103, he was the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials which tried 22 Nazis for crimes against humanity.
Ferencz, who lived in South Florida, fought in Europe during World War II and helped liberate several concentration camps before turning to the courtroom
At just 27 years old, his first case was the Nuremberg trials where he rested his case in just two days.
Those who knew him said he'll be remembered as a champion for justice and peace.
Born in Transylvania, Ferencz and his family came to America when he was just ten months old to avoid the persecution of Hungarian Jews by what was then the kingdom of Romania. It was in America that Ferencz became a lawyer and dedicated his life to seeking justice for the millions of Jewish people who were murdered during the Holocaust.
"I've been trying to create a world of peace and harmony and justice, and it's not easy as you know," said Ferencz.
During the Nuremberg trials, Ferencz became the first attorney to use the word "genocide" in a court of law. Ultimately, the 22 Nazis he prosecuted were convicted of war crimes against humanity.
"I pointed to the defendants, I said these men wrote the blackest page in human history. Death was their tool, life was their toy, if these men be immune, then law has lost its meaning and we must all live in fear. Those were my closing statements in the biggest murder trial in human history," he recalled.
Those who knew Ferencz said his fierce passion for justice will be part of his legacy and it's something that he instilled in his four children.
"Every night, Ben would ask the kids, what did you do for humankind today, what did you do for humanity? This was his mission in life," said family friend Sharyn Bey.
Though Ferencz is no longer with us, the work he did for over a century will live on.
"My feeling is that all of the issues that he championed will continue. They won't die, you know why? The next generation is going to pick them up," said Bey.
In January, Ferencz was awarded the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal as well as the Governor's Medal of Freedom last year.