Robert Kurt Woetzel
Encyclopedia
Robert Kurt Woetzel professor of international law, was for many years a leading proponent for the establishment of the International Criminal Court
.
(1952), Woetzel served in the American army (1954–1956), earned a Ph. D. at Oxford
(1955) and a law degree at Bonn University (1959). He also served as a legislative assistant for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1956, and was a personal aid to Adlai Stevenson during the 1956 Democratic Convention, where Stevenson became the Party’s nominee for President. At Oxford, he became close friends with A. N. R. Robinson
, who in 1989, as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
, reintroduced a proposal for an International Criminal Court to the United Nations General Assembly
. An earlier UN effort to create an international criminal court had failed in the early 1950s.
Woetzel’s doctoral dissertation, on the legality of the Nuremberg trials
, was published as The Nuremberg Trials in International Law. His main purpose in The Nuremberg Trials was to defend the basis of the Nuremberg trials in international law, opposing legal scholars who had argued that the trials were ex post facto and illegal. However, he also expressed the hope that the Nuremberg trials would eventually lead to the establishment of an international criminal court.
and New York University
. In the mid-1960s, he was a Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions
in Santa Barbara, California. From 1968 until 1980, he taught at Boston College. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he taught as an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University
, the University of Southern California
, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of California at Santa Barbara.
In 1989, Woetzel assisted A. N. R. Robinson
and Benjamin Ferencz in drafting the proposal that reintroduced the idea of an International Criminal Court to the General Assembly. In one of his last activities, he helped write A Magna Carta for the Nuclear Age, published shortly after his death. Article 2 of this Magna Carta called again for the UN to establish “An International Criminal Court, composed of distinguished jurists. . .”4
was a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet until his retirement in 2008.
awarded its Distinguished Peace Leadership Award jointly to Woetzel (posthumously) and A. N. R. Robinson.
Robert K. Woetzel, The Nuremberg Trials in International Law (London: Stevens & Sons, 1960).
Robert K. Woetzel. The Philosophy of Freedom (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. : Oceana Publications, 1966).
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
.
Early life and education
Woetzel’s parents were German, his mother Jewish. The family left Germany because of its growing anti-Semitism, but before Hitler was in power. Woetzel was born in Shanghai, where his father was a chemical engineer. Following the conclusion of the Second World War, Woetzel moved to New York City. After receiving an A. B. degree from Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1952), Woetzel served in the American army (1954–1956), earned a Ph. D. at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
(1955) and a law degree at Bonn University (1959). He also served as a legislative assistant for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1956, and was a personal aid to Adlai Stevenson during the 1956 Democratic Convention, where Stevenson became the Party’s nominee for President. At Oxford, he became close friends with A. N. R. Robinson
A. N. R. Robinson
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, OCC, TC was the third President of Trinidad and Tobago, serving from 19 March 1997 to 17 March 2003. He was also Trinidad and Tobago's third Prime Minister, serving in that capacity from 18 December 1986 to 17 December 1991...
, who in 1989, as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, reintroduced a proposal for an International Criminal Court to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
. An earlier UN effort to create an international criminal court had failed in the early 1950s.
Woetzel’s doctoral dissertation, on the legality of the Nuremberg trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, was published as The Nuremberg Trials in International Law. His main purpose in The Nuremberg Trials was to defend the basis of the Nuremberg trials in international law, opposing legal scholars who had argued that the trials were ex post facto and illegal. However, he also expressed the hope that the Nuremberg trials would eventually lead to the establishment of an international criminal court.
Professional career
From 1959 through 1964, Woetzel taught international law at Fordham UniversityFordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. In the mid-1960s, he was a Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions
Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions
The Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California was an important think tank from 1959 to 1977, declining in influence thereafter. The Center held discussions in a variety of areas that it hoped would influence public deliberation...
in Santa Barbara, California. From 1968 until 1980, he taught at Boston College. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he taught as an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
, the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Work on the International Criminal Court
In 1965, Woetzel founded the International Criminal Law Commission and served as its Secretary-General; the Commission conducted legal seminars on needed advances in international law. In 1970, he co-edited Toward a Feasible International Criminal Court, to “clarify some main issues concerning the establishment of an international criminal court.” The following year, he created the Foundation for the Establishment of an International Criminal Court; until 1990, the Foundation held seminars around the world with experts in international law, directed toward establishing the Court. To spur the UN to reconsider the Court, a Foundation team of legal experts prepared drafts for both an international code of crimes and a Court treaty.In 1989, Woetzel assisted A. N. R. Robinson
A. N. R. Robinson
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, OCC, TC was the third President of Trinidad and Tobago, serving from 19 March 1997 to 17 March 2003. He was also Trinidad and Tobago's third Prime Minister, serving in that capacity from 18 December 1986 to 17 December 1991...
and Benjamin Ferencz in drafting the proposal that reintroduced the idea of an International Criminal Court to the General Assembly. In one of his last activities, he helped write A Magna Carta for the Nuclear Age, published shortly after his death. Article 2 of this Magna Carta called again for the UN to establish “An International Criminal Court, composed of distinguished jurists. . .”4
Other Writings
Robert Woetzel's other books include The Problem of Germany: A Post-war Analysis (1952), The International Control of Outer Space (1961), and The Philosophy of Freedom (1966).Death and Survivors
Woetzel died in 1991 of a heart attack at his home in Santa Barbara, not surviving to see the birth of the International Criminal Court that he had advocated for many years. Woetzel is survived by two sons. Jonathan is an economist living in Shanghai. Damian WoetzelDamian Woetzel
Damian Woetzel, former ballet star, is a producer and director of dance and music performances. Among his recent projects was directing the first performance of the White House Dance Series in September 2010, which took place in the East Room of the White House and was hosted by First Lady Michelle...
was a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet until his retirement in 2008.
Honors
Woetzel received many honors for his work, including the Einstein Prize for American Diplomacy. In 2002, with the International Criminal Court established, the Nuclear Age Peace FoundationNuclear Age Peace Foundation
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-profit international organization on the roster in consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council...
awarded its Distinguished Peace Leadership Award jointly to Woetzel (posthumously) and A. N. R. Robinson.
Selected bibliography
Stone, J. and Woetzel, Robert K. (Eds.), Toward a Feasible International Criminal Court (Geneva: World Peace Through Law Center, 1970).Robert K. Woetzel, The Nuremberg Trials in International Law (London: Stevens & Sons, 1960).
Robert K. Woetzel. The Philosophy of Freedom (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. : Oceana Publications, 1966).