Wilhelm Frick was born on 12 March 1877 in Alsenz in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate. In 1901, he obtained a Doctorate in Jurisprudence at the University of Heidelberg and began working in various local administrations before serving in the police headquarters beginning in 1917. In 1923, he made the acquaintance of Hitler and joined the Nazi party, the NSDAP. After participating in the attempted putsch of 9 November 1923, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison but was released in April 1924.
After the restoration of the NSDAP, he once again took up his activities within the party, before being appointed Interior Minister for the region of Thüringen in 1930.
When Hitler came to power on 30 January 1933, Frick was one of only two Nazis, with Goering, to be part of the government. At the time he was Interior Minister and played a decisive role in the internment of Nazi opponents in concentration camps and, two years later, in concocting the Nuremberg laws which ousted the Jews from many occupations and deprived them from exercising their civic rights.
In August 1943, Frick was forced into surrendering his position of Interior Minister to Himmler. He was subsequently appointed Reich Protector for Bohemia-Moravia. In this position he oversaw and approved pillaging, the execution of hostages and other exactions which took place up until the end of the war.
Wilhelm Frick was accused of using his positions, his personal influence and his intimate connection with the Führer in such a manner that he promoted the accession to power of the Nazi conspirators and the consolidation of their control over Germany, as set forth in count 1 of the indictment; he was also accused of participating in the planning and preparation of the Nazi conspirators for wars of aggression and wars in violation of international treaties, agreements and assurances as set forth in counts 1 and 2 of the indictment. Frick was also accused of authorizing, directing and participating in war crimes as set out in count 3 of the indictment and of crimes against humanity as set fort in count 4.
Frick was captured in May 1945.
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