The six Frankfurt trials against 24 German guards from Auschwitz were among the most important trials of Nazi crimes. The trials began in 1963 and ended in 1965: three defendants were acquitted; the others received prison sentences. The trials had a lasting impact on the discourse over how Germany addressed its Nazi past. The trials were also the start of a debate on the statute of limitations for murder. In 1979, the Bundestag lifted this time limit, making it possible to further prosecute murder.
