His experiences at this time, including the loss of family members during forced resettlements and purges, left him with a deep sense of anti-Bolshevism.

[1] In Germany, Leibbrandt studied theology, history and philosophy at the universities of Marburg, Tübingen and Leipzig where he was awarded a doctorate (Ph.

The official purposes of his visits were the study of the history and development of German colonies in the Black Sea coastal region, and the gathering of historical information.

It also collected information to provide a historical explanation of, and justification for, Germany's claim to territory and dominion over German ethnic groups in the east.

[5] In 1938, Leibbrandt received an appointment as a Beisitzer (lay judge) at the People's Court and, in 1940, he became a lecturer at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin.

Leibbrandt was personally involved in this plunder, examining library and archival materials in the collections taken from Ukraine by the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce.

[8] Together with Rosenberg's deputy Alfred Meyer, Leibbrandt represented the RMfdbO at the Wannsee Conference of 20 January 1942 that planned the implementation of The Final Solution.

At a RMfdbO meeting to discuss the treatment of so called Mischlinge that was attended by Leibbrandt nine days later, the ministry officials advocated a broad-based definition of Jewishness in order to simplify the racial selection process.

Lohse replied by asking whether this was "a directive to liquidate all Jews in the East" and whether this should take place "without regard to age and sex and economic interests" affecting the war economy.

Leibbrandt's deputy Otto Bräutigam responded on 18 December, informing Lohse that "Economic considerations should fundamentally remain unconsidered in the settlement of the [Jewish] problem".

Furthermore, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler had long wanted to exert more direct control over the ministry and, in the summer of 1943, he succeeded in persuading Rosenberg to replace Leibbrandt with SSObergruppenführer Gottlob Berger.

Released in July 1947, he was arrested again two months later and compelled to testify as a witness at the Ministries Trial of former Nazi foreign policy officials.

Interrogated by Robert Kempner, U.S. Assistant Chief Counsel, Leibbrandt said he could not remember the Wannsee Conference, and alleged telling Rosenberg that he "did not share the lunacy".