Nazi conspiracy and aggression, Volume 04 (of 11)

Chapter CXV: Preface (2)

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The tragic end of the exterior headquarters is probably known by this time. At the approach of the victorious Allied troops the headquarters set out on foot in the direction of Buchenwald. Anyone who could not keep up with the marching column was shot. From 4 to 7 April 1945 about 9,300 prisoners (in view of the chaotic conditions which also existed here, an accurate count could not be made) arrived in Buchenwald. On the 9 and 10 April 1945 the SS evacuated the majority of them from Buchenwald. From all that has been learned so far about them it is probable that this transport was annihilated completely. At the end of March, according to the local reports, about 12,000 prisoners were in “S III”. The prisoners who did not arrive in Buchenwald, by the SS in the “S III” camp or on the road.

_Table 11_

In the following Table 12 transports are listed, consisting of prisoners from “S III” no longer capable of working, which were transferred to other camps. It is to be assumed, that at least a portion of these prisoners were not recorded as additions in the camps of their destination, because they were condemned to be liquidated and therefore, not booked on the rolls of the camp strength.

_Table 12_

In addition to the above there was one transport of 1,002 “invalids”, the greater number of which had also been in “S III”, or had keen destined for “S III”, but were sent directly from Buchenwald to the KL Bergen-Belsen.

Of the new arrivals booked by “S III” in the period of 24 December 1944 to 26 February 1945, the records indicate that 1,460 prisoners died in Ohrdruf.

XI.

The advance of the Red Army compelled the evacuation of the large concentration camps in the East. The result was a maddening increase in arrivals and a horrible, almost inconceivable increase of unnecessary suffering and senseless sacrifices. The offensive on the Vistula River began 13 January 1945. Within a short time the Red Army reached a menacing position close to the concentration camp Auschwitz, where there must have been about 80,000 prisoners. Auschwitz had to be evacuated. Shortly thereafter, the concentration camp Gross Rosen near Breslau had to be cleared. The first transports of evacuated Jews from the KL Auschwitz on open railroad cars arrived here on 22 January 1945, which were soon followed by others. In those days it was bitterly cold. These human beings had been traveling for days, insufficiently clad and underfed. In the overcrowded railroad cars their comrades had died from weakness and exhaustion, and to save themselves the living had to throw the dead bodies from the moving train. The commandant of the camp received complaints from the regions through which the trains had passed, that corpses had been found on the railway embankments. The arrivals very often dragged themselves from the railroad station to the camp with their last ounce of strength. Prisoners, the camp guards and the fire department had to proceed with two-wheeled carts and handcarts, usually, and for transporting building materials to the station to load up the collapsed persons and the dead bodies. The camp streets were littered with lost blankets, caps, overcoats, mess kits and collapsed human beings, who had not been able to drag themselves any further.

An accurate count of the additions was no longer possible. A check on the number of those leaving the point of departure and on how many had died on the way, escaped, or had simply remained behind also was no longer possible. Likewise the administrations of the dissolved camps did not know which prisoners had been transported to Buchenwald. The Reich Security Service sent a teletype letter to all the concentration camps, who had received additions from Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen, requesting that lists of the newly arrived prisoners with their old prisoner’s number be forwarded as soon as possible to the administration of the Auschwitz concentration camp, which latter in the meantime had been transferred to the KL Mittelbau. The concentration camps Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen, as well as other camps and prisons in the East and the West had to be evacuated in great haste and many of the inmates came to Buchenwald.

The transport which came here will be listed in detail in Table 13 and Table 14 will show the increases in the camp strength in the additions and the death cases.

_Table 13_

-------------+----------+--------------------+---------------------------
Date | Number | Type of Prisoner | Origin
-------------+----------+--------------------+---------------------------
24 Dec. ’44 | 916 | Polish Jews | Budapest via Vienna
25 Dec. ’44 | 1,913 | Hungarian Jews |
17 Jan. ’45 | 263 | Various | Cologne and
| | | Aix-la-Chapelle.
17 Jan. ’45 | 2,740 | Polish Jews | Tschenstochau.
20 Jan. ’45 | 1,446 | Polish Jews | Tschenstochau.
22 Jan. ’45 | 2,224 | Jews diff. nations | Auschwitz.
23 Jan. ’45 | 917 | Jews diff. nations | Auschwitz.
26 Jan. ’45 | 3,987 | Various | Auschwitz.
3 Febr. ’45 | 291 | Various | Kuestrin.
5 Febr. ’45 | 285 | French a. Belgians | Prison Gr. Strehlitz.
7 Febr. ’45 | 250 | Various | Kuestrin.
10 Febr. ’45 | 6,805 | Various | Gross-Rosen.
24 Febr. ’45 | 464 | Russians | Gross-Rosen.
26 Febr. ’45 | 290 | Various | Exterior Hdg. Gross-Rosen.
| | Various | { Gross-Rosen to Exterior.
5 Mar. ’45 | 580 | | { Hdqtrs. Leipzig.
7 Mar. ’45 | 905 | Mostly Jews | Gross-Rosen.
12 Mar. ’45 | 399 | Mostly Poles | Gross-Rosen.
30 Mar. ’45 | 280 | Various | Natzweiler.
-------------+----------+--------------------+---------------------------

_Table 14_

----------+-----------+-----------+-------------------
Date | Additions | Deaths | Camp Strength End
| | | of month
----------+-----------+-----------+-------------------
Nov. ’44 | 10,305 | 612 | 59,261
Dec. ’44 | 12,555 | 1,113 | 63,048
Jan. ’45 | 24,197 | 2,002 | 80,297
Febr. ’45 | 13,066 | 5,523 | 86,232
March ’45 | 6,560 | 5,531 | 80,436
----------+-----------+-----------+-------------------

The further expansion in the last 11 days of the existence of the National Socialistic concentration camp Buchenwald was influenced by the ever closer approaching Allied Armies. The last of the exterior headquarters located in the West returned to the camp of origin Buchenwald. On 6 April the number of the prisoners amounted to about 47,700 men. The balance of 31,598, mostly employed in exterior headquarters east of Buchenwald, did not return to the camp. At this time nothing is known of their fate.

The SS began to evacuate the camp on April 6, 1945. It succeeded in transferring 28,285 prisoners to other camps. The transports in detail are given in Table 15.

_Table 15_

-------------+----------+-------------------+----------------
Date | Number | Type of Prisoners | Destination
-------------+----------+-------------------+----------------
6 Apr. ’45 | 3,105 | Jews | KL Flossenbuerg
7 Apr. ’45 | 1,500 | Various | Leitmeritz
7 Apr. ’45 | 4,800 | Mostly Jews | KL Flossenbuerg
9 Apr. ’45 | 9,600 | Various | Dachau
10 Apr. ’45 | 9,280 | Various | Unknown
| ------ | |
Total | 28,285 | |
-------------+----------+-------------------+----------------

When the KL Buchenwald was liberated by the Allied Armies on 11 April 1945 there were still about 21,000 prisoners on the Ettersberg.

# # # # #

_Annex I_

Tabular Survey of the Numerical Expansion at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp

----------+----------+----------------------------------+---------
| | Decrease | Camp
| +---------+--------+------+--------+ strength
Month | Increase | Disch. | Trans. | Died | Total | end of
| | | | | | month
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
July ’37 | 930 | | | | 1 | 929
Aug. ’37 | 1,414 | | | 8 | 48 | 2,295
Sept. ’37 | 180 | | | 7 | 55 | 2,420
Oct. ’37 | 109 | | | 2 | 60 | 2,469
Nov. ’37 | 133 | | | 9 | 75 | 2,527
Dec. ’37 | 146 | | | 22 | 112 | 2,561
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 2,912 | | | 48 | 351 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’38 | 139 | | | | 67 | 2,633
Febr. ’38 | 140 | | | | 45 | 2,728
Mar. ’38 | 138 | | | | 60 | 2,806
April ’38 | 236 | | | | 42 | 3,000
May ’38 | 1,785 | | | | 54 | 4,731
June ’38 | 3,103 | | | | 111 | 7,723
July ’38 | 463 | | | | 258 | 7,928
Aug. ’38 | 348 | | | | 485 | 7,791
Sept. ’38 | 3,059 | | | | 379 | 10,471
Oct. ’38 | 428 | | | | 711 | 10,188
Nov. ’38 | 10,098 | | | | 2,181 | 18,105
Dec. ’38 | 185 | | | | 7,262 | 11,028
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 20,122 | | | 771 |11,655 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’39 | 184 | | | | 1,727 | 9,485
Febr. ’39 | 113 | | | | 949 | 8,649
Mar. ’39 | 45 | | | | 30 | 8,664
Apr. ’39 | 13 | | | | 2,314 | 6,363
May ’39 | 20 | | | | 713 | 5,670
June ’39 | 103 | | | | 250 | 5,523
July ’39 | 166 | | | | 297 | 5,392
Aug. ’39 | 155 | | | | 165 | 5,392
Sept. ’39 | 3,314 | | | | 62 | 8,634
Oct. ’39 | 5,373 | | | | 1,232 | 12,775
Nov. ’39 | 50 | | | | 448 | 12,377
Dec. ’39 | 17 | | | | 587 | 11,807
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 9,553 | | | 1,235| 8,774 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’40 | 24 | | | | 875 | 10,956
Feb. ’40 | 21 | | | | 654 | 10,323
Mar. ’40 | 14 | | | | 1,518 | 8,819
Apr. ’40 | 67 | | | | 900 | 7,986
May ’40 | 19 | | | | 372 | 7,633
June ’40 | 26 | | | | 321 | 7,338
July ’40 | 250 | | | | 318 | 7,270
Aug. ’40 | 1,168 | | | | 239 | 8,199
Sept. ’40 | 52 | | | | 144 | 8,107
Oct. ’40 | 196 | | | | 502 | 7,801
Nov. ’40 | 96 | | | | 286 | 7,611
Dec. ’40 | 592 | | | | 763 | 7,440
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 2,525 | | 1,772 | | 6,892 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’41 | 50 | | | | 128 | 7,362
Feb. ’41 | 452 | | | | 217 | 7,597
Mar. ’41 | 236 | | | | 513 | 7,320
Apr. ’41 | 505 | | | | 336 | 7,489
May ’41 | 288 | | | | 992 | 6,785
June ’41 | 231 | | | | 209 | 6,807
July ’41 | 2,695 | | | | 920 | 8,582
Aug. ’41 | 396 | | | | 496 | 8,482
Sept. ’41 | 251 | | | | 363 | 8,370
Oct. ’41 | 251 | | | | 468 | 8,153
Nov. ’41 | 277 | | | | 520 | 7,910
Dec. ’41 | 258 | | | | 257 | 7,911
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 5,890 | | 1,522 | | 5,419 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’42 | 554 | | | | 479 | 7,986
Febr. ’42 | 480 | | | | 349 | 8,117
Mar. ’42 | 2,843 | | | | 2,154 | 8,806
Apr. ’42 | 521 | | | | 673 | 8,654
May ’42 | 452 | | | | 1,505 | 7,601
June ’42 | 1,019 | | | | 620 | 8,000
July ’42 | 1,996 | | | | 1,147 | 8,849
Aug. ’42 | 1,715 | | | | 678 | 9,886
Sept. ’42 | 1,709 | | | | 1,520 | 10,075
Oct. ’42 | 984 | | | | 2,228 | 8,831
Nov. ’42 | 794 | | | | 533 | 9,092
Dec. ’42 | 1,044 | | | | 619 | 9,517
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 14,111 | | 2,898 | | 12,505 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’43 | 2,500 | | | 111 | 742 | 11,275
Febr. ’43 | 1,291 | 94 | 377 | 175 | 646 | 11,920
Mar. ’43 | 2,474 | 40 | 1,582 | 311 | 1,933 | 12,461
Apr. ’43 | 2,773 | 1,102 | 299 | 507 | 1,908 | 13,326
May ’43 | 2,339 | 38 | 807 | 379 | 1,224 | 14,441
June ’43 | 1,858 | 122 | 348 | 211 | 681 | 15,618
July ’43 | 1,727 | 39 | 1,317 | 191 | 1,547 | 15,796
Aug. ’43 | 4,537 | 57 | 517 | 118 | 692 | 19,641
Sept. ’43 | 5,444 | 41 | 233 | 123 | 397 | 24,688
Oct. ’43 | 9,048 | 41 | 209 | 109 | 359 | 33,377
Nov. ’43 | 4,454 | 27 | 2,378 | 314 | 2,719 | 35,112
Dec. ’43 | 3,734 | 35 | 525 | 967 | 1,527 | 37,319
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 42,177 | 1,636 | 8,592 |3,516 | 14,375 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’44 | 8,017 | 49 | 1,454 |1,000 | 2,503 | 42,833
Febr. ’44 | 1,979 | 44 | 2,648 | 880 | 3,572 | 41,240
Mar. ’44 | 5,065 | 96 | 1,527 |1,311 | 2,934 | 43,371
Apr. ’44 | 4,788 | 120 | 1,649 | 560 | 2,329 | 45,830
May ’44 | 9,655 | 133 | 675 | 390 | 1,198 | 54,287
June ’44 | 9,986 | 464 | 2,193 | 460 | 3,117 | 61,156
July ’44 | 7,398 | 311 | 1,287 | 347 | 1,945 | 66,609
Aug. ’44 | 17,170 | 217 | 429 | 742 | 1,388 | 82,391
Sept. ’44 | 4,221 | 1,139 | 471 | 497 | 2,107 | 84,505
Oct. ’44 | 6,728 | 981 | 34,047| 732 | 35,760 | 55,473
Nov. ’44 | 10,305 | 698 | 5,207 | 612 | 6,517 | 59,261
Dec. ’44 | 12,555 | 2,076 | 5,579 |1,113 | 8,768 | 63,048
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 97,867 | 6,328 | 57,166 |8,644 | 72,138 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Jan. ’45 | 24,197 | 190 | 4,756 | 2,002| 6,948 | 80,297
Febr. ’45 | 13,066 | 257 | 1,351 | 5,523| 7,131 | 86,232
Mar. ’45 | 6,560 | 488 | 6,337 | 5,531| 12,356 | 80,436
+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------
Total | 43,823 | 935 |12,444 |13,056| 26,435 |
==========+==========+=========+========+======+========+=========
TOTAL 1937| | | | | |
to 31 | | | | | |
MARCH | | | | | |
1945: | 238,980 | | |33,462|158,544 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+------+--------+---------

_Annex II_

Copy of a letter from the SS Main Office of Economic Administration to all concentration camps.

SS Main Office of Economic Administration
Service Group D Concentration Camp
D III/Az.: 14 h (KL) 12.42 Lg/Wy

Oranienburg
28 December 1942

Regarding: Medical Activities in the Concentration Camps
Reference: without
Enclosure: 1

SECRET

TO the 1. Camp Doctors of the Concentration Camps Da., Sh., Bu., Neu., Au., Rav., Flo., Lu., Stu., Gr-Ro., Nied., Natz., Hinz., Mor., Herzog., Mau.,

Copy to the Camp Commandants.

In the inclosed a compilation of the current arrivals and departures in all the concentration camps is sent to you for your information. It discloses that out of 136,000 arrivals about 70,000 died. With such a high rate of death the number of the prisoners can never be brought up to the figure as has been ordered by the Reichsfuehrer of the SS. The 1. camp doctors must use all means at their disposal to reduce essentially this death rate in the various camps. The best doctor in a concentration camp is not the one, who believes that he must stand out for uncalled severity, but the one who by his supervision and exchange keeps the working capacity at the various labor commands at the highest possible level. The camp doctors must supervise more often than in the past the food of the prisoners and, with the approval of the administration, submit improvement proposals to the camp commandants. These, however, must not only appear on paper, but must be controlled regularly by the camp doctors. Furthermore, the camp doctors are to see to it that the working conditions at the various labor places are improved as much as possible. To this purpose it will be necessary that the camp doctors inspect the labor places on the ground and convince themselves about the conditions of work.

The SS Reichsfuehrer has ordered that the death rate absolutely must be reduced. For this reason the aforementioned has been ordered and a monthly report on this matter is to be submitted to the Chief of the Department D III. The first report to be submitted on 1 February 1943.

[Signature illegible]

Klueder[?]

SS Brigadefuehrer and Major General of the Arms

_Survey_

For the month of June-November 1942

------+------------------------------------
Month | Arrivals
------+------------------------------------
| Deliveries Uberst [?] Total
------+---------+--------+---------+-------
June | 10,322 | 1,575 | 11,897 | 873
July | 25,716 | 6,254 | 31,970 | 907
Aug. | 25,407 | 2,742 | 28,149 | 581
Sept. | 16,763 | 6,438 | 23,201 | 652
Oct. | 13,873 | 5,345 | 19,218 | 1,089
Nov. | 17,780 | 4,565 | 22,345 | 809
+---------+--------+---------+-------
Total| 109,861 | 26,919 | 136,870 | 4,711
------+---------+--------+---------+-------

Table continued ...

------+--------------------------------------
Month | Departures
------+--------------------------------------
| Dischrg, Uberst [?] Dead Exek. Total
------+---------+--------+-------+-----------
June | 1,903 | 4,080 | 243 | 6,899
July | 4,340 | 8,536 | 477 | 12,260
Aug. | 2,950 | 12,733 | 99 | 16,363
Sept. | 6,805 | 22,598 | 144 | 30,199
Oct. | 6,334 | 11,858 | 5,945 | 25,235
Nov. | 5,514 | 10,805 | 2,350 | 19,478
+---------+--------+-------+-----------
Total| 27,846 | 70,610 | 9,267 | 112,434
------+---------+--------+-------+-----------

COPY OF DOCUMENT 2176-PS

CONFIDENTIAL

REPORT OF INVESTIGATING OFFICER HEADQUARTERS THIRD UNITED STATES ARMY

Office of the Judge Advocate

APO 403
AG 092 (3 JA-132) GNMCJ 17 June 1945

SUBJECT: Report of Investigation of Alleged War Crimes.

TO: Commanding General, Twelfth Army Group, APO
655, U. S. Army.

I. _AUTHORITY_

1. This investigation was conducted in conformity with Letter, European Theater of Operations, 24 February 1945, by Eugene S. Cohen, ASN O-1573121, Major, 514th Quartermaster Group, APO 403, United States Army, Investigator-Examiner, during the period 6 May 1945 to 15 June 1945, and pursuant to directive of Commanding General, Third United States Army, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 1.

II. _MATTERS INVESTIGATED_

2. Murder by shooting, beating, use of poison gas, drowning, starving, injections, stoning, exposure, burning, and choking of nationals of twenty-three (23) nations, including members of the United States armed forces, of the German civilian population working under the German armed forces and of other nationals under the orders of said German armed forces, in violation of Article 2 of the Geneva Prisoner of War Convention (Par 73, Rules of Land Warfare, Article 2 of same, Par 25, 26, 30, and 31, Rules of Land Warfare).

III. _PROCEEDINGS_

3. _a._ The testimony of all witnesses examined in the course of this investigation and which is attached and made a part hereof was secured through the use of interpreters where requisite, after the witness had been sworn by me, through the interpreter, under the authority of Article of War 114, in the following form: “You swear (or affirm) that the evidence you shall give in this investigation now being conducted by me shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God.” Where practicable, the witness was given an opportunity to sign his testimony in my presence and, in all cases, it was signed after such testimony had been read back to the witness in his own language by the interpreter. The use of a stenographic reporter was impracticable under existing conditions.

The interpreter was sworn in the following form: “You swear (or affirm) that you will truly interpret this investigation now being conducted by me. So help you God.”

_b._ The transcribed testimony of each such witness whose name is below listed is hereto attached as an Exhibit--the number of which is indicated immediately following the witness’ name. As a further aid, the name of each camp in the chain at which the said Exhibit was prepared is listed alongside the name of the witness:

* * * * * * *

_c._ Other Exhibits:
_Description_

(_a_) (Exhibit 4 is a report by an International Committee set up by this Investigation, and same is sworn to in due form by the two witnesses named. The report is further documented with the names of others who helped compile the facts and figures).

(_b_) Journal Record of victims between certain dates, including information as to name, nationality, residence, date of birth, date of death, manner of death, and the names of guards performing the actual execution. (Ex. #214)

(_c_) “Totenbuch,” or Book of the Dead, representing names of victims, nationality, residence, date of birth, date of death, and manner of death, between certain dates. This is a sample of small journals which were later incorporated in the permanent records which number sixteen (16) volumes and which will be submitted in a supplemental report. (Ex. #215)

(_d_) Specimen of poisonous gas used in gas chamber at Mauthausen and Gusen No. 1 and No. 2. (Ex. #216)

(_e_) Rubber hose used by SS Guards to beat prisoners in the Mauthausen Chain of Camps. (Ex. #217)

(_f_) Heavy whip used by SS Guards to beat prisoners in the Mauthausen Chain of Camps. (Ex. #218)

(_g_) Cat of Nine Tails Whip used by SS guards. (Ex. #219)

IV. SUMMARY OF FACTS

4. A certificate by the Investigator-Examiner is attached hereto in separate form, summarizing the camp and methods of working them in the present investigation.

_a._ Between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 political prisoners are known to have been incarcerated and labeled for extermination at the Mauthausen system of concentration camps from available records. The Chain consisted of between 23 and 30 individual camps between the years 1941 and 1945, the number varying as the smaller of these were occasionally evacuated when certain jobs had been finished (see Exhibits 4, 81, and 213).

_b._ Of the camps affiliated with Mauthausen, the present investigation covered 13 of them of which the largest were Mauthausen, Gusen, Number 1 and Number 2, Ebensee, Steyr, and Gunskirchen. Others in the list situated in Third Army Territory were Linz, Numbers 1, 2 and 3, Wells, Lenzing, Schlier, and Enns. The victims of this Chain of camps were murdered by the SS Guards working in these camps under the command of Franz Ziereis, Commandant and George Bachmayer, Assistant Commandant, both now deceased, whose headquarters were at the fortress in Mauthausen (see Exhibits 209, 210, and 212).

_c._ Evidence reveals that the orders for the systemic decimation of these prisoners originated in Berlin under the direct orders of SS Fuehrer Heinrich Himmler (see Exhibit 4).

_d._ American Forces liberated this camp on 5 May 1945 and this Investigator-Examiner and his team commenced this investigation on 6 May 1945.

_e._ The victims of the Mauthausen Chain of concentration camps are in the process of compilation and will be submitted in a supplementary report.

5. It may be added that one of the functions of the International Committee formed by this investigator to assist in the investigation of these camps was to arrange for each nation to copy the names of each of its dead from the available records in order to notify the next of kin. Therefore, it is confidently concluded that each such nation already has a list of its own dead with all information regarding their manner of death and the statistics thereupon. This International Committee was selected from the inmates by the team and consisted of the most distinguished members selected by the prisoners themselves. The Committee numbered six men as principals and many assistants have greatly helped the investigation in securing the best witnesses and covering all phases in the preparation of this case for trial (see Exhibit 4).

6. _Enemy Individuals_

_a._ See Exhibit 2.

_b._ Wanted notices for all perpetrators are in the process of preparation.

V. _CONCLUSIONS_

The evidence collected in this case shows very clearly that the whole purpose of the Mauthausen Chain of concentration camps was extermination of human beings for no other reason than their opposition to the Nazi way of thinking. There is no doubt that Mauthausen was the basis for long term planning. It was constructed as a gigantic stone fortress on top of a mountain flanked by small barracks.

Mauthausen, in addition to its permanency of construction, had facilities for a large garrison of officers and men, and had large dining rooms and toilet facilities for the staff. It was conducted with the sole purpose in mind of exterminating any so-called prisoner who entered within its walls.

The so-called branches of Mauthausen were under direct command of the SS officials located there. All records, orders, and administrative facilities were handled for these branches through Mauthausen. The other camps, including Gusen and Ebensee, its two most notorious and largest branches, were not exclusively used for extermination but prisoners were used as tools in construction and production until they were beaten or starved into uselessness, whereupon they were customarily sent to Mauthausen for final disposal.

The responsibility for the deaths of these victims lies definitely with the Nazi Party and with the SS men who executed its commands. Men like Himmler, Ziereis, Bachmayer, Schulz, Giesler, Pelzer, and other names in Exhibit 2 are but the arch criminals. However, although direct evidence is not established against all the members of the SS Guards in this disreputable Chain, the inescapable presumption is that all of them are prima facie guilty of these mass murders and the burden of proof is upon them individually to prove his innocence. In this connection the SS organization was purely a voluntary one and its purposes were obviously criminal, in violation of the Hague and Geneva Conventions, and the rights of humanity.

It is the belief of the Investigator-Examiner that the theory of “Association des Malfaiteurs” should be employed most stringently in a case as virulent and as atrocious as the Mauthausen set-up (see Certificate attached hereto).

/s/Eugene S. Cohen
EUGENE S. COHEN, Major, QMC,
JA Section, Third US Army, Investigator-Examiner.
3 JA-132

# # # # #

CERTIFICATE OF OFFICER INVESTIGATING MAUTHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP.

I hereby certify as follows:

1. The Mauthausen Chain of Concentration Camps varied in number from twenty to thirty or more, depending on the needs of any specific work assignment.

2. As shown in Exhibits 21, 22, and 201, the captured records indicated the names of most of these camps, which varied in size from the huge fortress of Mauthausen itself, to a small detached lager similar to Steyr or Lenzing. Lenzing for example, like Steyr (See Exhibits 86, 194 and 195) were detachments from Mauthausen sent and billeted in barracks to run two large factories.

3. The map herein included as Exhibit 201 shows the locations of these named camps with most important route number leading to them. It is thus seen that the majority of these camps were located East of the River Enns (which flows into the Danube and passes through Steyr and Enns-Township, Austria), and, therefore, are of Russian concern, since this river is the present International Occupation Boundary between ourselves and the Soviet Union.

4. However, the remainder of the camps (as shown in Exhibit 201), amounting roughly to about 13, have been accounted for in this present investigation. (See list of Exhibits.) The so-called most notorious of these camps are, of course, first Mauthausen (ranked with Auschwitz as by far the largest and worst of all Concentration Camps); Ebensee (ranked by many as worse than Dachau yet only an inferior Aussenlager (Branch to Mauthausen)); Gusen, divided into two large branches named Numbers one and two and of large size in themselves; Gunskirchen and Steyr, (see Exhibit 84), numbering at capacity five-thousand people. (See Exhibit 195.)

5. Many of these camps were evacuated almost immediately upon liberation, even so large a one as Gunskirchen. (See Exhibit 84.) This camp was said to have numbered as many as 20,000 prisoners at one time, but however, Gunskirchen, like Steyr and Lenzing and the Linz Group (Exhibit 22), and even Ebensee, were not equipped for Mass Murder (Extermination), like Mauthausen and the Gusens, and when deaths were “required” other than through starving, beatings, exposure, or lack of hygienic treatment, the prisoners were dispatched either to Mauthausen or the Gusens where _all_ were labelled for eventual annihilation. (See Exhibit 4 as a conclusive Exhibit which in itself, makes a complete case against the perpetrators involved.)

6. The total count of victims is impossible to estimate, but with Hartheim Castle (a building used for mysterious disposal of people), (see Exhibit 213) almost 2,000,000 are counted from the German Records themselves. (Also see again Exhibit 4).

7. As to the perpetrators or murderers, a complete list of leaders and some 10,000 (approximately) other SS names are included in this investigation. Descriptions are included whenever possible and at all events, Name, Rank, Date of Birth, Last Residence, and Residence of Next of Kin (to whom they might return) are given. (See Exhibit 2, and valuable Exhibit 213 which lists the victims between certain dates, giving their names, nationalities, Dates of Birth, Day of Death, Method of Death, and Names of Guards doing the killing).

8. All Camps presently investigated are as follows:

Mauthausen, Gusen (Nos. 1 and 2), Linz (Nos. 1, 2, and 3), and Ebensee. Wels, Gunskirchen, Lenzing, Steyr, and Schlier are also taken care of as part of the chain and as indicated heretofore. All others were either in Russian or British areas. All these camps have been treated as one case. However, a Supplemental Report is now being prepared to follow the present one in a short time. It should be noted that Franz Ziereis, Commandant of the Mauthausen Chain and Georg Bachmayer, Assistant Commandant, are now dead. (See Exhibits 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 209 and 210.)

9. Besides the books made Exhibits in this present report, sixteen Totenbucher (Books of the dead, as described in Exhibit 4) have been photographed in micro-film and although ready cannot be received in time to submit in this present report.

Additional still photographs and more than 1000 feet of motion pictures have been taken by an official Signal Corps Team and will also be submitted in the Supplemental Report.

/s/ Eugene S. Cohen
EUGENE S. COHEN,
Major, QMCorps, Investigating Officer.

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 2187-PS

Main SS economic administration office Office group chief D

--concentration camps--D I/Az : 14 e 3/Ot/S;--

Oranienburg, 14 July 1943

Re: Beating of female prisoners

Ref: Reichsfuehrer-SS B. Nz. I/1891/41 Ads.Sk/Fe.--of 7 July 1943

Enclosures / none

REGISTERED

To the camp commandants of concentration camps, Au., Rav., Herz.,
Lub. and Stutthof.

The Reichsfuehrer-SS and Chief of the German Police has ordered that the execution of sentence on Russian women has to be done by Polish women and on Polish and Ukrainian women by Russian women.

As a reward the prisoners inflicting the punishment may be given a few cigarettes.

Under no circumstances may German prisoners be employed to inflict punishment. Also other prisoners due for punishment themselves are not to be employed for this purpose.

per sig. Liebehenschel
SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 2189-PS

SS Economic Administrative Main Office
Office Group Chief D
Concentration Camps, D 1/Az: 14e 3/L/Ot.

Oranienburg, 11 Aug. 1942.

_Re_: Punishment by Beating.
_Ref_: none
_Encl_: none

To the camp commandants of concentration camps. Da, Sah, Bu, Mau, Flo, Neu, Au, Gr-Ro, Natz, _Nie_, _Stu_, _Arb_, _Rav_, _and prisoner of war camp Lublin_.

The Reichsfuehrer SS and Chief of the German Police has ordered that punishment by beating will be executed in concentration camps for women by _prisoners_--under the ordered supervision.

In order to coordinate this order the main office chief of the main SS Economic Administration Office, SS-Obergruppenfuehrer and General of the Waffen-SS Pohl, has ordered, effective immediately, that punishment by beating will also be executed by prisoners in concentration camps for men.

It is forbidden to have foreign prisoners execute the punishment on German prisoners.

The order for punishment will read on page 2 under “executors”.

The following prisoners have executed physical punishment on the--

1. __________________________________ prison number
2. __________________________________ prison number
[signature illegible]
SS-Brigadefuehrer and Major General of the Waffen-SS

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 2194-PS

REICH DEFENSE LAW

G-300
Top Secret

The Ministry for Economy and Labor Saxony
Dresden and 6 for September 1939
Tel: 52151/Long Distance 52051

Ref: Wbv:407g

To The Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia, Transportation Section,

Attention of Construction Chief, Counselor Hirches or Representative
in the Office.

_Prag_

[STAMP]
The Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia
received, Prag, 5 Sept. 1939. No. 274.

Enclosed please find a copy of the Reich Defense Law of 4 Sept. 1938 and a copy each of the decrees of the Reichsminister of Transportation dated 7 October 1938--RL/W10.2212/38, Top Secret--and of 17 July 1939--RL/LV 1.2173/39, Top Secret, for your information and observance.

By order--
3 Encl.: SIGNED: Kretzschmar.
Completed at Dresden 4 September 1939
3 Enclosures. SIGNED: Schneider.

Receipt for the letter of 4 September 1939, wbv:407g with 3 enclosures signed 5 September 1939 and returned to Construction Counselor Kretzschmar.

File: Wbv Signed: HI.

# # # # #

Top Secret

Enclosure 2. RL/LV 1.2861/39G
The Reichsminister for Transportation.
RL/V 1.2173/39

Berlin 17 July 1939
44 plus 2 copies.
No. 45.

To the Subordinate Authority of the Reich and the States as well as the
General Authority of the States to whom are attached:

(_a_) Waterways Deputies (Wbv).
(_b_) Deputies for Local Transportation (Nbv).
(_c_) Deputies for ocean traffic. (Sbv).

To each one individually:

Subject: Protection of the secrecy of the law for the Reich
Defense. (RV--Gesetz).
Ref: Decree of 7 October 1938 RL/W 10.2212/38,
Top Secret.

The leader has agreed to the tacit omission of the secrecy protection of the Reich defense law of 4 September 1938 transmitted with the corresponding decree. In spite of the greater ease in business correspondence thus created, the following limitations, which are herewith brought to your attention for compliance, have been ordered by the competent office.

1. _It remains prohibited_ to cite the Reich Defense law in public or in connection with laws to be promulgated, as well as publication of the contents of the law in its entirety.

2. _It is permitted_

_a._ the mention of all installations founded on the Reich Defense
Law and their functions in public without referring to the law;

_b._ the co-signature of laws which are prepared and announced in
peace time for war.

Deputy
Signed: Baur.

# # # # #

SECRET STATE MATTER!

To GRS Nr. 10/39
Enclosure for RL/LV. I.2861/39 g.
The Reich Traffic Minister
RL/W 10. 2212/38 secret state matter

Berlin, W8, Wilhelmstrasse 80, the 7th October 1938
47 and 3 copies
Examination Nr. 49

To the following Reich and State authorities from whom have been
ordered

(_a_) deputies for water ways,
(_b_) deputies for the local traffic,
(_c_) deputies for ocean traffic

--but especially--

Subject: Reich Defense Law [Reichsverteidigungsgesetz].

Enclosed is transmitted copy of the Reich Defense Law signed by the leader and Reich chancellor on 4 September 1938. The promulgation remains suspended.

Deputy
Signed: Baur.

To wbv.: 407 g.

# # # # #

TOP MILITARY SECRET

To GRS Nr. 10/39 1432

Reich Defense Law of 4 September 1938.

The Reich cabinet has decided on the following law which is announced herewith.

I. _State of Defense_

par. 1

(1) As possessor of the complete power of state, the leader and Reich chancellor can decree for the Reich territory or its parts a “State of Defense”.

(2) If the political situation demands it, the leader and Reich chancellor decrees the “Mobilization”. The mobilization can be limited to a part of the Reich or of the armed forces.

par. 2

(1) Once the territory of operation is determined the chief of the army and the commanders of the armies have upon declaration of the state of defense without further order the authority to exercise executive power in this operational territory.

(2) The commanders exercising executive powers can, effective for the territory of operations, promulgate laws, institute special courts, and issue directives to the officials and offices competent in the territory of operations, with the exception of the supreme Reich officials, the supreme Prussian country officials, and the Reich leaders of the NSDAP. The lawfulness of directives precedes directives from otherwise superior offices.

(3) The boundaries of the territory of operations are determined by the supreme commander of the armed forces.

(4) Special directives for the case of a surprise threat to the Reich territory.

If a part of the Reich territory is surprised by a military threat, and if special decrees for defense against this danger cannot be awaited, then the commanders of the imperiled service commands have the right to issue the directives which cannot be delayed and which are necessary for the protection of the imperiled territory to all non-military offices within their sphere of command. The same rights apply to the commanding admirals of the Navy in case of surprise threats against the coastal territory, and to the commanders of air districts in case of surprise attacks from the air within the framework of their war tasks. The execution of these directives has precedence over the other commitments and the directives of superior offices. The named commanders can transmit their right of issuing directives to subordinate officers down to the village counselor.

par. 3

(1) With the declaration of the state of defense the plenipotentiaries for the Reich administration (GBV) named by the leader and Reich chancellor takes over the uniform leadership of the non-military administration with exception of the economic administration.

To him are subordinate--

the Reich minister of the Interior
the Reich minister of Law
the Reich minister for science, education and popular education,
the Reich minister for religious matters,
the Reich office for regional order.

(2) The GBV must comply with the demands of the supreme command of the armed forces (OKW) which are of considerable importance for the armed forces. If the demands cannot be brought in accord with the affairs of the Reich administration the leader and Reich chancellor makes the decision.

(3) The GBV has the right within his sphere to issue laws with the accord of the OKW and GBW which differ from the existing laws.

par. 4

(1) With the declaration of the state of defense the chief deputy for economics (GBW), appointed by the leader and Reich chancellor, takes over the direction of the economy except for the armament industry.

(2) It is the task of the GBW to put all economic forces into the service of the Reich defense, and to safeguard economically the life of the German nation. To him are subordinate--

the Reich minister of economics,
the Reich minister of nutrition and agriculture,
the Reich minister of work,
the Reich chief of forestry,
the Reich commissar for price control.

He is furthermore responsible for directing the financing of the Reich defense within the realm of the Reich finance ministry and the Reich bank.

(3) The GBW must carry out the demands of the OKW which are of considerable importance for the armed forces; and he must insure the economic conditions for the production of the armament industry directed immediately by the OKW according to its demands. If the demands of the armed forces cannot be brought into accord with the affairs of economy, then the leader and Reich chancellor decides.

(4) The GBW has the right within his sphere to issue laws with the consent of the OKW and GBV which differ from the existing laws.

par. 5

(1) The Reich postal minister, the Reich transportation minister, and the general inspector for the German road net are, with the declaration of the state of defense, bound to the demands of the OKW for the immediate affairs of the armed forces.

(2) The following will get orders from the OKW:

(_a_) the _Reich transportation minister_ for the use of means of transportation,

(_b_) the _Reich postal minister_ for the use and distribution of the complete communication connections to the armed forces and the other agencies.

(3) The Reich transportation minister must comply, with the declaration of the state of defense, with the demands of the GBW according to the directions given to him by the OKW for the use of the means of transportation.

(4) In the sphere of the Reich postal minister, of the Reich transportation minister, and of the general inspector for the German road net, the chief of the OKW has the right to promulgate laws in accord with the GBV and GBW which differ from the existing laws.

par. 6

The Reich ministers and chief Reich offices carry out the tasks within their spheres on their own responsibility, regardless of the special competence of the chief of the OKW, of the GBV, and of the GBW, according to paragraphs 3, 4 and 5.

par. 7

For the shaping of the political mill of the people the deputy of the leader of the NSDAP is responsible. He uses for that the NSDAP, its formations and coordinated units.

II. _State of War_

par. 8

(1) If the fight with an external enemy is forced upon the German people, the leader and Reich chancellor declares the state of war.

(2) With declaration of the state of war, the war laws and war decrees come into force without further order. The legal consequences provided in other laws for the state of war become effective.

par. 9

If the state of defense is not already declared beforehand, the decrees about the state of defense go into effect with declaration of the state of war.

III. _Preparatory Measures_

par. 10

The Reich Defense Council (RVR).

(1) The task of the Reich Defense Council consists in peace time in the decision on all measures for the preparation of the Reich defense and the gathering together of all forces and means of the nation according to the directions of the leader and Reich chancellor. The tasks of the RVR in war time will be specially determined by the leader and Reich chancellor.

(2) The leader and Reich chancellor is chairman in the RVR. His permanent deputy is general field marshal Goering. He has the right to call conferences of the RVR. Permanent members of the RVR are--

the Reich minister of air and supreme commander of the air force,

the supreme commander of the army,

the supreme commander of the navy,

the chief of the OKW,

the deputy of the leader,

the Reich minister and chief of the Reich chancellery,

the president of the secret cabinet council,

the chief plenipotentiary for the Reich administration,

the chief plenipotentiary for economics,

the Reich minister of foreign affairs,

the Reich minister of the interior,

the Reich finance minister,

the Reich minister for popular enlightenment and propaganda,

the president of the Reich bank directory.

The other Reich ministers and the Reich offices directly subordinate to the leader and Reich chancellor are consulted if necessary. Further personalities can be called as the case demands.

par. 11

The Reich Defense Committee (RVA).

(1) The Reich defense committee is the working committee of the RVR. It prepares the decisions of the RVR, sees to their execution, and secures collaboration between armed forces, chief Reich offices, and party.

(2) Presiding is the chief of the OKW. He regulates the activity of the committee and gives the directions to the GBV and GBW and to the Reich ministries not subordinated to them and to the chief Reich offices according to the decisions of the RVR, which directions are necessary for securing their uniform execution.

(3) The RVA is composed of the OKW, deputy of the commissioner for the four year plan, the leader staffs of the GBV and GBW, and the Reich Defense officials.

(4) Chief office officials for the Reich defense (RV-Referenten) and their deputies are commissioned by the deputy of the leader, by the Reich chancellery by each Reich Ministry, by the Reich leader of the SS and chief of the German police, by the Reich work leader, by the Reich forest master, by the chief inspector for the German road net, by the Reich office for regional order, by the Reich bank directory, and in the Prussian state ministry. The RV-Referent and his deputy are immediately subordinate to the minister or the state secretary, and to the chief of the Reich office, resp.

par. 12

The uniformity of the preparations for the start and the course of the mobilization is secured by the OKW.

As regards the actual formulation of the preparations, the GBV and GBW make the arrangements for their sphere.

par. 13

The Chief Plenipotentiary for the Reich Administration (GBV):

The GBV conducts the preparations for the Reich defense in the sphere of the ministries and Reich offices subordinate to him according to paragraph 3. They are bound by his directions already in peace time.

par. 14

The Chief Plenipotentiary for Economics (GBW):

(1) The GBW conducts the economic preparations for the Reich defense as far as they do not come in the sphere of the OKW as regards the armament industry.

(2) The GBW must secure the economic conditions for the production of the armament industry immediately directed by the OKW according to its demands.

(3) The ministries and Reich offices named in paragraph 4 (2) are, within the framework of these directives, already bound for the preparation of the Reich defense to the directions of the GBW, the Reich transportation minister to his demands according to paragraph 5 (3).

IV. _Final Directions_

par. 15

Penal Directions.

Whoever acts against the orders of a decree promulgated on the basis of this law, on purpose or negligently, will be punished with a jail sentence and money fine or with one of these punishments, if the act is not punishable with a heavier sentence according to other decrees.

par. 16

Execution and Completion Directives.

The OKW promulgates in agreement with the GBV and GBW the law and administrative directives necessary for the execution and completion of this law.

par. 17

The law takes effect immediately.

Berchtesgaden, the 4th September 1938.

The leader and Reich chancellor
signed Adolf Hitler
signed Goering

General Field Marshal
The deputy of the leader
signed R. Hess

The Reich Minister of the Interior
signed Frick

The Chief Plenipotentiary for Economics
signed Walther Funk

The Reich Foreign Minister
signed Ribbentrop

The Chief of the OKW
signed Keitel

The Reich Minister and Chief of the Reich Chancellery
signed Dr. Lammers

# # # # #

Berchtesgaden, the 4 September 1938

_Note to the Reich Defense Law_

1. The Publication of the Reich Defense Law of 4 Sept. 1938, remains suspended.

2. The following laws and cabinet decisions are reputed effective immediately.

A. Reich Defense Law of 21 May 1935.

B. Decision of the Reich Cabinet of 4 April 1933 to form a Reich Defense Council.

C. Rectification and completion of 13 Dec. 1934 of the decision of the Reich Cabinet of 4 Apr. 1933.

D. Decision of the Reich Cabinet of 21 May 1935 on activity of the CB in peace times.

The Fuehrer and Reich Chancellery,
(signed) Adolf Hitler

The Reich Minister and Chief of Reich Chancellery
(signed) Dr. Lammers

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 2195-PS

_File Memorandum_

Today I visited General Oshima. The conversation ranged over the following subjects:

1. The Fuehrer speech, which pleased him very much, especially because it had been spiritually warranted in all its features.

2. We discussed conclusion of a treaty to consolidate the triangle Germany/Italy/Japan into an even firmer mold. He also told me that, together with German counter-espionage [Abwehr], he was undertaking long-range projects aimed at the disintegration of Russia and emanating from the Caucasus and the Ukraine. However, this organization was to become effective only in case of war.

3. Furthermore he had succeeded up to now to send 10 Russians with bombs across the Caucasian frontier. These Russians had the mission to kill Stalin. A number of additional Russians, whom he had also sent across, had been shot at the frontier.

4. We then discussed the Mohammedan movement. He told me that a Japanese officer had worked in Afghanistan, but he had been expelled later because of suspicion that he had attempted to overthrow the Afghan government. I told him that I had a police officer there and that the two could very well collaborate once he again had someone there.

5. He told me confidentially that he had bought a piece of real estate in Falkensee under the name of a middleman. Six Russians were employed there, writing and printing leaflets, which were flown into Russia from Poland in small balloons, when the wind was favorable. He had reports and proofs from Russia that they had arrived in good condition and that they were obviously being passed around among the people very diligently.

6. Also he had bought a motor boat in order to bring leaflets from Roumania to the Crimea via the Black Sea. However, this had miscarried in the fall, but he would repeat it once more in summer.

Berlin, 31 January 1939

The Reichsfuehrer-SS:

(signed) H. Himmler

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 2199-PS

SECRET

Copy

SS Economic-Administrative Main Office
District Group D--Concentration Camps--DI/1 Az.: 14 f 5/L/Ot.
Secret diary Nr. 645/42

Oranienburg, 12 Sept 42

Concerns: Return of urns of inmates deceased in concentration camps.

Reference: Chief of Security Police [Sipo] and the SD-ND1a-838/42--of
7.9.42

Encl: None

To the Commanders of Concentration Camps, Da., Sa., Bu., Mau., Flo.,
Neu., Au., Gro.-Ro., Natz., Nie., Stu., Arb., Rav., and Prisoners of
War, Camp Lublin.

According to a communication of the Chief of the Security Police and the SD and conforming to a report of the Chief of Security Police and SD in Prague, urns of deceased Czechs and Jews were sent for burial to the home-cemeteries within the Protectorate.

Based on different events (demonstrations, erecting of posters inimical to the Reich on urns of deceased inmates in halls of cemeteries in the home-communities, pilgrimages to the graves of deceased inmates etc.) within the Protectorate, the delivery of urns with the ash remnants of deceased Nationals of the Protectorate and of Jews is henceforth prohibited. The urns shall be preserved within the Concentration Camps. In case of doubt about the preservation of the urns oral instructions shall be available at this agency.

The Chief of the Central Office
sig: Liebehenschel,
SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer.

Correctness of Copy is certified:
Natzweiler, 16 September 1942
sig: [illegible signature]
SS Oscha. und Stabsscharf.

# # # # #

SECRET

Copy

SS Economic-Administrative Main Office
District Group D
Concentration Camps--D I/1/Az.: 14 e 3/Ot./U.

III
Oranienburg, 4 April 1942

_Concerns_: Lashing [Pruegelstrafen]

to the Concentration Camp Commanders of Da., Sah., Bu., Mau., Flo.,
Au., Gr. Ro., Natzw., Nie., Stu., Arb., Rav., and Commander of
Prisoner of War Camp Lublin.

The Reich Fuehrer-SS and Chief of the German Police has decreed that when the word “more severe” [verschaerft] is added in his orders for lashings, the execution of the sentence must be undergone with bare seat [unbekleidetes Gesaess]. (This includes male as well as female prisoners in protective or preventative custody.)

In all other cases the previously decreed punishment by Reichfuehrer-SS remains the same.

The Chief of the Central Office
sig: Liebehenschel
SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer

FdRda
sig: [illegible]
SS Oberscharfuehrer und Stabsscharfuehrer

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 2219-PS

To the General Field Marshal

At Present in Vienna, 14 July 1939

Sir:

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