dtufail/nuremberg-trials-corpus huggingface dataset:
BUEHLER: We had daily contact with the Police, but we had differences of opinion. Moreover, the Police were not under my jurisdiction; the Chief of Police was in no way under my orders.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: In that case the Police did not come within your competence?
BUEHLER: No, it was not one of my duties.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: How then can you explain that no one but you carried out successful negotiations with the Police for the exploitation of the property of Jews executed in the concentration camps? Do you remember these negotiations?
BUEHLER: I did not quite understand you.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I ask you: If you had no direct relations with the Police, how can you explain the fact that you, and none other but you, were the person who carried out successful negotiations with the Police for the exploitation of property belonging to Jews murdered in the concentration camps? Do you remember these negotiations with the Police?
BUEHLER: I do not remember any such negotiations, and I could not have conducted them. In any case the Administration was the department which, by order of the Four Year Plan, had to effect the confiscation of Jewish property.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Mr. President, have I your permission to submit a document handed to us by the American Prosecution, Document Number 2819-PS? It is a directive issued by the Administration of the Economic Department of the Government General and addressed to the Governors of Warsaw, Radom, Lublin, and Galicia. May I submit this document? I quote the following from the text of this document: "Subject: Transfer of Jewish movable property from the SS to the Government. "I inform you herewith that on 21 February 1944, in the presence of various departmental directors, an agreement was reached by State Secretary Dr. Buehler and the Higher SS and Police Leader, Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe, that movable Jewish property, insofar as it is, or will be in the future, in storehouses, will be placed at the disposal of the Government by the SS. In execution of the agreement arrived at I have ordered that the taking over of the goods stored in the various SS depots shall take place in the shortest possible time. Goods deriving from confiscation and safeguarding have likewise been turned over to me by the commander of the Security Police and the Security Service. Please get in touch with the local SS and Police Leader in order to come to an understanding ...." Here I interrupt the quotation. After this, Witness, do you still insist that you had no relations with the Police?
BUEHLER: I was in touch with the Police daily in my work, I do not want to deny that for a moment; but I had no right to give orders to the Police.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: In any case the property of Jews murdered in the concentration camps of Poland was, as a result of your negotiations, transferred to warehouses in the Government General?
BUEHLER: That is not correct. The property mentioned was not that which proceeded from Jews who were killed, but simply property which came from Jews and which was removed by the Police after having been converted through the administration department in the regular way.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: But could the Security Police or the SD be in possession of property belonging to Jews who were not murdered?
BUEHLER: Why not, Right from the beginning the Police had taken over Jewish problems, and therefore also came into possession of their property in this manner.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: But did the Auschwitz depot in Chopin Street also keep the property of Jews who had not been murdered? Of Jews who were still alive?
BUEHLER: The depots which have been mentioned here are not to be interpreted as being concentration camps, but as depots where goods were stored.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: What other depots were there for storing the movable property of Jews besides those in the concentration camps?
BUEHLER: I do not know what things looked like in concentration camps, as I have never entered or seen one; but that the Police took possession of movable Jewish property is something I was certainly told about by the director of nay trustee department.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I ask you this: In 1944 when the machines of destruction were working at top speed at Auschwitz and Maidanek, what depots or warehouses existed for the storage of Jewish movable property besides those which stored the movable property of Jews executed in concentration camps? Do you know of any other warehouses and where they were located?
BUEHLER: The Jews were deprived of their property on the spot. I have never assumed that Jewish property was to be found in concentration camps. I did not know anything at all about these camps. Where the Police took that movable property was not clear to me, but depots must have existed.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I would draw your attention to the date-21 February 1944. At that time were there any Jews still alive in Poland, or were the Jewish ghettos already quite empty?
BUEHLER: The Jewish ghettos were empty, but there were still some Jews; I know that because they were being used in one way or another in the armament industry. Jewish property could not have been removed from the territory, it must have been somewhere in the Government General, very probably near the ghettos or wherever else the evacuation of Jews took place. And this telegram, I repeat, does not concern stores which were in concentration camps; they were everywhere. Every place had property stored somewhere which originated from the resettlement of the Jews.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Then the Jewish ghettos were already empty. In that case, what happened to the Jews from Poland?
BUEHLER: When these Jewish ghettos were emptied, I assumed they were resettled in the northeast of Europe. The chief of the RSHA had definitely told me at the conference in February 1942 that this was the intention.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: On the 21 February 1944 the front line ran through the Government General. How and where could the Jews have been transferred to the northeast?
BUEHLER: According to the conference this was to have taken place in 1942.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: The document is dated 1944, 21 February 1944. I pass on to the next question. Tell me, does not the fact that the police chiefs attended all the conferences at the headquarters of the Governor General and that the Governor General arranged for special conferences to be held dealing exclusively with police matters indicate that the very closest relations existed between the administration department of the Governor General and the Gestapo?
BUEHLER: I have already mentioned at the beginning that the view of the Governor General was that he should have jurisdiction over the Police. This is the reason why the Governor General repeatedly called the Police for discussions around the conference table. But that did not prevent the Police from going their own way and using methods or their own.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: But were no conferences held by the Governor General for dealing directly and exclusively with police problems, and with police problems only?
BUGLER: Yes, from time to time.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Very well. Then will you tell me who took Krueger's place when he was removed from his post as Chief of Police?
BUEHLER: As far as I can remember Krueger was removed from his post in Krak6w in November 1943 and was replaced by Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: What were your personal relations with Koppe?
BUEHLER: The relationship with the Police under Krueger had always been hostile, and whenever the administration department had any wish that involved police jurisdiction, such wishes had always been frustrated by Krueger; therefore, after Krueger had left Krak6w I tried to establish a comradely relationship with the new Higher SS and Police Leader, so that in this manner I could influence the work of the Police and the methods employed by them.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Could you answer briefly: What exactly were your personal relations with Koppe? Were they good or bad?
BUEHLER: They were comradely.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I should like to show you one document. You, Mr. President, will find the passage on Page 38, Paragraph 2, of the English translation. I am reading the passage into the record. It is a statement made by Frank to Himmler at the conference with Himmler on the 12 February 1944: "Immediately after the exchange of greetings, Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler entered into conversation with me and SS Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe. The Reichsfuehrer asked me right at the beginning how I was co-operating with the new Secretary of State for Security, SS Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe. I expressed my deep satisfaction at the fact that between myself and SS Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe, as well as between him and State Secretary Dr. Buehler, there existed extraordinarily good relations of friendly co-operation." (Document Number 2233-PS.) Does that statement by Frank correspond to the fact, Witness?
BUEHLER: At that time Koppe had been in the Government General only a few weeks. This statement confirms just what I said here at the beginning, namely, that after Krueger had been replaced by Koppe I tried through comradely relations with Koppe to gain influence over the police powers in the Government General. Thus there had been no friction up to that time.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: And between Koppe and Dr. Buehler, that is, between Koppe and yourself, there existed the most comradely collaboration; is that correct?
BUEHLER: I repeat, my relations with Koppe were comradely. Apart from that, the problems with which we had to deal brought me into daily contact with Koppe. For instance, there was this question of Jewish property. One could not possibly have discussed such a question with Krueger, as he held the view that all Jewish property belonged to the SS.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: When Koppe took over the post of Chief of Police, was there any change with regard to the Polish population? Did the police measures become less severe? Did they become less repressive with Koppe's arrival?
BUEHLER: I believe they were milder.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I would like you to follow the minutes of one particular administrative conference of the 16 December 1943, held at Krakow. Please show the witness the original. Incidentally, is that your signature on the list of those present? On Page 154.
BUEHLER: Government meeting, 16 December 1943? Yes, I signed that; that is right.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Tell me, do you remember who Ohlenbusch was?
BUEHLER: Ohlenbusch was the President of the Department of Propaganda.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Was he in any way connected with the Police or with the administration?
BUEHLER: Ohlenbusch participated in the government meetings, at which the Police were also present as a rule.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: But he himself, in his own function, did he have any connection with the Police or not?
BUEHLER: As a state official and head of a government department he did, of course, have connections with the Police, official connections.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: But he was an official of the civilian administration of your organization?
BUEHLER: Yes, of course. As far as his official position was concerned, he was subordinate to me.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I am reading into the record a short extract from Page 176. Your Honors will find it on Page 33 of our document book, Paragraph 3, Ohlenbusch's speech: "It would be well to consider whether, for reasons of expediency, one should not, as far as possible, carry out executions on the spot where the attempt upon the life of a German took place. One ought, perhaps, also to consider whether special execution sites should not be created for this purpose, for it has been confirmed that the Polish population streamed to the execution grounds, which were accessible to all, in order to put the blood-soaked earth into containers and take them to the church." (Document Number 2233-PS.) Do you not consider this question a purely police question?
BUEHLER: It does not mention buckets of blood in my translation. It says containers. I do not think that the blood could be carried away in buckets.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: We are talking here about containers into which the blood-soaked soil was placed. Do you not consider that the question of organizing secret execution grounds was purely a matter for the Police?
BUEHLER: I am of the same opinion. For this reason this matter was by no means approved of. But perhaps I may add that at the same time German pedestrians in Krak6w and Warsaw were being shot in the back daily, without any reason, and that this affair was due to the excitement which...
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I am asking you about something else, Witness. Do you not consider the fact that this question was discussed at the initiative of Ohlenbusch as positive proof that even the petty officials in the civilian administration interfered in police matters and were in direct contact with the Police?
BUEHLER: No, I would not say so. This was not suggested as a police measure. It arose from the threat under which all Germans lived at that stage of the occupation.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: This question of secret execution grounds-did it arise on Ohlenbusch's initiative? I trust you are not going to deny this.
BUEHLER: What do you mean by this question?
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Did it arise on-was it provoked by the initiative of Ohlenbusch? You are not going to deny it?
BUEHLER: I do not know whether this was discussed at all. In my opinion there was not . . .
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: The typewritten report of that conference is before you, and you were present at that conference.
BUEHLER: Yes, there are statements made by Ohlenbusch, if I am not mistaken. Yes, it mentions "President Ohlenbusch" here. That is right.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I shall proceed to the next question. Did SS Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe not report on the subject at all during the conference? I will quote a brief excerpt which Your Honors will find on Page 34, Paragraph 2. It is on Page 180 of your document book. ". . .For the railway outrage 150 and for the No German officials, 50 Polish terrorists were executed either on the spot or in the immediate vicinity. It must be remembered that the shooting of 200 people affects at least 3,000 (nearest relatives)..." (Document Number 2288-PS.) Do you not consider this as evidence that with the arrival of Koppe the same savage measures of repression were used against the people of Poland?
BUEHLER: Inasmuch as this mentions the shooting of 150 and 50 people this obviously concerns the shooting of hostages, which never did have the approval of the Governor General or my approval. If I have nevertheless stated that in its entirety Koppe's regime appeared milder to me, then I must stand by that statement of mine.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Does this mean that the hostage system did not meet either with your approval or with the approval of the Governor General; is that correct?
BUEHLER: It did not have my approval, and I do not think it had the approval of the Governor General.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Will you please look at Page 185 of the document in your possession. I begin with the quotation: "The Governor General expressed his gratitude and recognition to SS Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe for his effective work and spoke of his satisfaction that an expert with such high qualifications should be at the head of the police organization in the Government General. He promised SS Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe the active co-operation of all offices in the Government General and expressed his best wishes for the success of his work." (Document Number 2233-PS.) How are we to interpret this statement in the light of your previous answer?
BUEHLER: This statement of the Governor General does not apply to these 50 and 150 people. It applies to the work in its entirety which was to be done by Koppe in the Government General. And one of the principles that was to be applied to that work- which I helped bring about-was that shootings of hostages were to cease. It is quite possible that in this case that principle had not yet been applied.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Would you please wait one minute. Just before this you read Koppe's report on the shooting of the hostages, Page 180. And after that the Governor General expressed his approval. This means that it was precisely this activity of Koppe's that the Governor General had approved?
BUEHLER: Well, this was not the only statement made by Koppe. The statement of the Governor General was in reference to all the statements made by Koppe, and not to detached portions.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Very well. In that case he also approved, among other things, of this statement, that is to say, this report.
BUEHLER: But I know that the Governor General, together with me, was exerting pressure on Koppe in order to stop the shooting of hostages.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Will you kindly inform me who, while Krueger was still Chief of Police, issued instructions for the shooting of one male inhabitant from each house which displayed a poster announcing a Polish national holiday?
BUEHLER: That is unknown to me.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I ask to have the corresponding document submitted to you. It is in the document book, on Page 1, Paragraph 7: "The Governor General received District Chief, Dr. Waechter, who reported on the appearance in some districts of inflammatory posters on the occasion of the 11 November (the Polish Day of Liberation). The Governor General ordered that from every house where a poster remains exhibited one male inhabitant is to be shot. This order is to be carried out by the Chief of Police. Dr. Waechter has taken 120 hostages in Krak6w as a precautionary measure." Do you remember that? Who then introduced this criminal practice of taking hostages?
BUEHLER: Are you trying to say that I was present during that conference?
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I should like to ask you about something else.
BROILER: Please, will you answer my question? Was I there or was I not?
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I am not obliged to answer your question. It is you, Witness, who have to answer mine. It is I who am interrogating you, not you who are examining me. Kindly answer the next question. You resided in Krak6w. Acting on Frank's orders, Dr. Waechter, as a precautionary measure, detained 120 hostages. Do you wish to say that you knew nothing about this either?
BUEHLER: I know nothing about this measure; nor is it known to me that hostages were shot.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Please answer the following question. Have I understood you correctly-did you state today that there was no famine in Poland?
BUEHLER: Yes, there was no famine in Poland.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I am asking you to be shown the speech of Dr. Buehler, State Secretary-that obviously means you-at a meeting on the 31 May 1943, in Krak6w. I begin the quotation: ". . . The Government of the Government General has for a long time been clear on the point that the scale of food rations allowed to non-Germans cannot be continued any longer without the population taking matters into its own hands or being driven to insurrection... The difficulties of the food situation, which naturally have a bad effect on the morale of the population, the enormous rise in prices, the exaggerated and narrow-minded salary and wage policy, have driven part of the Polish population to despair." (Document Number 2233-PS.) Did you say that?
BUEHLER: I could follow the first part, but I could not find the last sentence.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Would you kindly follow the text. In the text you will find both the first part and the last sentence: ". . . have driven part of the Polish population to despair." Please study the text.
BUEHLER: Where does it say so, please? Would you show it to me? [The text was indicated to the witness.] I made these statements, and...
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Then I also have the following question to ask you. Do you not think that your announcement in 1943 bears witness to the fact that you have today testified falsely before the Tribunal?
BUEHLER: No; no. What I meant by my statement was that the population would take things into its own hands. When for instance a worker remained away from his place of work for 3 days to go in search of food, this was considered by me to be a desperate step on the part of the worker. However, I said this morning that it was very difficult for the population to obtain the necessary food supplies but that it was not impossible, so that I did not notice famine at all in the Government General. And please may I ask you to consider that 80 percent of the population of the Government General were country people, so that there could be no famine on a large scale unless the countryside had been completely despoiled, and that was not the case.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: You stated that as a result of the food quotas established in the Government General a revolt might arise, and you said that the population was driven to despair by hunger. Is that not evidence that a famine was raging in the country?
BUEHLER: By "revolt" I meant "unrest," not an armed uprising. It is quite clear that morale and the will to work did suffer by reason of the insufficient rations. I stated this morning how it was that adequate provisioning of the population could not be carried out. On the other hand, however, there was such a widespread free market and black market that even the worker, if he had sufficient time, could obtain food; and if he did not have time, he took it. That was what I meant by the workers taking things in their own hands.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Please, answer this question. Were only such educational possibilities left to the Poles as would- according to the plan of Frank and Goebbels-merely emphasize the hopeless destiny of their nation?
BUEHLER: Efforts to keep down the level of education of the Polish population were noticeable. These tendencies originated from Himmler in Berlin.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I would like you to answer: What was done with the Polish universities?
BUEHLER: They were closed and they were not reopened. However, technical courses were arranged in Warsaw and in Lvov in which these people received university education; but, to be sure, these courses had to be closed by demand of the Reich.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Perhaps you will recollect under whose signature the decree was issued to close the universities. Perhaps you will recognize this signature? It is an official report.
BUEHLER: The decree regarding the appointment of university trustees was signed by the Governor General in November 1940.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Will you please tell me whether technical schools only were left in Poland?
BUEHLER: Not technical schools alone remained open; there were, for instance, commercial schools, and the attendance there was very large. Apart from that, there were craft schools and elementary schools, which were set up on a large scale.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: In other words, only those schools were left which trained artisans, and petty commercial clerks and tradesmen?
BUEHLER: Whether only petty or also more important traders attended them I do not know. At any rate commercial schools were permitted.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I should like to know on whose initiative the royal palace at Warsaw was destroyed?
BUEHLER: I do not know for certain. I heard once that it had been the Fuehrer's wish that the castle in Warsaw, which was heavily damaged, should be razed to the ground.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: And by whose personal order was this castle, the royal castle of Warsaw destroyed?
BUEHLER: I do not know whether it was blown up; that I do not know.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: Yes. It was destroyed. Who ordered it to be destroyed, do you know?
BUEHLER: I do not know.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: You do not know?
BUEHLER: No.