dtufail/nuremberg-trials-corpus huggingface dataset:
various W industries Within the DWB, Pohl was managing director and Georg Loerner was second managing director. The defendant Volk was executive manager. The chief of staff W held the position of economic adviser to the managing director. He had immediate supervision over the directors of the DWB, the auditing and legal departments, tax affairs, and questions concerning plant management. All communications to the highest Party offices, ministries, and central authorities had to go through the chief of staff W. This position was occupied by the defendant Hohberg until August 1943, thereafter by the defendant Baier. The chief of each of the eight Aemter occupied the position of assistant to the managing director and was the principal member of the board of directors of the companies under the control of his particular Amt. Pohl, as the managing director of the DWB, had the power of appointment and dismissal of the chiefs and deputy chiefs of the Aemter, and had exclusive power to establish, acquire, sell, and dissolve subsidiaries; and to appoint and dismiss managers and members of the boards of directors of the subsidiary companies. The code of procedure, or bylaws, of the DWB was binding upon each of its subsidiaries in which it had a direct or indirect share of 50 percent of the capital and upon all enterprises under the administration of the WVHA. The organization of this giant combine and of its subsidiaries was designed to achieve a synthesis of the theories of industrial management with the principles of Party, State, and military organization. In addition to the duties of staff W, which have already been mentioned, control and management of five subsidiary industries was the direct responsibility of this group. These were, in addition to the Ostindustry, which will be dealt with in connection with the part it played in the Jewish extermination program the Public Utility Dwelling and Homestead Ltd., Dachau (Gemeinnuetzige Wohnungs- und Heimstaetten GmbH), House and Real Estate Ltd., Berlin (Haus- und Grundbesitz GmbH), and German Medicines Ltd., Prague (Deutsche Heilmittel GmbH). A fifth company, the Sales Office of Berlin Furniture Factory Ltd. (Verkaufsstelle Berliner Moebelwerkstaetten GmbH), was liquidated in 1943. Additionally, it was the
Wohnungs- und Heimstaetten GmbH), House and Real Estate Ltd., Berlin (Haus- und Grundbesitz GmbH), and German Medicines Ltd., Prague (Deutsche Heilmittel GmbH). A fifth company, the Sales Office of Berlin Furniture Factory Ltd. (Verkaufsstelle Berliner Moebelwerkstaetten GmbH), was liquidated in 1943. Additionally, it was the function of staff W to collaborate with Amtsgruppe D in negotiating for, appraising and acquiring sites for concentration camps in which DAW plants were to be located. Typical of this function of staff W was the negotiation by the defendant Volk for the site for concentration camp Stutthof. Also typical was an arrangement by the defendant Hohberg, as chief of staff W, for participation by the WVHA with the Hermann Goering Works in establishing a klinker factory at Linz. Hohberg, in this instance, arranged for the raw material to be supplied by the Hermann Goering Works and for the WVHA to build the factory and supply the inmates from the concentration camp Mauthausen; the profits were to be divided equally between the Goering Works and the WVHA. Participation by Mummenthey, as chief of Amt W I, and representatives from Amtsgruppe C and D in these particular negotiations illustrate the close cooperation among all the officials of the WVHA. Staff W also assisted Pohl in determining the amount which each of the SS industries was to set aside for payment for the use of concentration camp labor. Each SS industry put aside an amount ranging from 30 pfennigs to 5 Reichsmarks per day, ostensibly to be used as prisoner's wages. However, it was never even considered that the inmate should receive any part of the sum. "Legally" such "wages" belonged to the Reich treasury. Various schemes, however, were utilized by staff W to enable the WVHA illegally to retain a substantial part of the funds. A file memorandum dated 23 March 1944 by the defendant Baier, at that time chief of staff W, states Pohl's attitude on this matter: "The Hauptamtschef emphasized that he doesn't aim at letting the entire amount paid by the employer for the prisoner go to the Reich, but that part of it could serve other purposes." Amtsgruppe D employed the same fraudulent methods in charging
that time chief of staff W, states Pohl's attitude on this matter: "The Hauptamtschef emphasized that he doesn't aim at letting the entire amount paid by the employer for the prisoner go to the Reich, but that part of it could serve other purposes." Amtsgruppe D employed the same fraudulent methods in charging private firms for the use of inmate labor. Up to 8 RM was collected, but only a fraction turned over to the Reich. One of the bookkeeping methods adopted by some of the SS industries for the purpose of evading their obligation to surrender their excess profits to the Reich was to increase the charge to themselves for inmate labor, to pay approximately half this amount to the Reich, and to set up the balance in an account called "Reserve for Prisoners' Wages". By this device the industries increased their apparent expenses for wages, thereby reducing their excess profits and the amount which they transmitted to the Reich. In a confidential profit analysis of the W industries, Dr. Wenner, an executive manager of the DWB, rationalized this system of bookkeeping as follows: "In case the Reich or the corresponding Reich offices do not intend to realize this claim, a trustee of the DWB will take over the administration of these amounts in the trustee section. The control of these amounts rests with SS Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl in his capacity of representative of the Reich. * * * The only difference is that payment of taxes and surrender of profits will fall to the tax collector's office, while a payment of the amounts to the trustee account will leave the control of the amounts in the hands of the SS WVHA." These were the elite economists and plant managers who were chosen on the basis of race and blood and their readiness to give their lives for the Reich. Instances of sordid practices could be multiplied from looting the inmates of their money, watches, blankets, and clothing, to the spoliation of great industries in the occupied countries. As an instance, the camp commander at Mauthausen has explained how in one of the camps, approximately a thousand inmates who had been engravers and lithographers by profession were used in the manufacturing of counterfeit foreign bank notes and identification papers
in the occupied countries. As an instance, the camp commander at Mauthausen has explained how in one of the camps, approximately a thousand inmates who had been engravers and lithographers by profession were used in the manufacturing of counterfeit foreign bank notes and identification papers and seals from all over the world. At Dachau and Mauthausen, human skin of dead prisoners was used to make lamp shades, saddles, riding britches, gloves, house slippers, and ladies' hand bags. Tattooed skin was particularly valued by the SS men. The WVHA even illegally appropriated laborers who were consigned to the Plenipotentiary General for Labor Allocation [Sauckel] and who had been recruited through "Action Sauckel" in the East as so-called free laborers. This occurred when transports from the East were sent by mistake to the concentration camps. Needless to say, the entire transport in almost every instance was kept in the concentration camp. What was the gain of the WVHA was Sauckel's loss, and that of the new emigre. Even the execution and cremation of their victims became a matter of marks and pfennigs. A typical bill rendered by the commander of the concentration camp Natzweiler to the Security Police and SD reads as follows: "The expenses for the 20 prisoners executed and cremated in this concentration camp amount to RM 127.05. The commander of the C.C. Natzweiler would be obliged for an early remittance of said amount." But perhaps the most sordid income of the WVHA was derived from the house of prostitution operated in the camps. An order by Pohl, dated 13 April 1943, provided that visitors to the brothels would be charged 2 RM, and that from this amount, the woman would receive 45 pfennigs and the matron 5 pfennigs. The remainder of 1.50 RM, or 75 percent of the proceeds, went to the WVHA. These were the businessmen of the SS. I now turn to a brief description of the industries under the individual Aemter. Amt W I, under the defendant Mummenthey, was in charge of stone and earthworks within the Reich. The largest industry under this Amt was the German Earth and Stone Works, Ltd. commonly known as DEST. The DEST concern operated granite quarries in Mauthausen, Flossenberg, Gross-Rosen, and Natzweiler, a stone preparation
Amt W I, under the defendant Mummenthey, was in charge of stone and earthworks within the Reich. The largest industry under this Amt was the German Earth and Stone Works, Ltd. commonly known as DEST. The DEST concern operated granite quarries in Mauthausen, Flossenberg, Gross-Rosen, and Natzweiler, a stone preparation plant at Oranienburg, a gravel dredging pit at Auschwitz, and brick factories at various camps. The DEST industry was organized in 1938 and was under the control of Mummenthey after September 1939. The preamble to its table of organization stated that it was to employ inmates from the concentration camps in the production of building material. The importance of this enterprise was emphasized by an order of Hitler in 1941 that the DEST industry, by the end of the war, should supply an amount of granite in excess of that supplied before the war by all German stone quarries combined; and by order of Himmler to Pohl to train 5,000 stonemasons and 10,000 bricklayers. Assignment to work in the DEST stone quarries was one of the most dreaded of the details. Prisoners were forced to attempt impossible tasks, such as pulling heavy carts up steep hills and carrying heavy stone. Every evening many invalid and severely injured workers were brought into the camp on stretchers. Thousands were killed by overwork, falling stones, beatings, shootings, deliberate pushing into the abyss, and other sports of the guards Also under the defendant Mummenthey were the Bohemia Ceramic Works, Ltd., and the Porcelain Factory Allach-Munich, Ltd., both using concentration camp labor on a large scale. The extent to which the latter industry relied upon prison labor is illustrated by a novel request which it made to staff W. In a letter of 22 December 1943, an official of the porcelain factory stated that the company had suffered a loss of 10,500 RM because, for a period of five weeks, it had been unable to obtain inmates from the Dachau concentration camp due to a typhus epidemic in that camp. Advancing a unique theory of contract liability, the official claimed that because the porcelain company relied exclusively upon concentration camp labor, staff W should reimburse the company for its loss. Amt W II, under the defendant Bobermin, was established to operate the confiscated
to a typhus epidemic in that camp. Advancing a unique theory of contract liability, the official claimed that because the porcelain company relied exclusively upon concentration camp labor, staff W should reimburse the company for its loss. Amt W II, under the defendant Bobermin, was established to operate the confiscated stone and earthworks in the East. As early as May 1940 Bobermin, as chief of what was then office III A II of the WVHA, was in charge of stone industries in the East. The defendant Volk was Bobermin's deputy at that time. In a report for the year 1940, Volk described the early activities of the WVHA in the East: "The rough outlines of the construction of the Eastern territories were given by the Fuehrer himself in his decree dated 7 October 1939 which was not made public: 'The consequences of Versailles in Europe are removed Due to this fact, the greater German Reich has been enabled to accept and settle, in her territories, German people who heretofore had to live abroad, and to form the settlement of the people's groups within her spheres of interest in such a manner that better borderlines between them be achieved.' "The Fuehrer conferred the execution of this task upon the Reich Leader SS by appointing him Reich Commissioner for Strengthening of Germanism. Thereby, it is the particular duty of the Reich Leader SS to form new German settlement areas by resettling, especially by settling the Reich Germans and racial Germans returning from abroad. "In order to be able to perform this task, the Reich Leader SS had to safeguard above all, the whole production of building materials, for under the Polish Government houses worthy of human beings had not been erected at all, particularly not in the open country. The management of the works producing building materials, therefore, had to be transferred to Germans. "For this reason, the Main Trustee Office East requisitioned all brickworks in the Incorporated Eastern Territories by order of the Reich Marshal, insofar as they were Jewish or Polish property, or insofar as less than 75 percent of the plants belonged to Reich or racial Germans, in the interest of defending the Reich in favor of the German Reich at the disposal of the Reich Commissioner for Strengthening of Germanism.
of the Reich Marshal, insofar as they were Jewish or Polish property, or insofar as less than 75 percent of the plants belonged to Reich or racial Germans, in the interest of defending the Reich in favor of the German Reich at the disposal of the Reich Commissioner for Strengthening of Germanism. The SS Gruppenfuehrer Oswald Pohl, chief of the Administrative and Economic Main Office with the Reich Leader SS and chief of the German police, was appointed trustee general with the powers of employing independently subtrustees and subdeputies. SS Gruppenfuehrer Pohl conferred the performance of this task upon the chief of his office III A, SS Standartenfuehrer Dr. Salpeter, since the latter was in charge of those brickworks which employed convicts, and thus some of recognized experts could be put at the disposal of the newly established Main division." The Golleschauer Portland-Zement AG, under Amt W II was the first of the cement factories in the hands of the SS. It produced 200,000 tons yearly, and used inmates from the concentration camp Auschwitz. The cement company, together with two other large firms operating earth and stoneworks, glazed tile factories, lime and chalk factories in the East, were subsidiaries of Clinker Cement Ltd., which was in turn a subsidiary of DWB. Bobermin well described his activities in a letter to Himmler which he drafted in July 1941 for Pohl's signature. It read in part: "The seizure of brickworks in the East, which were formerly owned by Poles or Jews, for disposal of the Reich Commissioner for Strengthening of Germanism, was extraordinarily extensive, in order to bring as many plants into operation as possible, and to attain the highest possible production. "313 brickworks with an estimated annual output of 600 million bricks were seized at the beginning of 1940. "Out of these originally seized brickworks, four were returned to their owners who had meanwhile been recognized as racial Germans. Finally, some brickworks were handed over to the Reich Works Hermann Goering after negotiations as these brickworks are in close operation and economical connection with the mines secured by the Hermann Goering Works." Bobermin's methods in acquiring Eastern earthworks are illustrated in a letter to Pohl on 2 April 1944, advocating that Amt W II take
were handed over to the Reich Works Hermann Goering after negotiations as these brickworks are in close operation and economical connection with the mines secured by the Hermann Goering Works." Bobermin's methods in acquiring Eastern earthworks are illustrated in a letter to Pohl on 2 April 1944, advocating that Amt W II take over the tileworks of Bonarka: [NO-1006, Pros. Ex. 449.] "Within the city limits of Krakow, there are tileworks of Bonarka counted among the technically best works in the Government General. The annual production is about 14 million units. The brickworks are under the administration of the trusteeship of the Government General [GG]. "But considering that we have a technically well-equipped establishment, and that the men of the forced labor camp will be at our disposal at favorable conditions, we shall most likely show a profit. The main reason for the taking over is the sufficient supply of building material to the Waffen SS." The evidence will also show in addition that part of the funds obtained from the infamous "Action Reinhardt," to be described at a later point, were placed at Bobermin's disposal. Office W III comprised the so-called nutrition firms and supplied provisions for concentration camps and troops. They too, used inmate labor and had operating branches in Oranienburg, Dachau, Auschwitz, Lublin, and in other camps. Office W IV, under May and Opperbeck, controlled one of the largest SS enterprises, the German Equipment Works, commonly known as DAW. This firm originated in the concentration camp workshops and was placed under Pohl's administration as early as 1936. During the war it was engaged principally in armament production and had branches in Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Dachau, Lublin, Ravensbrueck, Sachsenhausen, Stutthof, and other camps. Also included in office W IV were other large industries using inmate labor in the production of armaments. Office W V was engaged in the utilization of concentration camp labor in agriculture, forestries, and fisheries. The scope of its activities was greatly enlarged by the acquisition of large fertile territories in the East. Farming, lumbering, and fisheries in Russia, farming and stock breeding in Poland, all became a part of SS economics under office W V. The
camp labor in agriculture, forestries, and fisheries. The scope of its activities was greatly enlarged by the acquisition of large fertile territories in the East. Farming, lumbering, and fisheries in Russia, farming and stock breeding in Poland, all became a part of SS economics under office W V. The principal task of office W VI was the operation of textile and leather plants in the concentration camp Ravensbrueck. Clothing for inmates and troops was manufactured there. An adequate explanation of the activities of Amt W VII is found in Fanslau's lecture material quoted earlier: "The circle of the economic enterprises of the SS would not have been completed if it did not also have a great publishing office to introduce the ideological views of the SS to its SS members and further to additional circles of the population. The Nordland Publishing House GmbH had developed a great deal during the last year, now belongs to the main publishing firms, and already today occupies the fifth place among the main publishing firms of the greater German Reich. Besides this Nordland publishing firm, we have the Voelkischer Kunstverlag which in the main, produced pictures, e.g., photographs of the Fuehrer, the Reich Leader SS, and other important personalities from Party and State. In addition, it produces reproductions of oil paintings." The activities of the defendant Klein and his special tasks office (W VIII) have been dealt with earlier when it was pointed out that his enterprises used concentration camp labor under the most cruel and inhuman conditions. The evidence will show that in spite of the ostensibly cultural purpose and nature of hi projects, the defendant Klein, as well as the other defendants, was responsible for the death of numerous inmates. In the SS industries, production and profit were valued far more highly than human life. To the SS man by training the concentration camp slave was mere human debris. He was worth less than the mechanical tools of production. A hoe, or a hod, or a hammer was more highly valued. They were not expendable, but human beings were Extermination of the Jews MR. MCHANEY: The systematic and relentless annihilation of the Jewish people by the Nazis constitutes one of the blackest pages in the
than the mechanical tools of production. A hoe, or a hod, or a hammer was more highly valued. They were not expendable, but human beings were Extermination of the Jews MR. MCHANEY: The systematic and relentless annihilation of the Jewish people by the Nazis constitutes one of the blackest pages in the history of the civilized world. This mad program of wholesale slaughter also included other groups considered racially inferior, such as the Poles, but the Jew was especially marked for destruction. This crime of genocide was part of the Nazi doctrine of total warfare, war waged against populations rather than against states and armed forces. One must search as far back as the massacres by Genghis Khan and by Tamerlane to find anything remotely comparable to the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis. Hans Frank, former Governor General of the occupied Polish territories and a defendant before the International Military Tribunal , spoke the truth when he testified: "A thousand years will pass and this guilt of Germany will still not be erased". An introduction to this crime of mass murder and the part played in it by the WVHA and these defendants can perhaps best be given in the words of Reich Leader SS Himmler. On 4 October 1943, he said to a meeting of SS Gruppenfuehrers at Poznan: "I also want to talk to you quite frankly on a very grave matter. Among ourselves it should be mentioned quite frankly and yet we will never speak of it publicly. Just as we did not hesitate on 30 June 1934 to do the duty we were bidden and stand comrades who had lapsed, up against the wall and shoot them; so we have never spoken about it and will never speak of it. It was that tact which is a matter of course and which, I am glad to say, is inherent in us that made us never discuss it among ourselves, never speak of it. It appalled everyone, and yet everyone was certain that he would do it the next time if such orders are issued and if it is necessary." "I mean the clearing out of the Jews, the extermination of the Jewish race. It's one of those things. It is easy to talk about 'the Jewish race is being exterminated,' says one Party member, 'that's quite clear, it's in our program, elimination of the Jews and we're doing it,