"The task of the Research and Instruction Group "The Ahnenerbe" is investigation of space, spirit, accomplishments and heritage of the Indogermanic peoples of nordic race, the verification of the results of their research and their transmission to the people." Then it lists down below a number of things which they should do.
The Ahnenerbe Foundation was apparently something in the connection of a separate corporation, so to speak, which in effect collected donations from various people and supported the Ahnenerbe Society with these donations.
Now, it may strike the Tribunal as strange that this organization, which was concerned with the research as to the capacity, spirit, accomplishments, heritage of nordic racial Indogermanism should become involved in criminal experiments on living beings. However, with the advent of war Himmler's interest in glorifying the great German nordic race was to a certain extent, at least, sublimated by the desire to make available for military medical research some of the thousands of non-nordic inmates of concentration camps who, as he put it, in a document which will be submitted to the Court, "deserve only to die". Thus, in July of 1942 Sievers was ordered to establish an institute for the Military Scientific Research within the Ahnenerbe and as proof of that, I now offer Document NO-422, which will be Prosecution Exhibit 33.
This document is dated 7 July 1942 and comes from the Operational Headquarters, sent by the Reichfuehrer SS Himmler. It is headed: "Secret: to the Reichsmanager of the "Ahnenerbe" SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Sievers. I request the "Ahnenerbe" 1. to establish an Institute for Military Scientific Research; 2. to support in every possible way the research carried out by SS Hauptsturmfuehrer Professor Dr. Hirt and to promote all corresponding research and undertakings; 3. to make available the required apparatus, equipment accessories and assistants, or to procure then; 4. to make use of the facilities available in Dacahu; 5. to contact the Chief of the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office 'Wirtschaftsverwaltungshauptant) with regards to the costs which can be norne by the Waffen SS."
And the signature is the initials of Heinrich Himmler. Copy was mailed to the Chief of the Economic and Administrative Main Office which was headed up by SS Obergruppenfuehrer POHL with a request to take note, by the order of Brandt; that is Rudolf Brandt, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer.
(Dr. McHaney continuing) ** previously told the Court that the Economic and Administrative Main Office had control over concentration camps following the early part of 1942, so these orders will constantly be brought to the attention of this Economic and Administrative Main office; and as you see here, they were also to defray the costs of supporting this military scientific institute for research.
As the proof develops, the significance of the reference made in this document to the research of Dr. Hirth will become crystal clear to the Tribunal. He was the distinguished scientist who, among other things, infected living human beings with Mustard gas, who engineered with the assistance of Sievers the selection and execution of 113 Jews for a skeleton collection at the University of Strasbourg.
I submit at this point for judicial notice by the Tribunal, the findings of the international Military Tribunal with respect to the Ahnenerbe Society. Since this was quoted by General Taylor in his opening address, it is unnecessary for me to repeat it here. I think, Your Honor, that this document probably should not take an exhibit number inasmuch as the Tribunal is required by Article 9 of Ord. No. 7 to make judicial notice, and we are herewith complying with the request with a written copy of it, and it is certified by Colonel John E. Ray, who is the Secretary General of the International Military Tribunal, and who is still in Nurnberg, to be a true and correct excerpt from the official English transcript of the Judgment, and this appeared of pages 16,952 and 53. Your Honor will recall from General Taylor's statement that the Ahnenerbe was connected with extensive experiments involving the use of living human beings, and it also holds that attached to this institute was Dr. **scher about whom we will hear more in a few moments; and that the Ahnenerbe was subsidized by Reichsfuehrer SS who was a trustee of the Foundation.
We turn now to tho personal affidavit of the defendant Brack, which is Document NO-820 and will be Prosecution Exhibit 34.
"I, Victor Hermann Brack, being duly sworn, depose and state:
"1. I was born in Haaren, Germany, on November 9, 1904. In 1923 after my graduation from High School, I studied economic science at the 'Technische Hochschule' -that is, I am sure, technical high school -- "in Munich where I graduated in 1928 with a diploma in Economic Science.
1923-1927 member of artillery unit of the SA Regiment in Munich.
"2. In December 1929, I joined the NSDAP and at the same time the SS. My party number was l73,388 and my SS number 1940. In the summer of 1932, Phillip Bouhler, then Reich Business Manager of the NSDAP appointed me to full time service in the 'Brown House' in Munich. During 1933, I acted as adjutant with the title of Stabseiter to Bouhler, who was Reich Business Manager of the NSDAP in Munich. In 1934 Reichsleiter Bouhler was appointed Chief of the Chancellery of the Fuehrer of the NSDAP in Berlin, and I was transferred with him.
"3. In 1936 I was placed in charge of Office 2 in the Chancery of the Fuehrer in Berlin with the title of Reichsamtsleiter. Office 2 examined complaints which came from all sections of the population and concerned all possible problems. Later, I received the rank of Oberdienstleiter. I also acted as Bouhler's deputy in Amt II. In this capacity my duties were of an administrative nature since I was personnel representative of Bouhler. I made various service trips for him and took care of all of Bouhler's special tasks. These consisted, among other things, of subsequent examinations in the Gaus; these subsequent examinations were independent of the inspections made by Bormann's office. All during this period from December 1929, I was Active in the SS. On 30 June 1934, I received the 'Death Head Ring' SS. On 7 January 1935, I was promoted to Sturmbannfuehrer and on 20 April 1936 to ObersturmbannFuehrer. On 12 September 1937, I was promoted to the rank of standartenfuehrer; and on November 1937, I was transferred to the Staff of the Main Office of the SS. On 11 November 1940, I was promoted to the rank of Oberfuehrer.
"4. By reason of this position and because of my personal contact with Bouhler, obtained far reaching knowledge of the activities in which Bouhler and various other personalities participated. From time to time, I had discussions with Bouhler had other persons concerned with activities which my office was concerned. I read **st amount of correspondence addressed to Bouhler, received orders from him and in numeousinstances I personally handled, on my own initiative, various details of the particular matters involved.
"5. In September 1939, Hitler issued the 'Euthanasia' order to Bouhler and Brandt, charging them with the responsibility of enlarging the authority of different, especially to responsible physicians to the end that certain incurable persons might be accorded a mercy death. I became Bouhler's liaison man to the doctors involved in the 'Euthanasia' program. These included Dr. Linden, Prof. Hayde, and Prof. Nietsche. Also in my capacity, as chief of Department 2 of Bouhler's office was ordered to carry out the administrative details of the 'Euthanasia' program, deputy was Werner Blankenburg who later became my successor." Signed Victor Brack It may be seen from this affidavit that Brack was primarily a Nazi Party functionary in the Chancery of the Fuehrer; and his activities in connection with the Euthanasia and sterilization experiments, that will concern us most here.
His immediate superior, Phillip Bouhler, who, with Karl Brandt, was charged by Hitler with carrying out the Euthanasia program, committed suicide shortly after the end of the war.
The last of the defendants in the SS group is Hoven. His affidavit is Document NO-591 which will be Prosecution Exhibit 35.
"I, Dr. Waldemar Hoven, being duly sworn, depose and state:
"1. I was born in February 1903 at Freiburg, Germany, and attended school in Breisgau. From 1919 until 1921 I visited in Denmark and Sweden. Late in 1921 I went to the United States of America, where I stayed for three years. In 1924 I return to Germany and worked as my father's secretary at his sanatorium until 1930. In ???? I went to Paris where I worked for two years as secretary to a correspondent of the Hearst Press, Baron de Mayer.
"2. In 1933 I returned to Germany. I completed my high school studies at the age of 32 and commenced the study of medicine. In 1939 I concluded my medical study at the University of Munich as was immediately inducted into the Waffen SS.
"3. I joined the Nazi party in 1937. I do not remember my number. I joined the SS in 1934, my number being 995594. I rose to the rank of Hauptsturmfuehrer (Captain) in the Waffen SS.
"4. In October 1939, after I had completed my training in the Waffen SS, I was ordered to report to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. From the beginning of 1941 until July 1942 I was assistant to the camp doctor at the prison camp at Buchenwald and from July 1942 until September 1943 I was Chief Physician at the prison camp in Buchenwald." Signed: Waldemar Hoven.
Hoven's position is not shown on the chart because he was a concentration camp doctor and obviously it is possible to include any representative number of those We shall hear of his activities primarily in connection with the typhus experiment at Buchenwald and in connection with the Euthanasia Program.
The defendant Pokorny should be considered in connection with the SS although he was not a member of that organization. He was the man who had the brilliant idea of sterilizing, by means of drugs, millions of Russian prisoners of war in order, he put it, that the enemy be not only conquered but destroyed. This proposal was made by Porkorny to Himmler, and the Prosecution will prove that intensive effort were made to accomplish this monstrous plan. The affidavit of Porkorny is Document NO-770 which will be Prosecution Exhibit 36, and it reads as follows:
"I, Dr. Adolf Rudolf Pokorny, being duly sworn, depose and state:
1. I was born 26 July 1895 in Vienna. In 1915 I entered the Austrian Army and rose to the rank of Sanitacts-Lautnent" a Lieutenand in the Medical Service. "In 1916 I commenced the study of medicine at the German University in Prague. I received my doctorate in 1922 and became a member of the staff of the German Skin Hospital in Prague. In 1924, I commenced private practice of medicine in Konotau. I specialized in the treatment of skin and venereal diseases.
2. In 1942 I was inducted into the German Army and assigned to the Reserve Hospital with the rank of Oberarzt. In 1944 I was placed in charge the hospital for venereal disease in Hohenstein*Ernstthal and promoted to the rank of Stabaarzt. I remained until fourteen days before the end of the war and then I was transferred to Lichtenstein in Saxony in the same capacity, where I remained until the end of the war."
This completes the presentation as to the positions of the SS defendant with a few defendants such as Oberhauser and Pokorny who were not members, ?? who were in some way connected with them. Last, but certainly not least, is the Defendant, Blome. His affidavit is Document NO-675 and will be Prosecution Exhibit 37. It reads as follows:
"I, Kurt Blome, being duly sworn, depose and state:
1. I was born on 31 January 1894 in Bielefeld, Germany. In 1912 I was graduated from Dortmund and studied medicine at Goetlingen. In 1914 my studies were interrupted by World War I, but I returned to my medical studies in 1919 and finished them at the Rostock University in 1920. During the war I served in the Medical Corps of the German Army. The highest rank I attained was that of a Lieutenants.
2. From 1920 until 1924 I was an assistant on the medical faculty at Rostock University. From 1924 until 1934 I engaged in the private practice of medicine in Rostock.
3. 1 joined the NSDAP in 1931 and later held a rank of SA Medical Gruppenfuehrer. In 1943 I was awarded the Golden Party Badge.
4. After several years of private practice I was called to Berlin in 1934 by Dr. Gerhard Wagner, Reich Health Leader where I was active as adjutant in the Central Office of the German Red Cross.
In 1935 I began my main task, namely to organize the German Medical Education 1 System.
5. In 1934, in conjunction with in duties as adjutant in the Main Offi of the German Red Cross, I was also appointed business manager of the Reich Physicians Association. I held this position until the end of the war.
6. In 1938 I became President of the Bureau of the Academy for International Medical Education. In 1939 I became deputy to Dr. Leonardo Conti, Reichsgesundheitsfuehrers or Reich Health Leader and successor to Dr. Wagner. I represented Dr. Conti in his capacities as:
a) Leader of the Reichs Physicians Association.
b) Nominally as head of the Main Office for Public Health of the Party.
c) Nominally as leader of the National Socialist Physicians Association.
7. From about 1941 until the end of the war I was a member of the Reich Research Council. In 1943 I was appointed Plenipotentiary for Cancer Research which was allied with the research Commission for Protection against Biologic?? warfare. I held these positions until I was taken prisoner by the Americans (signed) KURT BLOME It is apparent from reading this Affidavit that Blome was an ardent Nazi from an early period.
As no states, one of his main tasks was to organize the German medical educational system. This afforded him the opportunity to inculcate in such young medical students as the Defendant, Hoven, the perverted doctrine that the ill-conceived love of thy neighbor has to disappear, especially in relation to inferior or asocial creatures. Such doctrines were taught at the Fuehrer School of the German, physicians at Altrhese in Mecklenburg which was organized by the Defendant, Blome. Attendance at this school became compulsory and had to be attended for several weeks annually for fiveyear periods. Certainly it is not strange to find a man of such beliefs associated with the extermination of peoples afflicted with tuberculosis and so-called mental illnesses.
It should also be noted that Blome was business manager of the Reichs Physicians Association and that he represented Conti in his capacity as the Fuehrer of this Association.
All physicians in Germany except those on military duty were subordinate to the leader cf the Reichs Physicians Association.
Is it not clear that a man with the influential position of Blome could have done much to prevent the criminal activities of the German physicians and scientists about which this case is concerned. The Prosecution will prove that it was not lack of knowledge of these experiments which explains the inertia of Blome. Indeed, the proof will show that he actively participated in several experiments, not to mention the unspeakable extermination of persons afflicted with tuberculosis. His activities in the field of biological warfare under the cover name "Cancer Research" will also be brought to the attention of the Tribunal.
In closing this port of the presentation, I think it would be appropriate to introduce several documents with respect to the Reich Research Council. Of the defendants in the dock, Karl Brandt, Blome and Sievers were members of the Reich Research Council. Rostick acted as an alternate to Karl Brandt, and you will remember that in the chart showing the organization of the Reichs Commissioner for Health and Medical Services that the Reich Research Council was one of the institutes over which the Defendant, Rostock, had control by virtue of his position as head of Karl Brandt's office for science and research. What kind of an organization was this Reich Research Council? What were its purposes? First, let's look at Document NO-894 which will be Prosecution Exhibit 38. This is the Fuehrer's Decree of 15 June 1942 concerning the Reich Research Council, and is taken from the Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, 1942, Par. No. 64, the Decree of the Fuehrer on the Reich Research Council of 9 June 1942:
"The necessity to expand all available forces to highest efficiency in the interest of the state requires, not only in peace time but also, and especially, in war time, the concentrated effort of scientific research and it channellization toward the goal to be aspired.
"Therefore, I commission the Reich Marshal Hermann Gooding to establish as an independent entity a Reich Research Council, which is to serve this purpose, to take over its chairmanship himself and to give it a charter.
"Leading men of science above all, are to make research fruitful for warfare by working together in their special fields. The hitherto existing Reich Research Council which was under the Reich Minister for Science and Education is to be absorbed by the new organization.
"The means needed for research purposes, are to be established in the Reich budget as far as they will not be raised from contributions (for research) of circles interest in research.
Fuehrer Headquarters, 9 June 1942."
signed by the Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler, and by the Reich Minister and Chief of the Reich Chancellery, Dr. Lammers.
In order to amplify somewhat the organization of the Reich Research Council, we have secured an affidavit from one of the non-defendant members of that organization, and I refer to the affidavit of Werner Osenberg which is Document NO-897 and which will be Prosecution Exhibit 39.
"I, Werner Osenberg, being duly sworn, depose and state: -
DR. SERVATIUS: Mr. President, the witness Osenberg is at present located here in the prison and could be heard orally. The presentation of an affidavit is probably not appropriate in a case when a witness can be called in person. On that basis, I object to the presentation of the document. The reason for this is that we might be able to take the witness into the cross examination and we can not do that if the testimony is given in the form of an affidavit.
THE PRESIDENT: We will hear from the prosecution.
MR. McHANEY: If the Tribunal please, it is true that Osenberg is now in the Nurnberg jail. However, the availability of a witness does not necessarily determine at all, under Ordinance No. 7, the admissibility of affidavits. This affidavit is rather perfunctory. It explains very generally the functional of the Reich Research Council; with certain appendages attached to it, it gives the Tribunal some idea of the matters with which this organization was dealing, and I think that it is not necessary nor appropriate to take up the time of the Tribunal in calling a witness of this character.
THE PRESIDENT: On what page of the volume that you handed us is this affidavit found?
MC. MCHANEY: Page 70, or 72 perhaps.
THE PRESIDENT: Page 70, I see.
MR. MCHANEY: If the Defense desires to call Osenberg to amplify upon such remarks as he makes in this affidavit, they are quite at liberty to do so.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will take its afternoon recess and announce its decision when we return.
(A recess was taken)
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal is of the opinion that the objection should be sustained, as the witness is apparently available, and that if the affidavit should be admitted in evidence and the defendants thereby deprived of an opportunity to cross-examine the witness it will be extremely unfair. The affidavit merely states in some places matters of opinion in any event, and the Tribunal is of the opinion that it would have very little probative value in any event. The objection as to the admission of the affidavit is sustained.
MR. McHANEY: Your Honor, we will not call the witness Osenberg to the stand. If the defense wishes to call him and make him a defense witness they are at liberty to do so. I will, therefore, proceed to Document 002-PS which will be Prosecution Exhibit 39.
THE PRESIDENT: What is the number of that document? My book is unbound. I cannot find some of these documents.
MR. McHANEY: That should be on page 76 of the Document Book. It is 002-PS. That is the last page of the document.
THE PRESIDENT: Describe that document again, if you will.
MR. McHANEY: Document 002-PS.
THE PRESIDENT: Page 76?
MR. McHANEY: Page 76, by mistake in poor translation of this document it was included in the English Document Book before the court, and we would like to submit for inclusion a new document book now, the corrected translation of Document 002-PS, and this will be Prosecution's Exhibit 39. We have been discussing Reich's Research Council. We have seen what kind of an organization this was from the Fuehrer's Decree, and we have seen that its purpose were the contralization of scientific research in Germany for the purpose of aiding the war effect. That will come out in more detail during the course of the trial, but I would now like to read several excerpts from 002-PS.
These documents show that the Reich's Research Council approved a grant of money to the Medical Service of the SS on tho ground that the SS had experimental material, namely concentration camp inmates which was not so readily available to other research organizations. If your Honors will look on page 8 of the new document, which has been handed up, I would like to read parts of this letter which is dated 19 December 1942. It is from the Reichsminister of Finance directed to the Reichs Research Council to the attention of Ministerial Director, Professor Dr. Mensol, whom, you will recall, was the direct superior of the defendant, Sievers, in the Reichs Research Council. I will point out, however, that Sieveres, as I recall, did not become a member of the Reichs Research Council until June 1943, whereas the letter which I am now reading is dated 19 December 1942. The letter reads us follows in parts:
"The Reich Physician SS and Police has requested 53 key positions (ratings C3 to C8) for the new organization of his office. The organizational plan shows that not only special consultants for "research" in the pharmaceutical and chemical, the dental and the clinical fields, and a special department for scientific service are considered for the staff of the Reichs Physician SS and Police itself but establishments are also requested for a group of institutes which likewise are essentially engaged in research tasks."
The letter then enumerates the institutes which have been asked by Grawitz, the Reichs Physician SS. The next paragraph reads:
"In the budget discussions the fact was referred to, that establishments for research institutions of the Waffen SS can only be granted if the research tasks started by the Reich Physician SS are not undertaken by other independent institutes or the Universities or belong under them. According to the plan available to me the Hygiene Institute comprises seven departments."
And then the letter lists the seven departments which I shall not read.
"As to other institutes I still lack accurate information. I have postponed the decision on this charter of the budget. Referring to the decree of the Fuehrer of 9 June 1942 and the necessity stressed therein to concentrate the efforts of scientific research I ask you to give me your opinion immediately. Signed Dr. Bender, Reich Ministry of Finance, Ministerial Chancellery."
In other words, the budget department has here addressed a letter to Dr. Mensol asking him whether or not other research institutes in Germany are carrying out research tasks for which the Reichs Physician Grawitz is now asking him for money.
We turn then to page 6, which is the reply to the letter of 19 December, and although it apparently is not signed, it presumably was written by Menzol the Head of the Executive Council of the Reich Research Council, and it was directed to the Reich Minister of Finance.
"In your letter of 19 December concerning the taking over of research tasks by the Reich Physician SS and Police you asked for the positions of the Reich Research Council in this matter. Since, for the present, the activities of the Reich Research Council have been concentrated on the armament sector proper I was not in a position to clear up the problems connected with the medical sector. But I shall do this in the near future and I believe I am able to say already that the larger part of the new institutes requested by the Reich Physician SS and Police will be unnecessary since other institutes will be able to take over the tasks planned. In the near future I shall have a talk with the Reich Physician SS and Police to discuss details of the work planned and I shall inform you of my final position in out time.
Therefore I would like to suggest to defer decision on the matter. In this connection I should like to say that the Reich Chief for Public Health, State Secretary Conti, has approached the President of the Reich Research Council requesting funds for the establishment of a Reich Institute for Virus Research in Frankfurt/Main. Checks up to now could very well be carried out in the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute at Berlin-Dahlem and in the Institute for Medical Research of the University of Strassburg."
Now, I call the court's particular attention to the reference to the institute at Strassburg. That is Dr. Hodgson, subordinate of the defendant, Schroeder, the man who received orders from the defendant, Becker-Freyseng, who carried out the decisions of the Fuehrer which was not only done at Strassburg, but at the close by Concentration Camp of Katzweiler. Experiments with virus killed a number of concentration camp inmates there. Continuing back to page 5 we find a letter from Menzel to SS-Gruppenfuehrer Professor Doctor Grawitz stating in effect that "The Reich Minister of Finance has informed me that you request money for those 53 key positions to your office." He goes on to state that "After the Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich has, as President of the Reich Research Council, taken over the entire German scientific research directives have been issued by him to the effect that, in connection with the carrying out of war important scientific tasks the available institutes, including equipment and personnel, be utilized to capacity for reason of necessary economy of effort. The establishment of new institutes therefore is to be considered only insofar as there are no suitable institutes available for the carrying out of war important research tasks. As your intentions are not know to me and since I cannot get a clear picture from the list of institutions which are planned to be newly established, given by the Reich Minister of Finance, I should be grateful to you if you further explained your plans and intentions. I will gladly be available to anyone of your coworkers for a discussion and would also be willing to call on you in person. Please let me know when and where this discussion should take place."
This letter is dated -- I don't see a date on it. In any event it was around the early part of 1943, and I would say parenthetically that Mensel would have had no necessity of writing this letter to Grawitz to find out this information if at that time the defendant, Schroeder, had not benn his subordinate, but that occurred a few months late and so we have Mensel having to get this information from Grawitz himself. Reading from a letter which is on page 2 of the translation, dated 26 February 1943 from the Reich Physician SS and Police it refers to the previous letter of February 19, 1943, and is to the Head of the Executive Council of the Reich Research Council, Ministerial Director Mentzel.
"My dear Ministerial Director: In acknowledgment of your letter of 19 February 1943 I am able to reply the following today. The appropriation for the 53 key positions for my office which you made the basis of your memorandum was actually a plan for peace times. The special institutes of the SS which partly are to be staffed through this appropriation are to serve the purpose of establishing and make accessible for the entire field of scientific research, the particular possibilities of research only possessed by the SS. In view of the further developments of this war I have, however, already postponed this plan for the time being on the occasion of the negotiations with the Reich Ministry of Finance last year, so that my authorized personnel was reduced to 25 key positions. Of these positions only 5 are filled at present. Under these circumstances your misgivings with regard to an impracticable duplication of work of scientific institutes will certainly be invalid for the duration of the war. I will gladly be at your disposal at any time to discuss the particular research aims within the framework of the SS, which upon the direction of the Reichsfuehrer SS, I would like to bring up after the war. Besides I attach importance to the fact that these research tasks, once their realization is possible, will be carried out in close connection with the other pertinent research aims. Hoping to have been of service to you by this provisional exposition I remain with best regards and Heil Hitler, Your. Signed Grawitz."
And finally we have on page one of the translation a letter from Mentzel-- the problem has been resolved. He has found out both by these letters and perhaps by personal contact with Grawitz that his request for money from the Minister of Finance is more than justified. So, as head of the Security Counsel, he directs this letter of 25 March 1943 to the Reich Minister of Finance:
"In regard to your correspondence of the 19th of December to which I gave you a preliminary communication on the 19th of February, I finally take the following position:
"The Surgeon General-SS and Police, in a personal discussion, told me that the budget claim which he looks after is used primarily in the pure military sector of the Waffen SS. Since it is established on a smaller scale for the enlarging of scientific research possibilities, they pertain therefore exclusively to such affairs that are carried out with the material which is only accessible to the Waffen SS and are therefore not to be undertaken for any other experimental purpose.
"I cannot object therefore on the part of the Reichs Experimental Counsel against the budget claims of the Surgeon General, SS and Police" Signed Mentzel.
If your Honor, pleases, this is one of the research organizations which the defendant Karl Brandt with his alternate Paul Rostock, defendant Sievers, the defendant Blome, occupied important positions. And we find that information has brought him in a very direct manner to them as to the greater research possibilities which are available to the SS. I also wish to stress the point that this document indicates that the Reich Research Counsel was consulted as an expert organization where information could be obtained by medical and scientific research in Germany as a whole. And I also would like to remind the Tribunal that on the chart, organization of the office of the Reich Commissioner for Health and Medical Services, the Reich Research Counsel is one of the organizations over which Rostock had scientific and medical jurisdiction. In further reference to the Reich Research Counsel, I wish to call to the Tribunal's attention a finding in the judgment of the International Military Tribunal in Case No. 1, This excerpt has been inserted as being true and correct Colonel John E. Ray, Secretary General of the International Military Tribunal, and that it appears on page 16955 of the official English transcript. This excerpt, your Honor, appears on page 85 in the English document book.
It is the last document in the book. It reads as follows:
"In connection with the administration of the concentration camps, the SS embarked on a series of experiments on human beings which were performed on prisoners of war or concentration camp inmates. These experiments included freezing to death, and killing by poison bullets. The SS was able to obtain an allocation of Government funds for this kind of research on the grounds that they had access to human material not available to other agencies."
Your Honor, please, this is being submitted in order that you may take judicial notice of it under Article 9, Ordinance Number 7. The document 002-?? was the proof and evidence which underlies the finding which I have just read you.
If it pleases the Tribunal, we have now completed our presentation on the personal histories and the positions held by the defendants in the document. We feel that we laid the foundation in order that we may now proceed to the proof on the subsequent crimes themselves. And, I therefore, come to the presentation of evidence on the high Altitude Experiments carried out in the Dachau Concentration Camp in the spring and summer of 1942.
This is the first experiments and the list of those charged in the indictment. First, under Paragraph 6, under War Crimes, and also under Paragraph 11, Crimes against Humanity.
THE PRESIDENT: Before you proceed Counsel, I notice in this book of documents, that your document 002-PS is included on pages 75 to 80 inclusive. Then the excerpt that you mentioned, signed by Colonel Ray, is on page 85. Now, are there any pages omitted from this copy or is it a complete statement that jumps from page 80 to 85. It may not be important, but I would like to be satisfied on this point.
MR. MCHANEY: Yes, indeed, your Honor, I want to be sure you have received a full copy of the document.
THE PRESIDENT: The document is included in 7 pages, from page 74 to page 80.
MR. MCHANEY: Well, your Honor, has been supplied with the correct English translation of 002-PS.
THE PRESIDENT: Then those pages were not included. I was confused with the non-consecutive numbering of the pages, but that probably is unimportant.
MR. MCHANEY: That may very well have occurred, your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well, proceed.
MR. MCHANEY: The defendants, Karl Brandt, Handloser, Schroeder, Gebhardt, Rudolf Brandt, Mrugowsky, Poppendick, Sievers, Ruff, Romberg, Becker-Freyseng, and Weltz, are charged with special responsibility for and participation in the High Altitude Experiments at Dachau.
If your Honors will obtain document book Number 2, you will find that contains the English translation of the documents which will be introduced under this part of the case.
THE PRESIDENT: We do not seem to have that document book here.
MR. MCHANEY: I am advised by Mr. Hardy that he delivered the English document books.
THE PRESIDENT: They were delivered but they were not brought to the bench. We have then in the other room, and we can get them.
MR. MCHANEY: Would you care to adjourn for a few moments or should I proceed?
THE PRESIDENT: We shall have them in a moment.
(The documents were delivered to The President.)
THE PRESIDENT: Proceed, please.
MR. MCHANEY: I would like to introduce first document No. NO-476, Prosecution's Exhibit 40. This is an affidavit signed by the defendant Romberg, and it reads as follows:
"I, Hans Wolfgang Romberg, being duly sworn, depose and state:"
The first paragraph, your Honor, I will not read since it simply presents the personal history, which evidence has all ready been obtained from the earlier statement. The second paragraph.
"From about the first part of March 1942 to about the end of May 1942 experiments were conducted at the Dachau Concentration Camp to determine the effects of extreme high altitudes on the human body. These experiments were conducted for the benefit of the Luftwaffe. Dr. Ruff was first approached to assist in the high altitude experiments at Dachau by Dr. G.A. Weltz, Chief of the Institute for Aviation Medicine in Munich. This was in December 1941 or January 1942. Dr. Weltz advised Ruff that Dr. Sigmund Rascher, doctor in the Luftwaffe and also a member of the SS, was to perform the high altitude experiments. Weltz wanted an expert to work with Rascher on these experiments.
3. In January or February 1942 Weltz, Ruff, Rascher and I had a meeting at Weltz's Institute in Munich to discuss arrangements for the experiments. Dr. Weltz introduced Rascher to us at that time. A few days later a second meeting was held in the Dachau Concentration Camp and this was attended by Weltz, Ruff, Rascher and myself as well as Piorkowski, who was the camp commander, and Schnitzler, who was on the staff of the Reichsfuehrung-SS. Further arrangements were made at this time for carrying out the experiments.
4. A low pressure chamber was sent from the DVL in Berlin." And, if I may insert emphatically, your Honor, that is the institute in which Doctors Ruff and Romberg were working. Ruff was the Chief of the Department for Aviation Medicine in DVL.
"A low pressure chamber was sent from the DVL in Berlin first to Weltz's Institute in Munich and from there to Dachau. This chamber could deplicate atmospheric conditions and pressures prevailing at high altitudes.