Mr. HART: May it please the Tribunal, I offer as Prosecution Exhibit 1 and 2, respectively, the certificate of Major Willian H. Coogan, dated 19 November 1945, and the certificate of Fred Niebergall dated 3 December 1946.
As Prosecution's Exhibit Number 3, I offer the affidavit of Oswald Pohl, being Number 2343. It is on page 9 of the Document Book. In this affidavit the Defendant Pohl states he entered the German Navy in 1912. He resigned from the Navy in 1934 with the rank of Captain Paymaster to join the SS and to become Chief of the Administration Department in the SS Central office by appointment from the Reichsfuehrer SS, Heinrich Himmler. In this capacity Pohl was the final authority on all finance and administrative matters within the SS.
In 1938, Pohl was also appointed Ministerial Director in the Reichs Ministry of the Interior.
In April 1939 the Administration Department was renamed the Office of Budget and Buildings and the SS Economics Administrative Department, Pohl remained the Chief of both" of these offices.
In 1940, these offices became Main Offices of the SS and were called the Main Office Budget and Buildings and the Main Office Administration and Economics.
On February 1, 1942, the WVHA was formed by a merger of these two offices, the defendant Pohl remaining as the Chief until the capitulation of Germany in May 1945.
In March 1942, the Inspectorate of Concentration Camps was incorporated into the WVHA.
From 1942 until the end of the war, Pohl held the rank of Obergruppenfuehrer in the SS and General of the Waffen-SS.
I next offer as prosecution's Exhibit Number 4, Document Number 1576, being the affidavit of the Defendant Frank. It is on Page 12.
The Defendant Frank states that he entered the General SS in May 1932 when he became associated with the Administrative Chief of the SS.
He was working in the Administrative Office of the SS in 1934 when the defendant Pohl became the Chief of the Administration Offices of the SS. In this capacity Frank had charge of the complete administrative affairs of the Special Service Troops and the Death Head units of the SS, which subsequently became a part of the Waffen-SS. The purpose of the Death Head units was the guarding of concentration camps. He remained there until 1939.
In 1939 with the outbreak of the war, Frank became the Chief of the Corps Supply Office of the Waffen-SS where he was subordinate to Pohl as Chief of the Main Office of Budgets and Buildings. In January 1942 when the WVHA was organized, Frank became Pohl's Deputy as Chief of the WVHA and also became Chief of the Amtsgruppe A of the WVHA.
He retained these positions until September 1943 when he was appointed Administrative Chief of the Order Police in charge of all police units within the Reich.
As Chief of Amtsgruppe A of the WVHA, Frank was the highest Auditing Director of the SS, including the Waffen-SS, under the defendant Pohl. He had charge of the budgetary and financial matters of the other Amtsgruppen of the WVHA.
I next offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 5, Document Number 1911, being the affidavit of the Defendant Georg Loerner. It is to be found on Page 19 of the Document Book.
DR. MUELLER (For the Defendant Mueller): May it please the Court: The affidavit of the Defendant Frank shows certain mistakes because it deals with the position of the Defendant Loerner. Far be it from me, at this point of the trial, to raise objections as to the subject matter, but I would like to point out this: The Defendant Frank, shortly after he gave this affidavit, applied to the interrogating officer and told him that his statements as far as they concerned Georg Loerner were incorrect. He asked to be allowed to correct his affidavit to this effect. This correction is not contained in the affidavit of the Defendant Frank.
On behalf of my client, the Defendant Loerner, I find myself compelled to object formally against these omissions. I would like the court to give a ruling on this point.
THE PRESIDENT: You are at liberty to deny the affidavit of Frank, or to explain it, or correct it, or you can furnish another affidavit at any time during the trial. Either Frank or Loerner may testify, and if Frank testifies, he may correct any mis-statements which you claim he had made. Or Loerner may testify and deny any statements that Frank has made.
Your objection, at this time, is too early. It is premature. The Tribunal will overrule it.
MR. HART: I offer, as prosecution's Exhibit Number 5, the affidavit of Georg Loerner. It is on page 19 of the Document Book. This affidavit of the Defendant Loerner, states that he joined the SS in 1932. He was associated with the defendant Pohl from 1934 when Pohl took over the SS Administrative Offices, until the end of the war. He was the Chief of Amtsgruppe B of the WVHA and the Deputy of Pohl as Chief of Amtsgruppe W of the WVHA. Amtsgruppe B had charge of the supply of billets and clothing for the Waffen-SS and of clothing for the concentration camp inmates. Office B-II was in charge of the Clothing Works of the Waffen-SS and Office W-VI was in charge of the German Textile and Clothing Works. Both of these offices were under the management of the Obersturmbannfuehrer Lechler. The German Textile and Cloth ing Works of Office W-VI was principally concerned with the manufacture of clothing and underwear for the troops of the Waffen-SS and for the concentration camp inmates. Through these two offices and identity of their leaders, the entire textile industry of the SS was unified.
For the benefit of the interpreters, I should like to say I am not reading from the affidavit, but from the summary of the affidavit. I will go more slowly.
The supply of rations and clothing for the concentration camp inmates was the primary responsibility of Amtsgruppe D, but was the ultimate responsibility of Amtsgruppe B, and similarly, in the event Amtsgruppe D was in need of clothing for concentration camp inmates, it was the responsibility of the Defendant Georg Loerner to provide such clothing.
The clothing was put at the disposal of Amtsgruppe D by Office II of Amtsgruppe B.
I next offer as Prosecution Exhibit No. 6 Document No. NO-1909, being the affidavit of the defendant Fanslau, found at page 25 of the Document Book. Defendant Fanslau entered the SS in July 1931. In January 1934 he became employed in the Administration Office of the SS at Munich, and continued in such employment through the various organizational changes already mentioned until the end of the war. In January 1942 he became Chief of the Personnel Office for the Administration Office of the WVHA with office A-5. He became Deputy of August Frank, Chief of Amt-A in the Fall of 1942, and subsequently after Frank took office as Chief of Order Police, he became Chief of Amt-A, retaining his position as Chief of Amt-A, Office A-5, of the Personnel Office of WVHA. The several personnel offices under Office A-5, had charge of personnel matters concerning non-commission officers, and enlisted men within the troop administration of the WVHA, and of the WVHA, of the other troop units. This office dealt with transfers from the troops of Waffen-SS to the concentration camps service. All the other four offices within Amt A, Amt I, compiled budgets for SS and WVHA; Amt II attended the supply of funds and accounts and paymatters; Amt III dealt with legal matters, and Amt IV handled the auditing of accounts and expenditures within the administrative offices of the Waffen-SS, and Amts A, B and D.
I now offer as Prosecution Exhibit No. 7 Document No. NO-1575, to be found at page 29 of the Document Book, being the affidavit of the defendant Hans Loerner. The defendant Hans Loerner said he became a member of the General-SS in May 1933. In 1934 he was employed in the administration offices of the SS in Munich as a bookkeeper. In January 1940 he was transferred to the Central Administrative Office of the SS at Berlin, reporting to the Chief, Oswald Pohl. With the organization of the WVHA he became Chief of Amt A-1 in charge of budgetry and financial matters for the SS. He is a brother of the defendant Georg Loerner.
I next offer as Prosecution Exhibit No. 8, Document No. NO-1567, found at page 31 of the Document Book, being the affidavit of the defendant Tschentscher - excuse me, I should have said "Vogt." In April 1938 the defendant Vogt was employed in the Administration Office of the Special Troops at Munich, at which time he became a member of the Waffen-SS. In October 1939 he became the head of the Department of Account Balancing and Control System under the Chief of the Administrative Offices of the SS in Berlin, under August Frank, the defendant Frank. In the organization of the WVHA Vogt became Chief of Office a-IV, being subordinate, successively, to defendants Frank and Fanslau as Chiefs of Amtsgruppe A. As Chief of A-IV it was Vogt's responsibility to check the expenditures and profits of Amts. A, B and D, which received their moneys from the Reich Ministry of Finance. Vogt's principal activity consisted of accounting to the Reichs Treasury for such funds. In June 1943 Vogt made an official trip to Lublin, Poland, under orders of the defendant Frank, to check the local administration, and the SS Economic Enterprises there, and also large quantities of foreign currency, precious metals, textiles and other valuables of deceased concentration camp inmates.
I now offer as Prosecution Exhibit No. 9 Document No. NO-1564, to be found at page 39 of the Document Book, being the affidavit of the defendant Tschentscher. Defendant Tschentscher said he joined the SS in 1930. After participation in the German campaign against Russia, he was transferred in October 1943 to the WVHA, as Chief of Amt D-1. He continued in this capacity until the end of the war. He was made Deputy of Georg Loerner, the Chief of Amtsgruppe B in April, 1944. As Chief of Office B-1, his function was the food, supply, and care for all SS and police units in Germany and the occupied areas. In the four sections of Office B-1, ration tables were worked out, the supply of quartermaster material to the troop economic camps was supervised, food testing and experimentation was supervised, and arrangements made for storage of food.
The defendant Tschentscher gives details in his affidavit of an instance in which food was supplied to the concentration camps through his office, but states that this was exceptional.
I next offer as Prosecution Exhibit No. 10, Document No. NO-2612, to be found at page 48 of the Document Book. This is the affidavit of the defendant Scheide. It states that Scheide became a member of the SS in 1930. In October 1942 he became associated with the WVHA as Chief of the Office B-5, which office was then newly created. Scheide took over the transportation matters of the entire WVHA with the exception of transportation of concentration camp inmates, which was, he said, the responsibility of Office D-1 of the WVHA. In setting up the office, Scheide was commissioned by Gruppenfuehrer Georg Loerner to bring all motor vehicles, weapons and railroad transports under his office, so that all such matters and those concerning fuel, oil, tires, etc. would clear through that office. Through Scheide as Chief of B-5 --
DR. HOFFMANN: Hoffmann for the defendant Scheide. Mr. President, I would like to ask to have Scheide's affidavit read out, for I know there are several expressions in there which were not contained in their original, and if these expressions are container in the record I protest and say that this affidavit should be read here.
THE PRESIDENT: Counsel, the affidavit in full, the complete affidavit is before the court. The court will read the entire affidavit. We are merely attempting to save time by now having the attorney or Chief of Counsel read it, but it is right in front of our eyes. Now what do you want us to do? You want us to read this affidavit?
DR. HOFFMANN: No, if the Court has the affidavit in front of itself, that is quite sufficient.
THE PRESIDENT: We have it, and we have it all.
MR. HART: Yes.
DR. HOFFMANN: All right.
MR. HART: Scheide's office as Chief of Amt B-V cleared requests from Amtsgruppe "D" for motor vehicles and weapons for the concentration camp guards. These requisitions were passed on by Scheide to the Operational Main Office of the SS, which made the weapons available to Amtsgruppe D, at its depot in Oranienburg. The motor vehicles for the concentration camps were assigned by Scheide to Office I of Amtsgruppe D, rather than directly to the concentration camps.
I now offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 11, Document Number NO-1922, to be found at page 54 of the Document Book. This is the affidavit of the defendant Max Kiefer. It states that Kiefer joined the SS in 1935. he completed his professional training as an architect in 1914, and after holding various positions as an architect was transferred to the Office of Budget and Buildings in 1941. He remained there and also with the subsequently organized WVHA until the end of the war. From February 1942 until May 1945, Kiefer was Chief of Office II in Amtsgruppe C of the WVHA. Kiefer describes Amtsgruppe C as the supreme building and construction authority of the SS, having as its chief, Obergruppenfuehrer Kammler. Kammler succeeded the defendant Eirenschmalz as Deputy of Kammler in May 1943, and was subsequently succeeded by Schleif as such deputy. There were six sub-offices subordinated to Keifer. These were charged with the preparation for plans far post-war construction, construction of hospitals for the Waffen-SS in Germany and the occupied countries, the planning of office and economic buildings, industrial plant constructions, agricultural constructions, and economic and special constructions.
As special construction matters entrus ted to Kammler, Kiefer mentions the construction of fighter planes, the shifting of war industries underground, and the employment of the secret V-2 weapon.
I now offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 12, Document Number NO-2613, being the affidavit of the defendant Eirenschmalz, to be found at page 59 of the Document Book. Eirenschmalz states that he joined the SS in 1931. He was the chief of Office VI of Amtsgruppe C. He remained there until the end of the war under Kammler.
I now offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 13, Document Number NO-1578, to be found at page 64 of the Document Book. This is the affidavit of Karl Sommer, the defendant, who joined the SS in September of 1933. He was employed by Office II of Amtsgruppe D in 1942 as assistant to the chief of that Office, Maurer. The following year he became deputy chief of Office II.
I next offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 14, Document Number 1297, to be found at page 71 of the Do cument Book. This is the affidavit of the defendant Pook, who joined the SS in March of 1934. He was appointed advisor to Dr. Lolling, the Chief of Office DIII, and was chief dentist in the WVHA.
I next offer Prosecution's Exhibit Number 15, Document Number NO-1577, to be found at page 77 of the Document Book. It is the affidavit of the defendant Hans Baier. He joined the Special Service troops in March of 1937, as he became the chief of Staff W, automatically becoming the deputy of Pohl. Baier's predecessor in this position had been the defendant Hohberg.
I next offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 16, Document Number NO-
DR. HEIM (for defendant Hohberg): Mr. President, I thought that the affidavit contained in the Document Book, Hohberg Affidavit, that is, would not coincide with the original, but I have now seen that the original and copy are identical.
MR. HART: May it please the Tribunal, I offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 16, Document Number NO1924, being the affidavit of the defendant Hans Hohberg. In 1944 the defendant Hohberg met the defendant Pohl and became associated with the WVHA, or rather, its predecessor, the Office of Budget and Buildings. Defendant Hohberg denies that he ever held an official position in the WVHA but states that he was employed under a separate contract as auditor.
I next offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 17, Document Number NO-2523, to be found at page 86 of the Document Book. This is the affidavit of the defendant Karl Mummenthey. He joined the SS in 1934 and became the Chief of Office W-I of Amtsgruppe W, the WVHA.
I next offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number. 18, Document Number NO-2569, being the affidavit of the defendant Volk, to be found at page 89 of the Document Book. Volk states that he joined the SS in 1933. He became the legal expert on Staff W and was the personal advisor and assistant of the defendant Oswald Pohl.
I now offer as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 19, Document Number NO-1566, to be found at page 91 of the Document Book. This is the affidavit of the defendant Hans Bobermin. He states that he joined the SS in 1933. He became the Office Chief of Office Number II of Amtsgruppe W, of the WVHA.
Lastly, as Prosecution's Exhibit Number 20, I offer Document Number NO-1929, being the affidavit of the defendant Horst Klein, to be found at page 97 of the Document Book. Klein joined the SS in 1933 and was employed by the Society for Sponsoring and maintaining German Cultural Monuments, which was under the leadership of the defendant Pohl. He continued with the WVHA, becoming Chief of Office W-VIII. In 1944 defendant Klein was relieved of his duties when he was arrested on the order of the defendant Pohl.
MR. MC HANEY: Before the Tribunal adjourns I would like for the record to show what the court, what we all understand, and that is that when a document is offered by one of the attorneys for the prosecution and receives a number, that it is automatically admitted and made a part of the record unless there is a seasonable objection by one of the defense counsel.
THE PRESIDENT: So that there will be no misunderstanding, Prosecution's Exhibits 1 to 20, both inclusive, will be admitted in evidence.
The Tribunal will recess until tomorrow morning at 0930.
(The Tribunal recessed until 0930 hours, 9 April 1947.)
Official Transcript of the American Military Tribunal II in the matter of the United States of America, against Oswald Pohl, et al, defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany, on 9 April 1947, 0930-1630, Justice Toms, presiding.
THE MARSHAL: All persons in the court room will please take their seats.
The Honorable, the judges of military Tribunal II.
Military Tribunal 2 is now in session. God save the United States of America and this honorable Tribunal.
There will be order in the Court.
MR. HIGGINS: If your Honors please, I would like to continue at this time with the prosecution's proof. Document Book No. 2, dealing with the organization of the WVHA is broken down into two parts. Part 1 treats of the organizations before the establishment of the WVHA, namely administrative and Economic Main Office and the Office for Budgets and Buildings. Carrying on from this point, part 2 commences with the establishment of the Economics and Administrative Main Office in 1942, which organization took over the functions of the above named two offices. Mr. McHaney in his opening statement traced the developments of the predecessor of the WVHA, and dealt at length with the positions held by the defendants in these several organizations. In his opening statement he outlined as well the duties discharged by the defendants in these organizations. In presenting, therefore, these documents making up Indictment No. 2, it is felt that further explanations of this point is unnecessary. I would like, therefore, at this time to introduce prosecution's Exhibit No. 21, Document NO-1451. This letter is the Reichsfuehrer SS Order dated 20 April 1939 raising the Administrative Office to the status of a main office. The new office is to be called the Administrative and Economic Main Office. The Chief of this office will at the same time be Chief of the Main Office of the Budgets and Buildings in the Reich Ministry of the Interior.
Prosecution's Exhibit No. 22, this document NO-542.
DR. SEIDL (Attorney for Defendant Pohl): May it please the court, I object to the admissibility of Document NO-542 as an exhibit. That Document 542 is a very large document; in the German book it has 39 pages. From this document it cannot be seen who is the author of it. It has not any letter heading -- the document -- nor is the document signed. The document does not show who is the author, when it was setput down -- and it does not give any indication which would justify regarding it as an official document. I looked at the original myself. It is identical with the copies contained in the document books. The difference between this document and other exhibits becomes clear if you compare it to another document which is also contained in the document book and which deals with the same subject. The prosecution has already pointed out that Document Book 2 is broken down into two parts. The second part of that book begins with Document No. 495. There is another chart in the document book, on page 66, that is outlining a chart of the organization of the WVHA. Unlike the Document NO-542, this chart of an organization is signed by Oswald Pohl himself.
Court No. 11- Case No. IV That organization chart shows quite clearly who the author is, that is to say, Reichsfuehrer-SS.
It is dated 19 January 1942, and shows by itself that it is an official document. -11 these conditions do not apply to Document NO 542, therefore, it is not an admissable document, Apart from that, it cannot be seen how much probative value it has in this trial against Oswald Pohl. I therefore suggest, for the above mentioned reasons, that this document not be admitted in evidence against him.
THE PRESIDENT: The objection is that there is no showing of authenticity of the document, nor what its origin is. There is no showing that it could not have been written yesterday, right in this building, for example, or that it could have been written by some one without the knowledge of the contents.
MR. McHANEY: If the Tribunal please, I think this question has arisen in other cases. The objection has often been raised that a particular document which is offered is not signed or that the origin of the document is not clear upon the face of the document itself. However, if I am correctly informed, these objections have been uniformly overruled for the reason that the origin is known insofar as it is a captured German document. Quite clearly, there is no possibility, as suggested by the Tribunal, that it was written by any one here. The authentication in the folder of the exhibit is a certification stating that this document was delivered from berlin Document Center. If the Clerk will pass over the original exhibit, you will find that each exhibit folder contains a certification.
THE PRESIDENT: That does not appear on our document.
MR. McHANEY: I think the only question is whether or not Court No. II - Case No. IV the document itself has probative value because the authentication of the document in this case is precisely the same as the authentication of any other document offered.
It is a captured German document.
JUDGE PHILLIPS: What is the name of the counsel who made the objection.
THE PRESIDENT: Doctor Seidl.
JUDGE PHILLIPS: Dr. Seidl, did the Tribunal understand you to say there is another document which gives the plan of organization that was signed by the Defendant Pohl?
DR. SEIDL: Yes. That is so.
JUDGE PHILLIPS: How does that differ from this document in the plan of organization?
DR. SEIDL: It is Document NO. 495. It is contained in the document book of the Prosecution. I am afraid I do not have the English copy with me. In the German Document Book, it is on Page 66.
MAJOR HATFIELD: It is in Document Book Number 2, Page 56.
DR. SEIDL: It is on page 56 of the English Document Book. That document states in the lefthand corner "Reichsfuehrer-SS." It also has a date and shows where it comes from, Berlin, January, 1942. It is also signed by the Defendant, Oswald Pohl, himself.
JUDGE PHILLIPS: That is not the question, Doctor. The question is how does the contents of that document which you admit was signed by the Defendant, differ from the document offered by the Prosecution in its context?
DR. SEIDL: The contents are different. For instance, the heading reads, "Official Use Only." That, in itself, shows that the document is official. As for the other document, NO 542, it appears to be a document which probably was Court No. II - Case No. IV thrown out by a private person.
JUDGE PHILLIPS: We understand that, Doctor, but the contents of the plan, as signed by the defendant, does differ from the document offered by the Prosecution? Or is it identical?
DR. SEIDL: The Document 542 was compared by me with the plan signed by Oswald Pohl, but I have not examined it yet. My objection is not as to the material contents. My objection is directed against the documents submitted by Prosecution. I do not think any of them should be admitted by the court. And I am of the opinion, that a document which does not show when and where it was written and has no signature, cannot be admitted as evidence, even if it has been captured by Allied Forces. It is not only the document's admissibility which I am concerned with. The question is whether the document has any probative value at all. The question is how much material value is there to the first document? In my opinion, no document should be admitted which is relevant for the case of the Defendant as the origin of the document is doubtful. It should have no value at all.
THE PRESIDENT: The origin of this document is not doubtfull. It is certified to have been found in the German archives and is a part of the captured official records. Does that not authenticate it, and make it genuine?
DR. SEIDL: May it please the Court: I do not doubt that the Document was captured as such. I merely doubt that the document, as such, does not contain anything which would be sufficient for its identification. It may well be that the document was drawn up by a private person, that it was captured somewhere which had nothing to do with the WVHA, and for that reason, this document has no probative Court No. II - Case No. IV value for the case of this defendant.
Therefore, it should not be regarded as admissible.
THE PRESIDENT: But it was not captured somewhere. It was captured in the official German Archives.
DR. SEIDL: May it please the Court, the Prosecution and the Allied troops captured hundreds of tons of documents, but I am of the opinion that question whether the document was captured or not, does not say anything as to whether it is admissible as evidence. It is my opinion that a document can only be admitted into evidence if in itself, it fulfills all the conditions which are necessary normally in order to be able to identify a document. It should show at least where it comes from, from what office it comes, who wrote it, where it was written, and all the other conditions should be clear.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal determines that this exhibit is admissible. Its value as proof may be diminished or lessened by reason of the fact that it is not signed or dated or for other reasons, but the mere fact alone that it is a part of the German Archives, a part of the Archives of the SS, and was found in the office of the SS, makes it admissible. How much weight it shall have, how much it proves, is another matter. That rests entirely with the Tribunal. If it is possible to show that it is of no value because of its lack of signature or date, you may show that, but is admissible for whatever it is worth in its present condition.
MR. HIGGENS: Document NO 452 deals with the tasks, organizations and financing of the enterprises operated by Office 3 of the Administrative and Economic Main Office.
THE PRESIDENT: I think you mispoke, counsel, in giving the number, I think you said "452" and I think you meant Court No. II - Case No. IV "542."
MR. HIGGENS: Thank you very much, 452. It stated the purpose of this survey is to point out the achievements accomplished and to disclose the mistakes made. Suggestions for improvements are contained in this report. This report is significant in this case insofar as it reveals the extent to which Concentration Camp Labor was employed in the enterprises operated under the jurisdiction of the Administrative and Economic Main Office. The enterprises discusses in this report are listed on Page 2 in the Document Book. Mr. Robbins, in a delivery of a portion of the opening statement quoted, at length, from this document. It is felt, therefore, that further comment would be repetitious.
I would like to introduce Prosecution Exhibit Number 2, being Document NO 1045. His report dated 6 May 1940, sets out the table of organization of Division 3-A of the Administrative and Economic Main Office.
The defendants Mummenthey and Bobermin were by this letter appointed deputy chiefs of this division. In addition Defendant Memmemthey held the position of Chief of Main Department 3-A, German Earth and Stone Works, while Bobermin was Chief of the Main Department 3-A-4, The East German Brick Yards Limited. The Defendant Volk was Bobermin's deputy.
I want to introduce Prosecution's Exhibit NO-019(a), rather Exhibit 24, Document No. 019(a). This letter from the Reichsfuehrer SS, dated December, 1939, is addressed to Gruppenfuehrer Hildebrandt, and shows among other things the influential position held by Pohl in concentration camp matters as early as 1939. Himmler in wording his letter, Document Book Page 33, states: "Concentration camps existing at present are placed by me, with immediate effect, under the inspectorate of concentration camps in charge of which is at present SS Oberfuehrer Gluecks. The supervision of the economic matters of these institutions and their application to work is the responsibility of SS Gruppenfuehrer Pohl."
I should like to introduce Prosecution Exhibit No. 25, being Document No. 019(b). Gluecks' letter to the Reichsfuehrer SS Personal Staff, dated 16, December 1939 concerns the submission of a draft order for the establishment of prisoners' camps organized during the war. The purpose of this document is that it serves as a background document for exhibits to be subsequently introduced which disclose Pohl's concern with the converting of such prisoners' camps to state concentration camps.
I would like to introduce Prosecution Exhibit No. 26, being Document NO-019(c). This letter of January 1940 from Oberfuehrer Gluecks, the inspectorate of concentration camps, to the Reichsfuehrer SS reveals the active part taken by the Defendant Pohl in his capacity as Chief of the Main Office, Budget and Buildings, in the transforming of the prisoners' camp Stutthof into a concentration camp.
Gluecks writes that this defendant Pohl would welcome the prisoners' camp Stutthof and its places of work being taken over as a state concentration camp.
I should like to introduce Prosecution Exhibit No. 27, being Document NO-019(d). This letter from the Personal Staff of the Reichsfuehrer SS, addressed to Gluecks, is dated 5 February 1940 and requests information as to whether Pohl agrees to the place of work at Grenzdorf. Here again Pohl's opinion and advice in matters concerning prisoner labor is solicited. The date again is significant, 5 February 1940. These matters transpired prior to the establishment of the WVHA.
I should like to introduce Prosecution Exhibit No. 28, being Document NO-019(e). In reply to the previously introduced document, NO-019(d) Gluecks writes on 8 February 1940 that Pohl agrees to the place of work at Grenzdorf. The close cooperation between Gluecks as inspector of concentration camps and the Defendant Pohl in his dual capacity as Chief of the Administrative and Economic Main Office and the Main Office Budget and Buildings is clearly shown through this series of letters dealing with the prisoners' camp Stutthof and its labor camps.
I should like to introduce Prosecution Exhibit No. 29, being Document NO-034, Gluecks' letter to Himmler, Dated 21 February 1940 is a report of an inspection trip made to determine the practicability of converting certain prisoner labor and transient camps into concentration camps. In reporting that Auschwitz will be suitable as a concentration camp, Gluecks states that a detailed report on this camp was submitted to Defendant Pohl among others.