TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT D-970

ENCLOSURE
COPY
Cracow 25 September 1944.
The Regional Commander of the Security Police and SD In the Government General IV 4 - 1036/44 To the Governor General
Reich Minister Dr. Frank '
Cracow
Castle.
Subject: Prior of the Carmelite Monastery of Czerna.
Previous reference; Known.
The incident under consideration took place within the frame-
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work of the action for obtaining people for the carrying out of special building operations in the district of Ilkenau. It came to the knowledge of the sub-Regional Commander of the Security Police and SD in Cracow via the branch office of Kressendorf and the strong point of Wolbron. As the place where the deed was committed lies within the area of the Einsatzstab of Ilkenau, the investigations were carried out by the Regional State Police HQ at Kattowitz—branch post Ilkenau. The results of the investigations which have been received provide the following facts:
The possibility of carrying out the planned building operations in the area in question within the period laid down was made doubtful by the fact that the various communities did not provide the number of workers imposed on them. As a result the construction staff at Kattowitz gave a special detachment composed of 12 SA men orders to bring in workers from the various villages. The execution of this task by this SA Einsatzkommando was in any case carried out by them in such a way that they first approached the village beadle and presented the demand to him. As the village beadles only carried out the demand they had received dilatorily, it became necessary to comb the houses for persons fit to work. In most cases the men of the SA Einsatzkommando were allegedly even requested to do so by the village beadles, as, according to what they said, the inhabitants only obeyed the order to work unwillingly and resisted. When the houses were searched, some of the inhabitants offered resistance, which had to be broken by the use of arms. In view of the fact that partisans had several times appeared in this area during recent times, the SA men reckoned that partisans were living in the villages during the day disguised as civilians. Besides this, when workers were obtained, the local conditions of the villages were—according to the investigations of the Regional State Police HQ Kattowitz—taken into account and workers in concerns which were of importance for the war effort were excepted from the measure.
The Prior of Czerna monastery was seized by members of the SA Einsatzkommando in Nowojewa Gora. He was told to remain with the men of the SA Einsatzkommando for the time being. While the members of the detachment were in a house in order to search it for workers, the prior—according to what the Regional State Police HQ Kattowitz established—used this opportunity which seemed suitable to him, to escape. As he did not stop when shouted at several times and after some warning shots had been fired, but, on the contrary, ran even faster and tried to escape, arms were used.
The prior had been arrested because he was alleged to have
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made negative statements to other workers about the Ostwall (Eastern Defensive Line) and the building undertaking, which tended to influence the labourers' already weak will to work in a still more unfavourable manner. It was intended to take the priest first to the constructional staff at Nielepiece and from there to the office of the Security Police, in order to carry out further investigations into this matter.
According to the report of the Regional State Police HQ Kat-towitz, steps are to be taken to ensure that in future such operations are- carried out not by SA men but by police officials.
. Signed Bierkamp
SS Oberfuehrer and Colonel of Police.