Official Transcript of the American Military Tribunal in the matter of the United States of America against Oswald Pohl, et al, defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany, on 20 June 1947, 0930-1630, Justice Robert M. Toms presiding
THE MARSHAL: Persons in the courtroom will please find their seats.
Thee Honorable, the Judges of Military Tribunal II. Military Tribunal II is now in session. God save the United States of America and this Honorable Tribunal. There will be order in the court.
MR. WALTON: It if please the Tribunal, the Prosecution at this time finds itself considerably embarrassed because at ten minutes past nine o'clock I sent the documents down to the courtroom - They have just arrived, I'm sorry.
THE PRESIDENT: Your embarrassment is relieved.
OSWALD POHL - Resumed
CROSS EXAMINATION (Continued) BY MR. WALTON:
Q Yesterday, Witness, did I understand you to say that your department I/5 was some time in September 1940 with the approval of Himmler transferred to the Inspectorate of the concentration camps?
A What I said was that the Main Department I/5 by an agreement between Gluecks and myself, an unofficial agreement, was working with the Inspectorate KL already as from the spring of 1941, whereas the actual permission to do we and the official transfer to the Inspectorate of concentration camps was effected in September 1941.
Q Then it was in the spring of 1941, the unofficial transfer, and the actual official transfer was in September of 1941; is that correct?
A Yes, quite.
Q During the time before even the official or unofficial transfer of the duties of Department I/5, was it necessary for you to call in labor allocation officers from the different concentration camps for instructional purposes?
A The official management of Main Department I/5 was in my hands until it was officially transferred to the Inspectorate of the concentration camps.
It is, of course, quite obvious and entirely possible that at that time I signed orders and issued such instructions as you just named.
Q Then if orders were signed by your officer Burboek, that was done with your consent and with your order probably, was it not?
A I am unable to say today what happened. It is certain that several orders were issued by Burboeck in order to keep things going which I did not know myself; but, or course, Burboeck until he was officially transferred to the Inspectorate was under Office I under my leadership.
Q Where would these instructional meetings of the Labor Allocation Offices take place? Would it be in Berlin or at other points within the Reich?
A I am unable to say this today. The conference might have taken place at Berlin but Burboeck might also have called this conference anywhere else in Germany.
Q Can you recall some of the topics which were discussed at these meetings which you personally attended?
A Whether I attended personally any such conference I do not know today. The topic of the conferences probably was concerned with labor allocation.
Q Do you remember one of these conferences which you were scheduled to attend at Dachau?
A I said just now that I no longer recalled having attended any such conference; but it is possible that I was present at such a conference. I am not certain of it today.
MR. WALTON: The prosecution at this time desires to offer for identification Document NO-3696, and asks that it be marked Prosecution's Exhibit 567, and, subject to proper objection by the defense, reserves the right of its formal introduction into evidence at a later time.
Q Witness, the first page of this document is a notice of a meeting of Labor Allocation Officers to be held in April 1941 at Dachau, is it not?
A I am sorry, Mr. Prosecutor, may I just read the document first?
Q I am asking you again, if not, is not the first page of this document a notice sent to the Labor Allocation Officers concerning a meeting of such officials at Dachau on the 22nd and 23rd of April. That is correct, is it not?
A Yes, that means that such a conference has been called together.
Q And that this notice went out from the Main Department I/5, and it is signed by Burboeck. That is true, is it not?
A Yes.
Q Now on the second page there is a program of the meeting of the conference of the Labor Allocation Officers from all of the concentration camps under the jurisdiction of Budget and Building Main Offices to be held on those dates. That is true, is it not?
A Yes.
Q Now your particular attention is called to the program for the last day, where you were scheduled from 1430 hours to 1830 hours together with Hauptsturmfuehrer Burboeck for discussion, and your particular topic is "Basic Explanations." Does this document now in your hands refresh your memory as to that meeting?
A Even with this document I can not recall the conference, but I am quite sure on the basis of the subject of the conference that I addressed the Labor Allocation Officers the second day and gave a speech on my opinion of Labor Allocation. But it also shows that I did not attend the whole of the conference, which my time would not have permitted. Probably on 23 April of the afternoon, I appeared on the 23rd April, gave my speech and then left again.
Q. Then you doubt whether or not that you were at the camp for the tour of inspection of the concentration camp at Dachau?
A Yes, I doubt that.
Q Do you believe at this time that you did not meet your Labor Allocation Officers socially at the concentration camp Casino at 2000 hours that evening?
A I do not doubt it. It is entirely possible that I took part in the dinner.
MR. WALTON: The Prosecution at this time desires to offer for identification Document NO-3556, and asks that it be marked Prosecution's Exhibit No. 568, and subject to proper objection by the defense, reserves the right of its formal introduction into evidence at a later time.
DR. HAENSEL: I would like to ask so far as this document is concerned that the Court look at the original. There are entries there in different types of ink, and in different types of handwriting, and one gets a different impression from the original than one does from the copy. There are some later notes made in the document.
THE PRESIDENT: All right, counsel, proceed.
MR. WALTON: Yes, Your Honor.
BY MR. WALTON:
Q Witness, have you had a chance to glance over the copy of that document, which you now have in your hands?
A Yes.
Q Now this is a report which forwards a duplicate demand vouchers to your sub-office I/5 from Buchenwald, and it also sends copies to the Prison Camp Inspectorate; that copy to be transmitted to the subsection I/5B, the Prison Allocation Office at Oranienburg, is that true?
A Yes.
Q Now according to this document, what was the total income received from nine installations for Prison Camp Labor for the month of June in 1941?
A For the month of June there was a total of 23,885 marks and 20 pfennigs.
That total alone shows that allocation of inmates was not a very important one at that time.
Q Now if this type of a report came from Buchenwald, was that the regular procedure for reporting from all concentration camps?
A This report for the month of June has been done in accordance with the order which was submitted yesterday by the Prosecution which was Exhibit No. 555. That order said in detail how these reports are to be made. That this document here merely means that the order has been carried out.
Q However, I would like an answer to the question as to whether or not reports were rendered like this one from all other concentration camps under the Office of Budget and Buildings?
AAs far as these camps had Labor Allocation Officers, yes.
Q Were they not Labor Allocation Officers in all of the Main concentration camps at least?
A We see from the documents that the Labor Allocation Officers were allocated to camps very slowly, so that in the beginning of 1941 there were only three such men in these camps, but I think by the end of 1941 every concentration camp had one Labor Allocation Officer who was stationed there.
Q Now how would the Main Department I/5 render a report to you about the income for Prison Camp Labor from all concentration camps?
A Main Department I/5 has probably made out a monthly list of the total income from Inmate Labor, and probably they submitted it to me.
Q Then once a month you were probably acquainted with the figures of the income from Inmate Labor, were you not?
A Whether I received these reports monthly I do not remember any more, but I assume so.
Q Can you give us an estimate of the approximate total for my month of the average monthly income to the Weffen-SS from Prison Inmate Labor?
A That is entirely impossible to me today.
Q Would you estimate the average monthly income to the Waffen-SS from Prison Inmate Labor?
A I said just now I could not give you an estimate, but I would like to remark that this was not an income of the Waffen-SS, but it was a Reich income.
Court No. II, Case No. 4.
Q However, the Office of Budget and Buildings had the responsibility of transferring these funds to the Reich Treasury, did it not?
AAs Office I was the supreme administrative agency of the Waffen-SS, it was responsible for all income of the Reich; that is to say, to transfer to the Reich Treasury.
Q Were you not interested in how much income the Reich Treasury was gaining through the agencies under the control of the Office of Budget and Buildings?
A No, that sort of income had nothing to do with us and our budget sums, they were not concerned with the total of that income. I said yesterday that between the expenses for the Waffen-SS and the income of the Reich there was no connection at all.
Q And you had no curiosity or no interest in how much income the Reich Treasury received from prison inmate labor, did you?
A The expression curiosity is not a very happy one perhaps. It was, after all, my official task to take care of these things.
DR. HAENSEL: May I take the liberty -- I don't think the translation was correct. It didn't mean curiosity, but interest. The question was, was the Waffen-SS interested in the Reich income, but not in the curiosity.
THE WITNESS: If we are concerned with interest, I must deny that. It did not matter a bit to the Waffen-SS what income the Reich received, but the only man interested in this was the Reich Minister of Finance.
MR. WALTON: The prosecution at this time desires to offer for identification Document NO-3653. It asks that it be marked prosecution exhibit 569 and subject to proper objection by counsel for the defense, reserves the right of its formal introduction into evidence at a later tire.
DR. HAENSEL: May I take the liberty, it would help the defendant if he hears that the signature here on page 2 top, where it says "signed", the signature should be Burboeck.
Court No. II, Case No. 4.
THE WITNESS: Thank you very much.
MR. WALTON: If it please the Tribunal, that is a misprint or the unfamiliarity of the translator with the signature. The prosecution concedes that it is Burboeck's signature in agreement with the contention of the counsel for the defense. However, I do not intend to put words in the witness's mouth, and if he testifies that it is another signature that testimony will be in the record.
THE PRESIDENT: But what could it be beside Burboeck?
MR. WALTON: My copy reads B-u-r-b-a-c-h.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, we are fighting windmills here. He is designated as the director of Main Department I.
MR. WALTON: That is right, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Of course, it's Burboeck. Nobody thinks it is anybody else.
Q (By Mr. Walton) Witness, will you indicate when you are ready to be questioned on this document?
A Mr. Prosecutor, I don't think it is necessary for me to read the whole document. That will take too long. I saw more or less what this document is about.
Q Very well. Now, this is a correspondence file from Burboeck, as head of your section I/5 on the subject of disposal of the files pertaining to that office. According to the information on its face it was sent from Berlin on the 7th of July of 1941 to the branch offices of the Main Department I/5, the allocation of prisoner labor located at ten main camps.
In the third paragraph of the cover letter from Burboeck he gives the purpose of this action, which is to coordinate the filing system of the branch offices with that of the main department.
Now, do you know up until this time, whether a similar filing system to this was used in Department I/5?
A I do not know it, but I assume so. Of course, the same filing system which was expected of the camps would have been carried out by Court No. II, Case No. 4.the main deportment also.
Q Then, this is in effect a method or a plan by which the filing systems of both the branch offices and the main office will agree in every particular on a simpler filing system, is it not?
A Well, I don't think you can call this filing system a simple one, but otherwise you are correct.
MR. WALTON: I don't know what the translation was, but if I may use an ungrammatical phase, I should like for the witness to get the idea that it was a more simple filing system. I use a comparative degree, not that I want to quibble, but I don't think he understood the translation.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we understand the letter. It is plain on its face.
MR. WALTON: Very good, sir.
Q. (By Mr. Walton) On page 2 of the document which you now hold, is a note for the attention of Grimm, labor allocation officer at Buchenwald, from SS-Untersturmfuehrer Gart showing that the report of the labor activities of the prison inmates of Buchenwald had not reached the appropriate files and another copy was requested.
Now, Grimm, by entries on his copy shows that another report was sent in as promptly as possible, is that true?
A Yes.
Q Let us turn to the enclosure which is the file plan itself, and begins at page 3 of the document.
DR. FROESCHMANN (Counsel for Mummenthey): May it please the Court, I do not know how far this report submitted just now by the prosecution will be of significance for my client, but I wish to make one point; that the copy which is in the hands of the defense counsel is completely confused. It contains repetitions, and in other cases, things have obviously been left out. I would be grateful to the prosecution if it gave us an orderly and tidy copy of this document. For instance, on page 14 it says the same thing which is said on page 1.
Court No. II, Case No. 4.
THE RESIDENT: Well, Dr. Froeschmann, if the matters contained on either page 14 or page 1 become important to you, we will see that you get an accurate and correct copy. Perhaps you will find that neither page is of any interest to you.
DR. HAENSEL: I believe the copy is all right. These files cannot be understood quite so quickly really. I think the document is self-explanatory.
THE WITNESS: May I say something briefly about this document, Mr. Prosecutor?
MR. WALTON: Yes.
THE WITNESS: All I want to say is this. Having read this document but superficially as far as this filing system is concerned, I am bound to say that this is a classic example of German bureaucracy, and I am quite certain I never saw the whole filing plan because otherwise I would have immediately thrown it into the wastepaper basket. It is so typical for this system that any possible event is already being provided for, and I can say with the utmost certainty that I never saw this filing system before.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I do hope you will not deny us access to the special file about angora rabbits, sunflowers and the fattening of pigs. That we must by all means see.
MR. WALTON: I do not have before me the complete files of Department I/5. Had I those files the prosecution would certainly have had an easier time than it has had for the past 24 hours more or less.
JUDGE MUSMANNO: Mr. Walton, why don't you indicate what you attempt to establish by this document? It seems to me that we are wasting a great deal of time on something that isn't of great importance.
MR. WALTON: Sir, my interpretation of this document is that it is a policy of at least Department I/5 of the Main Department of Budget and Construction; that it certainly shows -- even by the witness' statement -- that it shows every contingent possibility. It certainly Court No. II, Case No. 4.shows some actual possibilities of the matters which were handled by Department I/5. It shows so far as the prosecution is concerned, matters which the prosecution believe are necessary and material to the case.
In addition to that it is a list of the activities of more than Department I/5, which on its face -- I have no way of knowing actually until I question the witness - which shows on its face that the liaison between this department and other departments was extremely close and that the chief of the department, Loerner, over the whole organizational setup of his department maintained liaison through his offices with other departments.
JUDGE MUSMANNO: Well, it seems to me that once the authenticity of the document is established, either by admission from the defendant or in any other way that you can do that, you have accomplished your purpose and what you have just now stated is a matter of argument at the end of the trial. There is no need to go into this argument with this witness. It is a question of submission that this document establishes certain things. We have, as you have indicated now, 567 documents and we didn't spend this much time on each document that was introduced, and whatever probative value it had, it was there in the record. Eventually it will be brought forth in argument, but it seems to me that going into the argument of this complicated filing system is a waste of time.
MR. WALTON: I did not intend to go into every argument, sir. My idea was to take certain samples from this and add it.
THE PRESIDENT: Let's do that.
MR. WALTON: Very good, sir. Filing under filing symbol 0-1 which concerns basic orders, does this mean that Department 1/5 was under basic orders from the Reichsfuehrer, the Chief of the Main Office, the Inspectorate of the concentration camps and of other offices?
A I am afraid I didn't quite follow you there.
Q I call your attention to Filing Symbol 0-1 which is on page 3 of the original document and which is on page 3 of the copy which is before me. 0-1, Filing Symbol states that basic orders and enactments concerning basic allocations of labor, and then there are four sub-heads A, B, C, and D. Do you follow me?
A Yes.
Q Then does it mean that the concentration camps were under the basic orders from those four different departments of the Reich Government?
A No, it doesn't mean that at all. Under 0-1 on basic orders concerning and enactments concerning personnel allocation of labor are listed, basic orders about these things could come only from the Reichsfuehrer. Now, 1-A, B,C, and D we have those orders which were issued as a matter of fundamental principle to the SS and which were of importance to the whole of the SS and to Main Department I/5 and therefore they were filed under those file notes.
Q Then I direct your attention further to the filing symbol 0-4 which shows nine concentration camps as sub-heads to the file symbol 0-4 in the matter of requirements for motor vehicles. Would this apply to the motor section of your office?
AAt that time Office I did not have a transport section. It only had a few vehicles for local transport. Now, under 0-4 not only the requirements of motor vehicles were meant, but it says: Establishment and requirements of the outside agencies including motor vehicles.
Therefore, if these agencies needed vehicles they would apply to I/5 which would then pass on the application to the agency of the Waffen-SS which at that time supplied the motor vehicles.
Q Then the Waffen-SS took care of the supply of motor vehicles to the concentration camps. Is that true?
A No, that is not true. Here we are concerned only with agencies of only Department I/5 but not with concentration camps, this filing plan, for instance, is concerned only with Main Department I/5 and its outside agencies in the camps. Therefore, if the outside agencies, Untersturmfuehrer Grimm needed a car, for instance, he would pass on the request here, the requirement of the concentration camps had nothing to do with it at all.
Q Then I pass on to filing symbol 0-6 which is on page 4 of the original. This more directly concerns you personally, did it not?
A Yes, it does.
Q Then you would have been familiar with the instruction concerning the accommodations, food and clothing in the nine main concentration camps, would you not?
A No, that is not correct either. As I said before that this filing plan was concerned only with the activities of the Main Department I/5. If I/5 had to deal with any matter concerning accommodations, food or clothing which happened only if and when some complaint connected with the labor allocations would come up then -- these letters would be filed under that file, not that they had anything to do actually with accommodating, feeding or clothing of inmates in concentration camps. I/5 had nothing to do with that. Food had nothing to do with the Office Construction and Budget or the WVHA later on.
Q You then are sure in your own mind that this file plan only pertained to I/5? It wasn't adopted by any other office in your department?
A It only concerned with the file plan I/5. Of course, every Main Department had a file plan but as the first page of this document shows, it is the filing plan and scheme of Office I/5.
Q That's what I am trying to determine. Every office had a filing plan. Was it or was it not similar to this plan?
A The file plan of every Main Department depended on the tasks and requirements of the Main Department concerned. They had nothing to do with each other. For instance, the file plan of I/4 Accommodations could never have the same file notes as Main Department I/5.
Q That's what I am trying to determine. Now, I direct you attention to the file title or file symbol I/4. These activities of the Main Department I/5 to the Office Chief or the Chief of the Main Office and the superior offices in all correspondence concerning reports of activities to all branch offices. I ask you, witness, if this file plan is true; it means that the activities of I/5 were regularly sent to your office for your information at least; is that true?
A That's true. The report of activities, as far as I can remember, came every six months from the Main Departments and, of course, I would receive a copy from the activity reports.
Q Did you read those copies?
A Yes, I assume so; yes.
Q Then you knew at all times what activities the concentration camps were engaged in so far as it affected your department; that's true?
A The activity report could deal only, of course, with the activities of the Main Department I/5. Of course, as far as we had this job the activity report gave a picture of the work done by the Main Department.
Q Now, I direct your attention further to the filing symbol 50 which is on page 7 of the original. Do you see the symbol before you now?
A Fifty?
Q Fifty.
A Yes.
Q Now, there are certain files which are mentioned there which were under the control and the supervision of the Main Department for Budget and Buildings, were they not?
A Didn't you say 15?
THE PRESIDENT: Fifty.
A I am sorry. I meant 15. Fifty is on page 7 in my document. Several offices III are mentioned there.
Q I am concerned with the names of the firm. The German Earth and Stone Works, the Klinkerwerke, certain building sites of the Speer organization. Now, this was of interest to Department I/5 for what reason?
A Under that file note I assume the list is all of the firms which employed inmates at any time for which reason these firms are listed here.
Q And the same answer could be made for the file symbol 60 with regard to private firms using inmate labor; is that not correct?
A Yes.
Q Now, in corroboration of what you said yesterday concerning the breeding of Angora rabbits as part of the Goering Four-year plan, that would come under a special or miscellaneous file which on page 10 of the original is listed as 0901. Do you find the place?
A. Yes.
JUDGE MUSMANNO: So far as I am personally concerned I believe you are spending too much time on this document and going into a lot of unnecessary detail. I don't see how the breedings of rabbits is going to help us very much in determination of the very serious case issue which we have before us. Now if you can't concentrate and in some *ay abbreviate your enquirers in this voluminous document which is simply a business of filing then you will have to study a little more before you present it. It seems to me that you are wasting entirely too much time on. it.
MR. WALTON: As I understood the statement from the Presiding Judge the wish of the Court was to inquire into these matters. I have only one mere question to ask him on this document.
THE PRESIDENT: Go ahead. Ask one more.
Q. The other activities listed there which have to do with the weaving of straw shoes, the manufacture of furniture, etc., were they industries which were within the concentration camp itself, or were they SS economic enterprises?
A. What is listed here -- weaving of straw shoes -- carpet weaving, etc., were things which were based on an idea of Himmler's, that is, tiny work-shops worked on them. They were not industries but I would like to say just to occupy inmates and they were so small in the extent that I am amazed that these things are listed at all. I see and under 090 "silk culture," and I seem to recall that there was a tiny silk culture done by some inmates at sometime but why there should be a special file for this is pure nonsense. These are not industries but tiny workshops in concentration camps.
MR. WALTON: The Prosecution now desires to offer for identification Document NO-3665 and asks that it be marked Prosecution Exhibit 570 and subject to proper objection by counsel for the defense and reserve the right of its formal introduction into evidence at a later time. Witness, will you indicate when you are ready to be questioned on this?
A Yes, I am ready.
Q Now, this is a letter signed by Burboeck which has to do with the labor of the well and the sick prisoners that is correct, is it not?
A Yes.
Q Did you have anything to do with the policy of having prisoners too ill for manual labor to do other work about the camp?
A I know nothing of this policy. I assume that this was issued to Burboeck by Gluecks because the date is 23 July 1941 which shows that it happened at a time when the Main Department 1/5 had already become part of Gluecks outfit. I cannot recall any such order nor do I know anything about it.
Q Would Gluecks have had the right to formulate such a policy and issue such an order without higher authority?
A Gluecks was the Inspector of Concentration Camps, and subject only under Himmler. He always had the authority to issue such orders.
Q Then the transfer to the Inspectorate of Concentration Camps, was not an established fact at the date of this document. Would your department have received a copy of this order or of this letter?
A What department are you talking about?
Q I/5.
A The letter came from there.
Q I am sorry.
A That's what I say. The letter comes from I/5.
Q I am very sorry. Then, this was a letter or a policy of which your department was informed; is that true?
A I/5 issued that order or in fact, it is signed by Burboeck, the Chief of Department I/5.
Q Then you could have informed yourself that sick prisoners were forced to work in concentration camps if you so desired; is that correct?
A I am unable to say anything about that today.
Q If you had been informed that this was an order going to the concentration camps regarding sick inmates, what, if anything, would you have done about it?
A In any case I Would have seen this order, I would not allowed it to be issued.
Q Did not on such important matters you request your Chiefs of Department to inform you?
AAs I said before that at that time the whole business of Main Office I/5 and allocation of inmates had been under Oranienburg for 100% and was in charge of Gluecks. On direct examination, as I said, I gave precise details of this; there orders were issued without my being informed about them at the time.
Q However, on the face of the order this was issued from Berlin, was it not?
A The official seat of the Main Department I/5 was in Berlin, at the time, and therefore the order was issued from that office.
JUDGE MUSMANNO: Mr. Walton, what do you draw from this document?
MR. WALTON: What I am trying to get at is the treatment of concentration inmate labor and I am leading up to the point where the economic enterprises under the Waffen SS are to be furnished regardless of the number of the sick in the camp.
JUDGE MUSMANNO: Well, I read from this that those who are unable to work will be used in cleaning-up activities.
MR. WALTON: That's correct, sir.
JUDGE MUSMANNO: What more do you draw from it than that?
MR. WALTON: Well, I believe that a sick prisoner is entitled to more than being forced to work.
JUDGE MUSMANNO: Well, he would only be called upon to clean up the camp and there's no indication that these sick prisoners are bedridden. What's wrong about that.
MR. WALTON: I am sorry, sir. I will just leave this document then. Now, witness, I should like to go back to that time when the Main Administrative Office for Economics were moved from Munich to Berlin. State whether or not there were suitable quarters available for the immediate move of this office to Berlin?
A I did not understand the question fully, I believe. You mean whether we had suitable office accommodations when we moved there?
Q That's correct.
AAs far as I know the move to Berlin was effected already in the first months of 1939. We moved into a building in Geisbergstrasse. That building had been rented and had sufficient rooms to accommodate our offices. I was transferred on 1 May 1939 to Berlin and the first few months I believe, until the outbreak of the war I worked in an office in Geisbergstrasse.
Q When your organization moved to Unter den Eichen was there any construction of buildings to house the department effected there?
A The new construction Unter den Eichen had not been completed yet. One could not move in at that point. In the various rented buildings Unter den Eichen the agencies were accommodated and some of them remained in Geisbergstrasse, as far as I know the Offices A.
Q Do you know approximately when the necessary construction was completed for the new office buildings for the organization of which you are a member?
A I cannot give you the precise details, and all I know is that when we moved into the new rooms it was only for about four to six weeks when most of them were destroyed in an air raid, which I believe occurred in 1943.
Q Now, where did the labor come from the build these new buildings?
A I have no idea; I didn't bother about these buildings details
Q Is it not true that a small concentration camp was established near the job site, or the site where these buildings were being constructed?
A It is correct that inmates worked on that construction.
Q Now, after the buildings were finished it became necessary to have a maintenance crew of labor for the building, a cleaning detail, a small carpenter detail, a small electrician detail, and all details which are necessary for the proper upkeep of a building; is that not true?
A Mr. Prosecutor, from the time you are talking about, the WVHAactually existed, I was in charge of Office Group B, and I had nothing to do at all with these matters. I am not the suitable man to be asked about this because I cm not able to say anything.
Q I am not asking you know if you knew in your official capacity, but I am asking you these facts as a man would naturally observe who came to work at a certain place each day, and who received the benefit of such maintenance services. I ask you again how were those maintenance services carried out--according to your recollection?
A I can confirm that in that building there were a crew of inmates working who were responsible for the tidiness and maintenance.
Q I ask you this question: Were these concentration camp inmates quaters near the place where they worked?
A I confirm that too; that is quite correct.
Q And that this small concentration camp was directly under the WVHA, rather than under a camp from which they were detached; is that correct?