The defendant Blume thus had complained at that time about the bad/conduct of the Brigadefuehrer Nebe. Finally Radl confirms in his affidavit that the defendant Blume was recalled to Berlin shortly afterwards and on page 6 he mentions that Blume was an excellent officer and an excellent commander of his unit, who was very populat with his men and that in his office he was strict and decent and had a calm and objective attitude. May I hand over document 11? witness Kruckemeier. It is very brief. I have tried to avoid cumulative evidence. Kruckemeier too was a member of Sk7A - - -
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Lummert, are you purposely not giving exhibit numbers to these documents?
DR. LUMMERT: Your Honor, when submitting the first document book I already had adopted the system that the exhibit numbers corresponded with the document numbers and you, your Honor, approved of this system at the time. I would ask that I continue this system.
THE PRESIDENT: I think it is an excellent system on your part. It is too bad that it can't always be true. Since you have found a way to let those two systems coincide I think it is an excellent idea.
DR. LUMMERT: I offer all the documents exactly in the order in which they appear in the document book.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well.
DR. LUMMERT: I said that Kruckemeier was also a member of Sk7A. He confirms the good discipline particularly which the defendant Blume achieved especially as to the relationship toward the civilian population in the occupied territories. which the defendant Blume took measures against a member of the Sk7A, a man who had not acted according to discipline. I need not go into the details. On page 8 the witness reports about the good relationship Lake.
The inhabitants gave the defendant Blume, in a very solemn manner, the Harvest wreath after the harvest had been collected.
The himself.
It contains some snaps with accompanying texts. These testified to in the witness stand.
Since the photostatic copies are not especially clear I ask that I may submit the original pictures to the Tribunal.
his in 1941. He himself took no photographs. I may explain briefly what these pictures are.
Pictures #1 shows the large Soviet building in Minsk.
That is part of the facade. In this large building Sk7A all the mobilization plan.
Pictures 2 and 3 show the great fire in The defendant Blume has made statements about this.
Pictures #4 to Picture #5 shows the Russian prisoners of war when they were interrogat ed immediately after they were captured.
The defendant Blume testified about this on the witness stand.
Now I shall come to pictures 8 to 13.
These come from the Harvest Thanksgiving celebration, at the Los I need not give any more details about it.
The pictures show the good relationship with the civilian population. Perhaps I might mention that on Picture 10 a farmer's wife makes a speech; she has raised her hand, and on Picture 11, Defendant Blume replies. On picture 13 the Tribunal can see the affiant Radl. He is the man with the accordion. This is Document 11 which I handed over before.
THE PRESIDENT: Was an accordion part of the equipment of the Kommando?
DR. LUMMERT: On that occasion, Your Honor, indeed. I might point out Picture No. 15. It confirms the great partisan danger near Welish. Picture 16 shows the Szloboda Lake. Szloboda is on the map too which is on Page 28 of the first document book.
As the next document I offer Blume No. 14. This is an excerpt from the official diplomatic note of the Reich Government to the Government of the Soviet Union of the 22nd of June, 1941. When the defendant Blume was asked by the presiding judge about the various aggressive wars of Germany he answered that in the year 1939 and the following years he considered all these campaigns as not aggressive ones because the German government always gave the German people appropriate reasons for these campaigns which it considered as reasons for a completely defensive wars. I have chosen the statement of the German government here which was published at the beginning of the Russian campaign. It is a very long statement which appeared in all German newspapers at the time. I have only chosen the most important passages from the statement. They show clearly that every German had to believe at the time that the Soviet Union was about to attack Germany immediately and that Germany merely got ahead of them, namely as an act of necessary self-defense. I ask the Tribunal to take judicial notice of this document. They are put in such an order that they describe the defendant Blume from his childhood until the end of the last war. It will certainly not be necessary for me to read any parts of these affidavits word for word.
If I may summarize the most important facts in these affidavits, I may say that the Tribunal will find that all these affiants always emphasized the following characteristics as the salient characteristics of the defendant Blume; namely, his open and sincere manner, his honesty and love of the truth, his pleasant and kind manner which made him popular wherever he went, then his fairness in sports and his tolerance of other people's opinions. As far as the affidavits refer to the professional activity of the defendant Blume, they confirm his absolutely correct and decent attitude and his civil courage, if I may use this concept. "Civil courage" means that a person would prove his absolutely decent and honest manner under all circumstances, especially if his superiors would object. In an official civil courage means particularly that nothing would prevent him from sticking to his honest character. I have no remarks about No. 15. It is the affidavit of the witness Meier. I don't have to say anything about 16 either, the affidavit of Koeller. About 17 I have nothing to say either. That is the affidavit of the witness Leithe. As for No. 18, the affidavit of the witness Hartleif , I would ask the Tribunal to read the last paragraph on page 31 because it concerns the political idealism of the defendant Blume, and it confirms that he was free of any hatred against anyone. Document No. 19, which is the affidavit of the witness Frommeyer, contains a special example of the political tolerance of the defendant Blume. It is a case which had happened by the end of 1944, and I would ask the Tribunal to read the passages on page 32 at the bottom until the top of page 33. Document 20, affidavit of witness Bauer, contains two examples for the fact that Blume was the opposite of a political fanatic. The first case concerns itself with the case where a doctor did not use the Hitler salute. The defendant Blume protected this physician. The second case involves a matter in which the Gestapo, upon the suggestion of the defendant Blume, did not take any steps against somebody.
Document No. 21, the affidavit of the witness Diekmeyer confirms positively the very good character of the defendant Blume. The next, Document 22, is the affidavit of the witness Ruether, former teacher of the defendant Blume, who knew him from many years ago. He too cites a special example for the correct attitude of the defendant Blume in his position. It is a Gestapo case of the year 1934.
The next document, No. 23, is the affidavit of the witness Sommer, a former government president in Halle, the highest ranking government official of the district there. This affidavit gives an excellent recommendation of the defendant Blume. The witness Sommer was an opponent of the National Socialist regime. He had had great difficulties with the predecessor of the defendant Blume and he confirms that the defendant Blume was the opposite of his predecessor, namely a correct official who only served law and justice. Behre and Heinrichsmeier, belong together, as far as the contents are concerned. They concern the period when the defendant Blume had a position in Hannover. That is from the fall of 1937 until December 1939. There too, the defendant Blume showed his correct attitude and that which we call civil courage. As an example, the case of the 9th of November, 1938, is cited. On that day when demonstrations against the Jews took place in all of Germany, the defendant Blume was not in Hannover. when he returned he disapproved of the excesses which had taken place in Hannover very severely and had several SS men arrested who had not stayed away from looting Jewish stores. These SS men were personal friends of the SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Jeckeln, leader of the SS sector there. Jeckeln demanded of the defendant Blume that these SS men be released or be handed over to SS jurisdiction.
The defendant Blume refused to do this. Despite frequent objections by General Jeckeln he had insisted on a proper proceeding against these SS men. Thus he earned for himself the enmity of SS Obergruppenfuhrer Jeckeln. This man Jeckeln is already well known to the Tribunal, especially from the testimony of the defendant Jost. Jeckeln was the type of a ruthless fanatic who could act even in a brutal manner. These were the documents 24 and 25.
Documents 26 and 27 belong together in a similar manner. These are the affidavits of the witness Burg and the affidavit of the witness Ehlich. They confirm the official activity of the defendant Blume in Veldes which is in Upper Carolia and Lower Jtyria. The defendant Blume has already testified in his recross-examination to the facts of this case. Briefly summarized, one can say that the defendant Blume at that time saved the lives and liberty of thousands of people, in sharp contrast to the Higher SS and Police Leader Roesener. It won't be necessary to go into any details.
Finally documents No. 28 and 29 belong together. These are two affidavits of the witness Haefner. They concern the official activity of the defendant Blume in Greece. There too, Blume showed himself to be a correct official who was only guided by a positive attitude towards justice. Especially noteworthy is the conduct of the defendant Blume towards the Anglophile-Greek circles. On his instructions these were spared completely unless they made themselves guilty of active sabotage acts against the German occupying forces. If the Tribunal will look at page 58 of the document book, it is perhaps interesting that at that time there was a unity front in Greece between the Anglophile Greeks, the Greek Government, England itself, the Greek Government in exile, and the German police, against Communism on the other side. The details can be seen from the preceding pages.
Finally I come to the last document, Document No. 30. This is not of evidencial value, but this document is only to facilitate the Tribunal.
Namely, it gives various excerpts and quotations about a certain legal question. The legal question is that of so-called unexpectability. If the Tribunal would be kind enough to read the note on page 61 at the bottom of -- in my opening statement I already have announced that I would discuss this question of unexpectability in my final plea. This is one of the general subjects which defense counsel will discuss in the final pleas. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions the defense counsel have agreed that several of them will treat certain general themes in more detail. Such general themes, for example, are the Eastern problems, to express it briefly, furthermore the state of necessity caused by the order of the superior, and finally, the so-called unexpectability, and this unexpectability is my favorite theme, and I would like to ask the Tribunal in the recess, between the last day of taking evidence and the starting of the final pleas, to be kind enough to read this Document No. 30, because this would make my final plea easier and briefer. I may remember too that this so-called unexpectability is the basic legal thought which is at the basis of all various regulations about selfdefense, state of emergency, etc.
With this I can close my documentary presentation. It is possible that I shall receive one or two more documents and that I shall submit them later.
THE PRESIDENT: Do I understand, Dr. Lummert -- do I understand that there is more or less an agreement among counsel that you will distribute the legal agruments and that each one will have one phase ofit rather than to have a repetition of the various arguments?
DR. LUMMERT: Yes, your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: I think i t is an excellent idea, so that all of you playing together as a big orchestra will produce the symphony of the law, and that you will play on your accordion the theme of unexpectability.
DR. LUMMERT: Your Honor, of course it remains up to every defense counsel to make his particular statements himself. The distribution of the general themes was merely to avoid unnecessary repetition.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, of course you will be entirely free to present your arguments in any way that you wish, but we do think that it is an excellent idea, that where a certain feature of the law is to be developed that one or two counsel devote themselves to that feature. The others may concentrate upon other phases of the law.
DR. LUMMERT: That is just the way we intend it.
THE PRESIDENT: All right. The Tribunal will be in recess until 1:45.
(A recess was taken until the hour of 1345) (The hearing reconvened at 1345 hours)
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
DR. GICK: Dr. Gick for the defendant Strauch. defendant Strauch?
THE PRESIDENT: I wish you would, Dr. Gick. BY DR. GICK: when and where you were assigned to Russia. Where were you assigned in Russia for the first time?
Q When was this? 1941, in Riga.
Q On the 10th or 12th? Which month?
A Just a moment, please. Let me think about it. I believe on the 9th -
Q I would like you to give me the answer, defendant, please. Was it in November, 1941?
Q Yes. 1941. And do you remember the day when you came to Riga? personnel office, and this main personnel office probably on the 4th sent me a teletype message to Koenigsberg which I probably got on the 5th, and I was still lying in bed any my arm was broken, and immediately I was not in the hospital anymore, but I had already left the hospital and was at home, but my arm was still in the plaster cast -- and so I called up Berlin and asked them would they leave me for sometime in Koenigsberg to recover because I was not yet fit, and I talked to Herr Blume, and he explained to me, well, he urgently needed somebody in Riga, but he said, "For a few days you can still remain in Koenigsberg", and then as far as I know on the 11th or the 12th I went to Riga.
page 29, Prosecution Exhibit No. 106, Document No. 2966 --- there is an entry that since the 4th of November, 1941, you had been in Lativa.
MR. GLANCY: Pardon me, sir. That is page 20 of Document Book 3-A. and I already inquired why this might have been possible that this entry, was made so incorrectly, and they aid the figures did not quite concide, and therefore I objected, and I said I wastold that this happened repeatedly that in personal files mistakes occurred. BY DR. GICK: or rather transferred, and that only on the 11th or 12th you arrived in Riga?
A He told me verbally, and I stated this: I said that my wife can be heard as a witness about this because my wife took part in that discussion.
Q Herr Strauch, in what capacity were you transferred to Riga? and the SD.
Q Were you Commander of Einsatskommando II? files where it says that from 4 November 1941 you were Chief of Einsatzkommando Latvia with the command of the Security Policy in the Eastern territory, in the Eastland.
A That is just the evidence for it. If it said that I was Chief of Kommando II, then it would not have fitted in because Kommando II was in Loknia or somewhere at the Front, and if it says there "Kommando Chief with the command of the Eastland", this shows clearly that I was not Kommando Chief in Latvia but that I was Commander in the Eastland, as another expression would have been used.
Q What expression would they have used?
Q With the command of the Security Police Eastland?
A No, that doesn't even exist. A commander for Estonia or Lithuania did not exist any longer at that time.
Q At that time who was Einsatzkommando Chief II?
A I cannot say that. I believe -- what was his name again? I can't say for certain what my comrade's name was. He was assigned immediately even before my arrival.
Q And where was Einsatzkommando II?
A That was in Loknia or somewhere there. Unfortunately I do not have a map to show that.
Q Whereabouts is this? under civilian administration? of the Security Police and SD in Latvia?
A I didn't quite get that. what tasks you had as Commander of the Security Police in Latvia. and the SD to organize a new police force because no police existed there, and Stahlecker told me, "First of all, organize a police force for me." Please consider that this is not a security police. A criminal police did not exist there, I said, and it had to be organized with Latvian forces first. Any other police did not exit either. We call it State Police -- that did not exist, and all this had to be organized, and the administration and the administration police had to be organized, and the administration and the administrational police had to be organized, and then, of course, the same as in all other areas the order had been given that the Jews living there were to be liquidated.
Q When did you hear about this order for the first time?
Q Were you in Pretsch?
A No, I was not in Pretsch. I couldn't have been according to the first description of how I got there. I first heard about it from the Commander of the Security Police and SD in Lithuania whom I knew very well, and suddenly I saw him again and he had changed tremendously. I told him, "Tell me, for God's Sake, what do you look like?" and he said in reply that he was confused because of all the things he had to do out there. So I asked him, "What is the matter? What is it?" So he said, "Well, you know about the Fuehrer Order which exists, and we had to carry this out until now." Of course, it impresses one deeply and impressed me deeply, and I stayed with him during the night. Early in the morning I left for Riga and I hoped that my comrade, Rasch --not Rasch -- Batz, the one whose successor I was going to become. Batz is the name.
Q Was it Batz? or I wanted to go to Lange, who had been in Riga for some time. I knew them both very well, and, first of all, I wanted to get some information about what was going on. Now about noon Stahlecker arrived, so I reported there, and he said to me, " Well, what is the matter? What is to be done?" No, that is not true. That is wrong. It was like this: I met neither Batz nor Lange. Batz was somewhere far away in order to say "Goodbye" to his men, and I did not meet either of them, so I went to the main sector, and after a short time I met Stahlecker there. So I asked him what my tasks would be. He told me in reply what I have just described here, that I would have to organize a political and criminal police force, and that I had to deal with inner administration, that I had to take part in work concerning inner administration, and then he said to me, "Yes, we have to deal with the elimination of Jews as well."
So I said quite spontaneously, "That is crazy. Only yesterday I saw "---what is his name? "He looks terrible!" So he said, "Yes, we know that one would have to do something about it. It can't be done that way. He had to be taken away." to be carried out, and first of all I was to go to my old comrades. They would tell me about their experiences, and then about evening -- in the meantime they had heard by phone that I was there, and he said in reply -they both said they had come immediately, and they both came about the same time, and I asked them both, "Tell me, what is going on here. I saw Krueger" -- no -- "Jaeger. He looks terrible. Then I went to Badecker Salzecker and had been given the same mission by him that I would have to carry out Jewish operations, and I could not imagine what terrible tasks I had to do." So I said, "This is awful." So he said to me, "Keep calm. During the last time we have not had to carry out any anti-Jewish operations recently because Heydecker during the last time had said that the anti-Jewish action should not be carried out in Riga during that time."
Q You mean Heydrich? happened, and I talked with Batz and -- what is his name -- Lange. I talked to Lange and also Brigadefuehrer -- the Brigadefuehrer here who had received an order to cease to carry this out. Nobody knew why. Weall believed that Heydrich had had some reasons because of other countries, that the other nations might not like this, and that is why he revoked the order. actually do?
police, most of all with Latvian forces who existed there who then volunteered and said, "Here we are and we are at your disposal"; and schools already existed and I extended them.
A Oh, yes. Up there it says so in red. It says -- I think this applies to all others as well.
Q You mean the organization? office 1 and 2 were combined. They dealt with the traffic administration, food, etc. Such matters were handled by 1 and 2. And then there was Office 3. That was the intelligence office which organized to a strong degree because it is obvious that in a conquered foreign territory one has to take great interest in such matters. The political organization of the country has to be considered because if one comes into a country as victor, then --what shall I says? One has to know all about everything or else onecan't govern the other country, so I worked very hard on office 3, and then there was no criminal police in existence, so we had to organize a criminal police, and we had to deal with it because the criminal police had not been well organized and was not extensive, and so every man came to us and wanted us to give him all sorts of answers to his inquiries.
He inquired about various matters and Department IV was very busy and Department Iv was changed to office--just a minute, please, I got such a fright -- office V also worked hard on the organization of the political police and they were very busy. And the political police did not exist and, therefore, still had to be organized. Those were the main points. And owing to thelack of an order by Heydrich, we avoided having to carry our anti-Jewish actions. Last time I told the President about the Jeckeln action. Weshall talk about that later. the work of the Einsatzkommando?
Q You meant Einsatzkommando?
A No, nothing at all. They passed through occasionally at the most and they just passed and were billeted, that is all.
Q Herr Strauch, please try and concentrate again. Be calm. When you need a rest, just say so, and I shall ask the Tribunal to make a short recess and your can have it at any time.
A Yes. I don't need that at this time. work in your office and the office of the SD and the Security Police, and those of the Einsatzkommando 2, for example.
A Well, I cannot say that. I am completely unable to do so. commando? territory and the Einsatzkommando in the operational territory? tasks?
A Yes. They had to do with administrative tasks to a great extent. Braune told me that one oneoccasion they had to deal with administrative tasks a great deal. He also told me, I just can't think of it, that he was busy working on administrative tasks and that he was popular just because of his work in the administrative sphere.
Q Who are you talking about now?
Q Your Honor, may I ask for a short recess. I think my client is a little tired.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will be in recess for 10 minutes.
(A recess was taken)
********** (The hearing reconvened at 1430 hours.)
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
DR. GICK: May I continue, Your Honor?
THE PRESIDENT: Please.
EDUARD STRAUCH (Resumed) DIRECT EXAMINATION (Continued)
BY DR. GICK:
Q Herr Strauch, how long were you actually commander in Riga?
Q Two weeks?
Q And why did you not continue in that job? it had frozen quite hard, and I got out of my car and broke my arm again up here right into the old breakage, so I went to the military hospital and they made me stay in the hospital. And now it was strange, while I was still in the hospital, I was visited by the Brigadefuehrer Stahlecker who said, "Oh, how bad this is", "Let us try to get you cured the best we can; but apart from that, I must tell you, you have been transferred to Minsk; Your successor will be Lange". He replied to me, "But in view of your accident here, we will inquire again from Berlin whether they couldn't wait quite a while, and whether you could not remain in Riga", and we received a telegram from Berlin that this was impossible, I would have to get cured finally, I could not remain in Riga, I would have to go back to the Reich in order to get cured properly, and then I would have to take over some other office. He talked to the field general after that and asked whether he could not delay the matter, but he said, "No, I can only treat him temporarily stationary, and everything will be all right". So Stahlecker said, "Yes, it is all right, we will do that". Until the 30th of March 1933 I remained in Riga, and then I received the final information that Strauch would have to go to Minsk at last.
Q Do you mean 13 March 1942, don't you, you said '33?
A No, no, '42; '32 I was already chief of the guerrilla unit. arm for the second time?
A Brigadefuehrer Stahlecker had the following intentions. He, himself was to become Higher SS Leader, either in France or one Nordic country - so northern country. He was prepared for this already, and he only lived for that idea to go there. And his deputy, Tschersky, himself, of course, attached importance to this. He was supported by Brigadefuehrer Stehlecker, and he wanted to have him transferred as Brigadefuehrer and as commander. the second time after that, a deputy was appointed as commander for you, Dr. Lange?
Q So obviously you weren't in charge of the commando any more?
A No. I was not in charge of the commando any more. I am just trying to tell you why not. And the - what is his name - said my arm was broken, yes, my arm was broken, and he insisted that I would not have to carry out this operation, but that I would assign men for this, but I only had 20 men in Riga under me, and I had been prohibited to do this by Heydrich. I had been prohibited to do this and if Heydrich says that this is prohibited this is so important that I cannot act to the contrary.
Q Herr Strauch, You are now talking about another situation. We will talk about that shortly. I am now asking you, what did you actually do? Stahlecker said, "Well, do me one favor, take over the - do not take over the commando post in Riga, but let Lange take it over, because you can't take it over anyhow, you will have to go to Minsk one day anyhow, since this has been rejected so strictly - so severely". So he insisted that for a few weeks I should carry out the work of his Department III.
Q You mean his Department III in his office as commander?
A Yes, as commander. I only had to do with the position as commander, nothing else concerned me.
Q were you put in charge of this then?
A Yes, yes. I took over this department - well, "department" is saying too much, there were only three men and two girls. I held this position - well, when I handed over the office, I was at the hospital. I was treated stationary - got stationary treatment, and I just hung around quite a while, and then I took over my position in office III. Only a few weeks could have passed.
Q Did you hold that position until you went to Minsk? do with execution of Jews?
A I was supposed to deal with them. I reported about this repeatedly last time as well. I received - how was this again - well, shortly before I left -before I, or rather when I went to Minsk, when I arrived in Minsk, Kube told me - the Gauleiter, Kube, told me he was forced. Ruthenia. I am asking you whether you had anything to do with execution of Jews in Latvia? order to carry out such executions of Jews just when I had arrived, namely, I think it was in May, he already had carried out operations and had them carried out, and when I arrived he talked to me and said that this could not be carried out in his territory, in his sphere because he needed the Jewish forces and Jewish people under all circumstances.
Q I must interrupt you. Kube was not in Latvia.
there for a very brief period of time.
THE PRESIDENT: Witness Strauch, please, what Dr. Gick asked you was whether you carried out the execution of any Jews in Latvia. You are telling us now what happened when you got to Minsk, which, of course, is important, but Dr. Gick will come to that later. He asks you now whether you carried out any executions in Latvia.