I put most of the info in the title already, but this is a scan of a 4-page document which I was fortunate enough to obtain recently. It is an original English translation which was supplied to both prosecutors and defence attorneys during the War Crimes Tribunals in 1945. There were fewer than 20 of these printed, and at one time this one belonged to the Berlin lawyer of Albert Speers. This particular testimony pertains to an SS General Lorner in regards to incoming prisoners and supplies at several concentration camps. I don't know how well the scan will show details, but one column lists 90,000 prisoners coming from "anti-jewish action" in Hungary. One thing about the Nazis...they kept impeccable records, which helped to hang them after the war!
I have this thing in plastic AND inside a frame, as it is still in great condition aside from some yellowing and a darkened staple. A great piece of history, albeit a bit creepy.
DD
ps- Guess the scan didn't turn out so you could read it...sorry!
Creepy is right, but a fine catch. It's great that it's so nicely preserved. Ya, they did keep impeccable records. Enough to hang themselves 100 times over.
If you have settings in your scanner software, kick up the resolution and try it again. When I turn up the settings on mine, it's incredible the kind of quality I can get, even from worn or fuzzy photographs.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Today I was lucky enough to snatch one more of these documents from the same source. This one is even more interesting, as it involves an SS officer "making available prisoners for high-altitude survival experiments". I'm sure some of you have seen the films of the tests on prisoners that were done on behalf of the Luftwaffe, to set how much a pilot (or in this case a poor prisoner) could endure in terms of exposure to cold and etc. Were it not for the fact that I know these things actually happened I would view a document like this as something straight out of a horror novel.
Here is the English translation. It is addressed to SS Untersturmfuhrer Dr. Sigmund Rasher:
"Dear Dr. Rasher;
Shortly before flying to Oslo, the Reichsfuhrer SS gave me your letter of 15 May, 1941 for partial reply.
I can inform you that prisoners will of course be gladly made available for the high-flight researches. I have informed the Chief of the Security Police of this agreement of the Reichsfuhrer SS, and requested that the competent official will be instructed to get in touch with you.
I want to use this opportunity to extend my cordial wishes to you on the birth of your son.
I shall refer as soon as possible to the second part of your letter.
Heil Hitler!
By order (initials) R Pr
SS-Sturmbannfuhrer "
To me what is so ghastly about this is that this sick bastard included a "baby greeting" in the paragraph after he has cheerfully agreed to supply victims for torture! Sometimes when I am reading historical documents like this I can hardly believe that it's not science fiction.....that a mere 65 years ago a supposedly "civilized culture" in Europe went completely nuts and tossed human decency out the door from 1933-1945....and beyond, in some cases. On the flip side, it makes me that much more greatful that our fathers and grandfathers stood up to this madness and stopped it in it's evil tracks!
Appalling no doubt. I thought the same thing when I read it.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Today the Dealer I got the previous documents from had one more on his site, and I was lucky enough to snap it up too. This one relates to the previous one above, as it is the translation of a letter from Himmler requesting that SS Dr. Rasher be assigned to Auschwitz in order to perform the high-altitude tests on the prisoners..."who don't deserve any better" (in Himmler's own words). That chicken-lipped, chinless little pervert AND Coward deserved alot worse than he got while on Earth, and we can only hope that Hell is providing his just rewards now!
On the flip side...today I also viewed a wonderful documentary entitled "Unlikely Heroes", about the remarkable and selfless acts of courage of various Jews during the war years. One of the stories was about actor Robert Clary, of Hogan's Heroes who as a child spent several years in Nazi concentration camps. Another part told the story of "Two Sisters" who helped other inmates blow up Crematorium #4 in Auschwitz in October 1944. Such opposites in Good and Evil!!!
