13 Dec.
45
of an official United States Army report describing the
circumstances under which this exhibit was obtained; and that extract is
set forth in Document 3420-PS, which I refer to in part. It is entitled:
"Mobile Field Interrogation Unit
Number 2; PW Intelligence Bulletin; 13. Concentration Camp,
Buchenwald.
"Preamble. The author of this account is PW Andreas
Pfaffenberger, 1 Coy, 9 Landesschützen Bn., 43 years old and of
limited education. He is a butcher by trade. The substantial agreement
of the details of his story with those found in PWIB (H) /LF/36
establishes the validity of his testimony. PW has not been questioned
on statements which, in the light of what is known, are apparently
erroneous in certain details, nor has any effort been made to alter
the subjective character of the PW's account, Which he wrote without
being told anything of the intelligence already known. The results of
interrogation on personalities at Buchenwald have already been
published (PWIB Number 2/12, item 31.).
" 'In 1939 all prisoners with tattooing on them were ordered to
report to the dispensary.' "
THE PRESIDENT: Is this what Pfaffenberger said?
MR. DODD: Yes, Sir.
" 'No one knew what the purpose was;
but after the tattooed prisoners had been examined, the ones with the
best and most artistic specimens were kept in the dispensary and then
killed by injections administered by Karl Beigs, a criminal prisoner.
The corpses were then turned over to the pathological department where
the desired pieces of tattooed skin were detached from the bodies and
treated. The finished products were turned over to SS Standartenführer
Koch's wife, who had them fashioned into lamp shades and other
ornamental household articles. I myself saw such tattooed skins with
various designs and legends on them, such as "Hänsel and
Gretel," which one prisoner had on his knee, and designs of ships
from prisoners' chests. This work was done by a prisoner named
Wernerbach.' "
I also refer
to Document 3421-PS, which bears Exhibit Number USA-253.
"I, George C. Demas, Lieutenant,
USNR, associated with the United States Chief of Counsel for the
Prosecution of Axis Criminality, hereby certify that the attached
exhibit, consisting of parchment, was delivered by the War Crimes
Section, Judge Advocate General, United States Army, to me in my above
capacity, in the usual course of business, as an exhibit