2 Jan. 46
"SS Gruppenführer Kaltenbrunner
Appointed Chief of the Security Police and of the SD.
"Berlin, 30 January 1943.
"Upon suggestion of the Reichsführer SS and Chief of German
Police, the Führer has appointed SS Gruppenführer and
Lieutenant General of Police Dr. Ernst Kaltenbrunner as Chief of the
Security Police and of the SD, as successor of SS Obergruppenführer
and Lieutenant General of Police Reinhard Heydrich, who passed away 4
June 1942."
The Tribunal has
heard frequent references made to the speech Himmler delivered on 4
October 1943 at Posen, Poland, to Gruppenführer of the SS, our
Document 1919-PS, heretofore received as Exhibit Number USA-170, in
which with unmatched frankness Himmler discussed the barbaric program
and criminal activities of the SS and the Security Police. Near the
beginning of the speech Himmler referred to — and I quote merely
this one sentence: "Our comrade, SS Gruppenführer Ernst
Kaltenbrunner, who has succeeded our fallen friend Heydrich."
Kaltenbrunner carried out the responsibilities as Chief of the Security
Police and SD to the satisfaction of Himmler and Hitler, for on 9
December 1944, according to the Befehlsblatt of the Security
Police and SD ...
DR. KAUFFMANN: May I interrupt just for a second? I understood the
decision of the Tribunal to be that the proceedings against
Kaltenbrunner were to be postponed until Kaltenbrunner is fit for trial,
and now the case of Kaltenbrunner is being discussed.
THE PRESIDENT: No, the decision, which the Tribunal indicated before,
was based upon the view that the evidence could be divided between
evidence which bore directly against Kaltenbrunner and evidence which
bore against the organization of the Gestapo; but when you attended
before us in closed session, it was explained that it was impossible to
do that and that the evidence was so inextricably mingled that it was
impossible to direct the evidence solely to the organization and not to
include that against Kaltenbrunner. Accordingly, the Tribunal decided
that they would go on with the evidence which the Prosecution desired to
present in its entirety but that they would give you the opportunity of
cross-examining any witnesses which might be called, at a later date. Of
course you will, in addition to that, have the fullest opportunity of
dealing with any documentary evidence which bears against Kaltenbrunner
when the time comes for you to present the defense on behalf of
Kaltenbrunner.
Do you follow that?
DR. KAUFFMANN: Certainly.