. NMT02-T0209
Volume II · Page 209
fact that he failed to exercise his authority in an attempt to stop or check criminal experiments, renders him guilty as charged.
In this connection the prosecution relies upon its Exhibit 457, a document which bears date at Berlin, 14 September 1944. It is headed, "Commissioner for Medical and Health Matters," followed by
"The Delegate for Science and Research." Below appears: "List of medical institutes working on problems of research which were designated as urgent by the discussion on research on 26 August 1944 in Beelitz.The document then contains a list of research assignments numbered "1" to "45." Numbers 42 and 44 read as follows:
"(Summary according to the 650 orders for research submitted to us.)"
"Strasbourg
"42. Hygiene Institute (Haagen) virus research
"44. Anatomical Institute (Hirt) Chemical warfare agents. "The document bears Rostock's signature. Five of the problems concern hepatitis research, and three, virus research.
It appears from the evidence that Rostock's duties included the avoidance of duplication in the distribution of assignments for medical research. If the head of the medical department of a branch of the Wehrmacht assigned to some particular physician or institute a particular scientific or medical problem, a copy of the assignment would be forwarded to Rostock, who would then coordinate the matter by ascertaining whether or not that assignment was being worked on by some other agency or whether it would lead to worthwhile results. Who classified as "urgent" the 45 of the 650 orders for research does not appear; but it may be assumed that Rostock approved that classification.
Doubtless Rostock knew that experiments on concentration camp inmates were being conducted. He presided over the meeting of surgeons held in May 1943, and there heard statements that experimental subjects had been artificially infected. Doubtless he knew that the experiments were dangerous and that further experiments would probably be conducted. However, it does not appear that either Rostock or any subordinate of his directed the work done on any assignment concerning criminal experiments. Certain of these experiments were classified as
