. NMT04-T0563
Volume IV · Page 563
| assertion that it "happened too" that is, it
even happened, that people were released. From all the evidence in the case the Tribunal finds the defendant guilty under counts one and two of the indictment. The Tribunal also finds that the defendant was a member of the criminal organizations SS and SD under the conditions defined by the judgment of the International Military Tribunal and is, therefore, guilty under count three of the indictment. |
| EDUARD STRAUCH |
| SS Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Strauch is a
graduate lawyer. He joined the Allgemeine SS on 1 December 1931. In 1934 he
joined the SD. The prosecution contends that Eduard Strauch became commander of Einsatzkommando 2 on 4 November 1941. This is denied by the defendant who, in effect, claims he was never in charge of this Kommando. The defendant explains that when an area passed into the hands of the civilian administration from the military the Einsatz units ceased to exist and were replaced by (1) the chief commanders [Befehlshaber] of the Security Police and SD in the case of the Einsatzgruppen, and (2) the commandants [Kommandeure] of the Security Police and SD in the case of the Einsatzkommandos and the SD. Defense counsel claims these offices had no connection with the military at all, yet in seeking to make this point he gave the illustration of the chief of offices [Befehlshaber] of the SIPO and SD, Ostland, with headquarters at Riga, the area of the civilian administration, maintaining his headquarters as chief of Einsatzgruppe A in Krasnowlisk, within the army area. By this very illustration, which was supposed to show the contrary, it is very clear how one could act in a civilian administrative capacity and be head of an Einsatz unit at the same time. An analysis of the records shows that Eduard Strauch took over the command of Einsatzkommando 2, Latvia, on 4 November 1941, and that in February 1942 he became commander of the Security Police and SD in White Ruthenia, situated at Minsk. From some time in July 1943 until he left Russia, he served as intelligence officer in an antiguerrilla warfare unit. Strauch's guilt has been established by numerous documents. Strauch seeks to deny that he cooperated with Jeckeln, Higher SS and Police Leader in the Jewish operation of 30 November 1941, because he only had 20 men under him. But it is an extraordinary coincidence indeed that one officer and exactly 20 men of Einsatzkommando 2 participated in that operation which resulted in the death of 10,600 Jews in Riga. |
