. NMT04-T0564
Volume IV · Page 564
| Report No. 186, dated 27 March 1946, shows
Strauch was commander of the Security Police and the SS for White Ruthenia
during this period. The report chronicled the death of 15,000 Jews in Cherven.
Report No. 183, dated 20 March 1942, states — |
"In the period from 5 to 28 February the main field office Vileika shot 29 Jews, 4 Communists, 5 partisans, 5 public enemies, and 4 persons for sabotage. Another 16 persons were arrested." |
| This operation was conducted by Hoffmann who
was Strauch's deputy, and who kept Strauch informed of his operations, as
Strauch admitted on the witness stand. The commissioner general for White Ruthenia reported on 31 July 1942 to the Reich Commissioner in Riga as follows: |
"During detailed consultations with the SS Brigadefuehrer Zenner and the extremely capable Chief of the SD, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. jur. Strauch, we found that we had liquidated approximately 55,000 Jews in White Ruthenia during the last 10 weeks. In the Minsk-Land area, the Jewry was completely exterminated, without endangering the allocation of labor in any way." |
| Strauch first attempted to deny the
authenticity of this letter and then abandoned that position, claiming that
Kobe exaggerated the figures. The Tribunal is convinced that the letter is
authentic, and that the statements contained therein represent the truth even
if not accepting the absolute accuracy of the figures down to the last digit.
By his own words Strauch was an unrelenting and merciless oppressor of the Jews and displayed considerable indignation when anyone sought to defend them. In a letter dated 25 July 1943, he related a plan whereby 5,000 Jews of the Minsk Ghetto were to be "resettled". The Jews, however, learned that the resettlement meant execution and Strauch bitterly attacked those responsible for this "treachery". He said, "We had no choice but to herd the Jews together by force." On 20 July 1943 he wrote a letter narrating how he had subjected 70 Jews to special treatment and expressing his resentment because complaint had arisen from the fact that he had had the gold fillings removed from the mouths of these Jews before they were killed. Adolf Ruebe, a master sergeant in the SS, submitted an affidavit on Strauch which further emphasizes Strauch's guilt which is complete. |
"About the middle of February 1943 the Kommando of the KdS Minsk went to Slutsk, under the leadership of Obersturm- [...bannfuehrer] |
