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Volume V · Page 962
| [disre…] garded without detracting from the contents of the indictment as a whole. |
| COUNTS TWO AND THREE —
WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY |
| The second and third counts of the
indictment charge the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The
counts are identical in content, except that in count two the acts which are
made the basis for the charges are alleged to have been "committed against the
civilian populations of occupied territories and prisoners of war," whereas in
count three the criminal acts are alleged to have been "committed against
German civilians and nationals of other countries." With this distinction
observed, both counts will be treated as one and discussed together.
Counts two and three allege, in substance, that between September 1939 and April 1945 all of the defendants herein named, "were principals in, accessories to, ordered, abetted, took a consenting part in, and were connected with plans and enterprises involving the commission of atrocities and offenses, including but not limited to plunder of public property, murder, torture, illegal imprisonment and enslavement, and deportation to slave labor of, and brutalities, atrocities, and other inhumane and criminal acts against thousands of persons." The indictment further avers that all of the defendants were associated with the Economic and Administrative Main Office, commonly known as the "WVHA" which was one of the twelve main departments of the SS. The indictment more specifically charges the defendants with war crimes and crimes against humanity, as follows: The defendant Oswald Pohl was the head of the WVHA and the defendants August Frank and Georg Loerner were his deputies. The WVHA was divided into Amtsgruppen [office groups or divisions], which were interrelated in their operations, purposes, and functions. Amtsgruppe A, among other things, was responsible for financial matters of the SS, including those relating to its concentration camps. This Amtsgruppe was subdivided into five offices or Aemter, which were charged with responsibility for certain parts of the entire financial administration. The defendants Frank and Fanslau were, successively, heads of Amtsgruppe A. The defendants Hans Loerner, Frank, Vogt, and Fanslau were heads of offices or Aemter within this Amtsgruppe A. Amtsgruppe B, among other things, was responsible for the supply of food and clothing for inmates of the concentration |
