. NMT05-T1175
Volume V · Page 1175
| demolition was inaugurated by Stroop, Himmler wrote directly to Pohl, with a copy to Krueger (NO-2514, Pros. Ex. 500) as follows: |
"(1) I am giving the order to establish an X concentration camp in the ghetto of Warsaw. |
| From these documents, it appears
conclusively that Pohl was by no means a mere salvage contractor who was
brought in to clear up the rubble after the destruction of the ghetto had been
accomplished. The establishment of concentration camps, the elimination of
private Jewish firms, the displacement and transfer of the entire Jewish
population of the ghetto, of which Pohl had notice and in which he was ordered
to participate and cooperate, are all antecedent to his final task of razing
the buildings in the ghetto. In July, Pohl reported to Himmler that he had
appointed Goecke as commandant of the new concentration camp established by
Himmler's order in the Warsaw ghetto, and pledges the closest collaboration
with Stroop. The contention of Pohl that his only participation in the Warsaw program was to clean up the rubble, after the demolition had been accomplished by others not connected with him, is incontrovertibly refuted by these exhibits. Counsel for Pohl takes exception to the phrase in the judgment. "great industrial empire" (Tr. p. 8080). This empire, he contend, consisted of the Deutsche Erd- and Steinwerke (DEST), the Deutsche Ausruestungswerke (DAW) and about 35 medium sized plants, employing less than 40,000 workers. In his closing argument (p. 148), counsel states that this activity involved the administration by WVHA of 13 concentration camps and about 500 labor camps. In his brief he states that in the last half of 1944, there were 12 concentration camps and 504 labor camps, in which 650,000-700,000 prisoners were employed. The Tribunal feels that the phrase "great industrial empire" is not a misnomer as applied to enterprises of this scope and magnitude. On transcript page 8082 of the original judgment, the Tribunal stated: |
