. NMT06-T0295
Volume VI · Page 295
| A. No. I have no definite clue
for this estimate. It's just my memory. Q. From the other witnesses who have already been heard here we have heard that up to a time which I would put at 1937, you really only met altogether on the occasion of the Party rally on 9 November. I want to confront you with this statement. A. Well, I think this is entirely the same as what I have said. PRESIDING JUDGE SEARS: Did you remain in the Circle as long as it met? WITNESS KEPPLER: I personally, yes. Q. It had monthly meetings for a number of years in Berlin? A. Yes. That is what I said previously. Q. Yes. What I was going to ask you A. Every second Wednesday in the month the gentlemen who were in Berlin or could arrange to be there met. Q. Well, did you attend a great many of the meetings? A. Yes, Your Honor, most of them. Q. Schacht dropped out of the Circle? A. Schacht was originally in the Circle because of the special wish of Hitler, but later on he was no longer invited. Q. When did he cease to be invited? A. Well, I can't say for certain, but if I remember rightly he was still invited to the Party rally in 1933, and I think it would have been during the course of 1934 that one refrained from inviting him any further. JUDGE RICHMAN: Kranefuss originally was just an arranger for these meetings. After that he took a more important part in the meetings, did he not? In other words, his activity increased as years went on? WITNESS KEPPLER: I haven't understood all of it. Well, Kranefuss I knew when he was a boy. We used to work together in the same firm for some time. Then in 1933 and 1934, perhaps even in 1932, he worked in my firm, but he later left it. He joined the industry but was always taking care of the Circle of Friends. As I mentioned before, he was a friend of Himmler's and he was the aide of Himmler and later always discussed the questions of the Circle with Himmler. JUDGE RICHMAN: He was Himmler's friend toward the end rather than yours, isn't that right? WITNESS KEPPLER: Kranefuss, you mean? Yes, he was much closer to Himmler than to me in the end |
|
| . | |
| * * * * * * * * * * |
