. NMT06-T0333
Volume VI · Page 333
| A. I can consider that quite possible, although I didn't discuss it with him. | |
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| Q. You said before, Herr von
Schroeder, that one might easily have stayed away from the Circle of Friends,
and that it was also possible to pay or not to pay according to one's own wish;
did I understand you correctly? A. Yes. Q. How was one admitted to this Circle of Friends? A. By Keppler's request. Q. Was that Keppler or Kranefuss? A. Kranefuss — I would call him the secretary, and Keppler was the head of the club. If Kranefuss, who managed this thing very actively, made some suggestion to admit somebody into the Circle, then Keppler probably would have followed these suggestions. However, the head and president of the club, if you want to call it a club, was Keppler, who requested and who also expressed his approval for the admittance to this club. Q. That was true at first. Was that true all the time? A. It is difficult to say, since it was not a club and since members were not listed anywhere officially, whether one was a guest or whether one was invited by Keppler or Kranefuss. It was not a closed society. I believe that this Circle is considered in a much too important light. It was a quite harmless and social function of businessmen who had found each other in the course of years and who found it necessary to talk to each other and to see each other. |
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| JUDGE RICHMAN: These
contributions kept up right until 1945, did they not? WITNESS VON SCHROEDER: No, until 1944. I believe that 1944 was the last year in which any contributions were made. If it is 1944 — it may be 1943; yes, 1943 for sure — probably also in 1944. Q. In what cultural activities was Himmler engaged in 1944 or 1943? A. His main activities were the excavations and reconstruction of the Wewelsburg, for the reconstruction of which he had demanded a credit of 9,000,000 Reichsmarks which was to be paid back gradually by these contributions. Q. That was going on in 1944? A. Yes, sir. JUDGE RICHMAN: All right. |
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