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[Vermit…] tlungsstelle W. I must explain why in Document
NT-5187, Prosecution Exhibit 334,¹ book 12, an erroneous statement is
made. This matter was already stated by Dr. von Knieriem when he was examined.
We in Kransberg were not clear about which occurrence was decisive. Was it the
tasks to be turned over to the Vermittlungsstelle W with respect to the
registration of patents abroad and with respect to the licensing of know-how,
or was it the suggestion of Professor Krauch to use Vermittlungsstelle W (which
he had formerly used in Berlin for his own purposes), to place it also at the
disposal of Sparte II and Sparte III in order to carry through the tasks of the
Mob plans with the competent governmental authorities? I do know, and I knew at
the time, that Dr. Krauch asked me about this matter on the occasion of a
meeting at Frankfurt, and I know that Dr. Krauch asked me to send one of my
gentlemen there in order to represent Sparte II. I did that, as becomes
apparent from the documents of the prosecution. I sent a circular to the plants
of my Sparte II.2 The only thing about which we were not clear in Kransberg was
the period involved. Was this conversation the decisive date for the foundation
of the Vermittlungsstelle W, or was it the law with respect to high-treason.
That's why, in the affidavit, the wrong date is mentioned for the foundation.
In the same way, as a result of my insufficient knowledge about the
mobilization plan, such matters are not illustrated sufficiently.
Q.
Well, you have told us about that before. I don't think we need go into that
again. You said just now that you sent Dr. von Bruening [sic] to Berlin to
represent Sparte II. Will you tell us please who Dr. von Bruening was?
A. Dr. von Bruening was a chemical man in the Hoechst plant. He was a
son of one of the former owners. It [the plant] was formerly called Meister
Lucius und Bruening, and he had a reputation as an efficient technical and
chemical expert. I really wanted to train Dr. von Bruening for a more important
and greater field of tasks later, and it was my habit to entrust these
gentlemen with some specific task. I would take them into the TEA office for a
year, or I would send them into another plant, giving them a specific job to
do. When the question of Vermittlungsstelle W came up I sent Herr von Bruening
to Berlin in order to have him handle that job. That would acquaint him and
bring him into contact with a number of matters with which. |
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1 Document has not been
reproduced herein. It is a long affidavit of the defendant ter Meer which
incorporates a number of written statements or reports by several of the
defendants in late 1945 and early 1946, when a number of Farben officials were
confined, particularly in Kransberg prison. This explains such statements in
ter Meer's testimony as "We in Kransberg" and "We were not clear in Kransberg,"
etc.
2 See Document NI-4627. Prosecution
Exhibit 129. reproduced in 2 above
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