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fixed for the lease. When the purchase was decided upon, Dr. Giesler
made a plan, on my orders, of how a rational expansion of Boruta could be
carried out, and during the decisive negotiations with the Main Trustee Office
East in Berlin, I presented these technical points of view. I have already
testified to that during cross-examination.
Q. What was the content of
this plan for the expansion of Boruta?
A. If we acquired Boruta we
would have to expend large sums of money to modernize it, to rationalize it,
and to produce new material, for otherwise we certainly would not be able to
keep it in operation. And that was the plan. We planned to start a number of
new productions and to modernize the machinery already functioning.
Q.
And what happened to the products of Boruta? Were they brought to Germany?
A. The Boruta was in the Warthegau, and the Warthegau was part of
Germany at that time. But the dyestuffs practically all remained in the
Warthegau, for Lodz is an important industrial center, and at that time the
textile industry in Lodz was working very busily. Then we supplied the Swiss
dyestuffs plant Pabjanicer (which Mr. Schwab mentioned), with intermediates,
because the Swiss gentlemen had asked us to help them to maintain their
personnel during the war. Part of the intermediates, however, went to Germany.
Q. At one time you said that in the autumn of 1942 you visited Boruta.
What did you do there?
A. After Farben had bought Boruta, a certain Dr.
Matzdorf, who had been appointed there by Dr. Schoener, became the plant
leader. I did not know this Matzdorf, and I wanted to see what he looked like.
And on that occasion, I also wanted to find out how the modernization was
progressing.
Q. How long were you in Lodz?
A. One day.
Q. What did you do there?
A. In the morning I inspected Boruta
and talked to Dr. Schoener and Dr. Matzdorf about the technical program,
production, new plants, et cetera. Dr. Matzdorf made a very favorable
impression on me. He was a calm, objective technical expert. In the afternoon,
I then visited one of the largest textile enterprises in Lodz, because the
textile articles it produced interested me. On the next day I left again.
Q. Did you visit any Party agency in Lodz, or did you visit the office
of the Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of Germanism in the East?
A. No. I would never have thought of that, even in my dreams.
Q. During your visit to Boruta did you notice any things that had to do
with the “Strengthening of Germanism”? |
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