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was frequently observed near Auschwitz. Did you yourself notice it?
A. Yes. I recall that two or three times, in going from the city of
Auschwitz towards the west, over Neuberoun to Katowice — that is a road
running north of the concentration camp Auschwitz, where I passed frequently
— that these two or three times I noticed a special odor there that I
wasn't able to place. My driver — that was in the summer of 1944 —
thought that that was from the crematorium, as people said, where bodies were
being burned. During the same conversation, he told me that it was said that in
the last few months a great many people had been sent to the camp —
sometimes whole families. Of course, I don't remember the exact words of this
conversation, but he certainly did not express any suspicion which would
justify concluding a criminal connection; but, nevertheless, because of his
remark I decided to go to the SS authorities — that is, the commandant at
Monowitz — on the next occasion and investigate the talk that was going
around. I did so when I came back from my trip. I happened to meet SS Captain
Schwarz one day and spoke to him about it. I asked him whether these two things
that I had been told were true, and he admitted frankly that the odor came from
the cremating of bodies. He explained this with the high mortality rate in the
camp resulting from the typhus fever epidemic which had actually never come to
an end and other epidemics which had come ill from the East. He also confirmed
that women and children had been brought there, but he assured me that they
were kept in a special camp for women. As a result of these frank statements, I
had no reason to doubt the truth of what he told me.
Q. Now the final
question of this subject. You are testifying under oath that there is no one
who told you even rumors indicating the extermination of human beings by gas,
or in other ways; is that your testimony?
A. Yes, that is my testimony.
It is quite impossible that any one talked to me about gassing and
extermination, or told me anything about it, because I remember very well that
I heard of this matter in May 1945 from a cousin of mine in Halle, after I
returned from Saxony. She had, heard the horrible news on the radio and then
told me about it, and I remember how I laughed at her; I said, “Do you
really believe that?” and I boasted that I had been there and I ought to
know. |
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PRESIDING JUDGE SHAKE: Anything further from the defense? Then the
prosecution may cross examine.
MR. MINSKOFF: If it please the court,
there will be no question by the prosecution.
PRESIDING JUDGE SHAKE:
Very well. The examination of the defendant is concluded. He may leave the
witness stand. |
805 |
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