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site. Now, Mr. Witness, I am wondering if you aren't being a bit
technical. Did you mean in the building site or did he oppose all beatings by
Kapos and SS of inmates? I'll make that clearer. Was the beatings he opposed of
inmates, the beatings by SS and Kapos on the, building site, or did he oppose
all beatings by the Kapos and SS?
A. I didn't completely understand the
question. It's not quite clear to me what you mean.
Q. You say he
opposed beatings of inmates by Kapos and SS on the building site. Now, is it
your testimony that it was only there that he opposed it or was he also against
its taking place off the building site?
A. In my opinion, Dr. Duerrfeld
could only speak of the case where an inmate was beaten within the jurisdiction
or area of the Farben plant. What happened to the inmates otherwise, neither
Dr. Duerrfeld nor any other person living outside of the concentration camp
knew.
Q. Now, Mr. Witness, do you recall whether in a meeting of the
construction conference in IG Auschwitz it was discussed that beatings of
inmates by the Kapos should not take place on the construction site because of
morale reasons and that beatings should be transferred to the concentration
camp? Do you recall such a discussion taking place?
A. At such
conferences where such things might have been discussed I did not participate
and I cannot imagine that such discussions took place. I consider it
impossible. At any rate, I cannot imagine, according to the picture that I had
of Dr. Duerrfeld, that under the chairmanship of Dr. Duerrfeld any such
conversation would have ever taken place.
Q. Mr. Witness, I show you
Document NI-14543 which is presently Prosecution Exhibit 1985,* and ask you
whether it refreshes your recollection that, the I. G. Farben construction
management was interested in not stopping the beatings of the inmates but
merely in transferring the beatings from the construction site to the
concentration camp?
A. Despite this document, I cannot remember ever
having heard anything like this. Perhaps I may give a brief comment.
Q.
Mr. Witness, if it doesn’t refresh your recollection as to what occurred
you have answered my question.
DR. SEIDL: I do not have this document
with me at the moment and I would suggest that at least the prosecution inform
us to what period of time this report refers in order to show whether the
defendant Dr. Duerrfeld was in Auschwitz at that time at all and. whether the
witness was in Auschwitz.
The document shows that this was in June
1942. Therefore at a time when the defendant Dr. Duerrfeld was not even in
Auschwitz yet.
WITNESS SCHNEIDER: May I make a remark!? |
__________
* Not reproduced herein.
851 |
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