 |
the head office of the Reichsfuehrung SS, and stated that it had been
promised that 700 prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp would be
assigned to the building site for labor and that an attempt would be made by
the head office to procure an exchange with other concentration camps so that
skilled workers might be transferred to Auschwitz. All available free labor in
Auschwitz was also to be utilized.
On 7 April 1941, a founders' meeting
was held at Kattowitz [Katowice] to commemorate the founding of the plant at
Auschwitz [NI-11117, Pros.
Ex. 1430]. Reich officials of the Office of Industrial Planning and the
Office of Economic Planning were apparently in charge of the meeting. They
called for plans and reports regarding Auschwitz. Ambros was present with
information concerning the buna plant. Buetefisch, whose functions in
connection with Auschwitz dealt with fuels, including gasoline, reported that
the Fuerstengrube mines would furnish coal supplies for Auschwitz. The report
also states: |
| |
“By order of the
Reichsfuehrer SS extensive assistance from the Auschwitz concentration camp had
been promised for the building period. The camp commandant, Sturmbannfuehrer
Hoess, had already made arrangements for the employment of his men. The
concentration camp would supply prisoners for preliminary work and craftsmen
for carpentry and fitting; it would also assist the plant in the feeding of the
building workers and would supply the building site with gravel and other
materials.” |
The construction of the Auschwitz plant began in 1941. The Jewish
population of the area was evacuated, as were many of the resident Poles [NI-1240, Pros. Ex. 1417]. Their
houses were utilized as quarters for construction workers. Farben did not
handle the construction work directly but made contracts with construction
firms. These firms, however, called upon Farben to assist in procuring labor.
Labor procurement was a Farben responsibility. Free workers were not available
in sufficient numbers to cover the requirements of the construction firms.
On 23 October 1941, at a meeting of the Plastics and Rubber Committee
attended by ter Meer and Ambros, the recorder of the committee reported on the
state of construction work at Auschwitz. With respect to labor he
said: |
| |
“At present 2,700 men are
working on the building site. The support given by the concentration camp
Auschwitz is very valuable. This camp made available 1,300 men and all of its
workshops.” |
| By the end of 1941, the construction at Auschwitz was not proceeding
satisfactorily. At the fourteenth building conference, held on 16 December 1941
[NI-11130, Pros. Ex.
1445], bottlenecks at the con- [...struction] |
1182 |
. 
