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[men…] tioned by me above. This was the feeling and attitude of
the entire Direktorium. I may mention at this juncture that, when the question
of the projected erection of suitable barracks for foreign workers arose, Mr.
Loeser repeatedly showed grave concern from the standpoint of his department,
i.e., the financial standpoint. If I am being asked whether or not the member
of the Direktorium, Mr. Erich Mueller, had a special positive influence on the
employment of foreign workers, I cannot answer the question in the affirmative
in this form. It is merely correct, that Mr. Erich Mueller was directly exposed
to the pressure of the authorities in Berlin through his direct dealings with
them following the forcing of the production program and consequently, the
forced utilization of foreign manpower. Hence, it was he, who reported and
passed on this pressure to the Direktorium. After a certain time at least it
was clear to everyone that the Russian civilian workers were not voluntary
workers in the true sense of the word and this circumstance caused the
above-mentioned inherent dislike of the Direktorium to become more profound.
The natural objection of the Direktorium to the employment of foreign
especially involuntary workers described before found more pronounced
expression when later, again under the pressure of external circumstances,
manpower requirements had to be covered by the utilization of concentration
camp inmates. I believe in 1944 an official announcement was made to the effect
that other workers than prisoners of concentration camps will no longer be
considered. Under this pressure the Direktorium therefore had to be satisfied
to cover each and every urgent need of manpower in this manner. These are the
great outlines of the policy followed by the Direktorium as regards the
procurement of foreign or involuntary workers. As to the details of the methods
used in drafting foreign especially involuntary labor, I will give a full
account in the ensuing portion of this statement, as far as the circumstances
are known to or remembered by me.
2. With particular reference to the “Berthawerk” in
Markstaedt near Breslau, it is a fact that for the construction work preceding
the opening of this plant, that was in about 1942, the labor of a great many
prisoners of concentration camps was being utilized, which was known to me
personally as well as to the Direktorium But I must add that I do not know
whether the utilization of concentration camp prisoners during the construction
period of the “Berthawerk” was either caused or carried out by the
Krupp firm or whether it occurred in the proper course of operations by the
“Organization Todt” under Minister Speer which was entrusted with the
execution of the construction work. I do not believe that in the beginning of
operations the labor |
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