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[representa…] tions regarding other difficulties in
connection with foreign workers.
During the first one of these two
meetings I made a serious statement, with about the following wording:
“You must be careful that history some day does not consider you a
slave dealer.”
Whereupon Sauckel replied — “That is not
my intention, but I must procure the workers; that is my task.”
During the second conference, which took place several weeks before the
official recognition of my retirement from Krupp, I told Sauckel that I still
had the same misgivings as before, and I handed him an invitation to visit
Krupp’s.
Sauckel then came, I believe it was in March 1943, to
Essen. At the close of his short visit to Essen at that time, a conference took
place between him and a number of people at Krupp’s who held authority in
questions concerning workers.
I presume that at least the following
persons took part in this conversation: Goerens, Alfried Krupp, I (Loeser),
Erich Mueller, Houdremont, Ihn, Dr. Beusch, von Buelow, and also the head of
the technical construction department whose name I have forgotten. I don't
believe that Lehmann was present. Possibly Janssen participated too.
At
this meeting the different officials tried to show that the Krupp firm had done
everything possible to make its requests for workers in good time and to
provide board and lodging for them. The difficulties caused by the air raids
were also stressed in this meeting.
After hearing these reports Sauckel
had to admit that Krupp could not be blamed for anything.
I should like
to add to what I said before about Russian prisoners of war and civilian
workers, that the prisoners of war were, as far as board and lodging were
concerned, under the Stalag [prisoner of war camp] and that the Krupp firm only
had something to do with them [concerning food and quarters] if it received a
special directive from the Stalag. |
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4. Question — Regarding the question as to whether the
foreign workers employed with the Krupp firm were voluntary or involuntary
workers, and what was known to me concerning this matter, officially or
unofficially, through my own observation or from hearsay, I can say this —
4. Reply — As regards the western workers, especially the
French, I always thought they were voluntary workers. I still think that my
opinion at that time was correct. As for the Soviet |
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