 |
A. Do you think that the [deputy] camp commander Gerlach would have
taken it lying down?
Q. Did [deputy] camp commander Gerlach have any
authority over you — disciplinary authority?
A. No, he
didn’t. But in spite of that I would not have dared to do anything about
it. Gerlach was a brutal person not only toward the prisoners but also toward
the Germans in every respect.
Q. Do you know of cases where Germans
were locked into the cupboard?
A. No.
Q. Did you hear otherwise
of such incidents?
A. No.
Q. The incident you witnessed
yourself was the only one of its kind until Americans marched into your town?
A. Yes.
Q. Before the time mentioned by me did you ever talk
with anyone about this incident — with fellow workers, with friends, or at
home among your family circle?
A. Yes, I think so.
Q. With
whom?
A. I probably told it to my present wife.
Q. What about
your fellow workers?
A. No, I didn‘t dare, really.
Q. And
if you state today that you coined the term “cage” for this cupboard,
then this expression only refers to a time when after the American troops
occupied your city?
A. Cage? No. I saw the female eastern worker locked
into the cupboard and I myself said “this is a cage.” I don’t
know the reason exactly. Well, because an animal — a bird — you lock
into a cage. At least in such a cage, or something similar.
Q. One more
question, Witness. Do you know that by virtue of many express instructions by
the plant management of Krupp it was strictly prohibited to mistreat foreign
workers including eastern workers?
A. I heard of it from fellow workers
who talked about it if one or the other of the workers was beaten, but I didn't
see any posters, or publications, or bulletins about it.
Q. Besides the
two incidents of mistreatment described by you — the steel cupboard and
this somewhat stormy awakening of the eastern workers — can you tell us of
any other cases of mistreatment witnessed by you?
A. There was a Pole
who stayed away from work for 2 or 3 days because he couldn’t walk in his
clogs because they were too |
938 |
. 
