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those two transports, this had not been done, although I had notified
him immediately of these transports.
Dr. Jaeger did not discuss the
reasons for the ensuing deaths with me.
As I was bound to do, I sent
current reports on these events to the central camp administration. Mr. Kupke
visited the Voerde camp and the children’s home several times. When he saw
the children belonging to those two transports, he said that these children
should not have been admitted, as it was evident that they were sick.
When the deaths ensued, he asked me repeatedly whether Dr. Jaeger had
visited the home and examined the children. My answer was in the affirmative.
Mr. Kupke showed sincere sympathy with the sick and dying children. At
every visit, he urged me and the nursing staff particularly to do whatever we
were able to.
For the sick children I always picked out the best and
most experienced nurses, in order to ensure that the children were nursed as
well as possible. As a matter of fact, we eventually succeeded in reducing the
number of deaths and improving the physical state of the children from week to
week. I expressly state that neither Dr. Kolesnik, nor Dr. Jaeger, nor any
other persons, ever implied by a single word that the sickness and the deaths
of the children in Voerde had been caused by insufficient accommodation,
insufficient food, or otherwise by insufficient care for the children.
When the first cases of diphtheria occurred in the fall of 1944, Dr.
Jaeger at once secured the necessary serum; I believe he got it in the district
hospital in Dinslaken. At the same time, several other physicians and nurses
visited the children’s home and inspected it closely, among them, I
believe, the district medical officer of Dinslaken. In my capacity as camp
manager, I attended this inspection, and so did Dr. Jaeger. This commission
then told me that the installations and management of the children’s ward
could be considered a model. At this occasion, too, not one word was said which
implied that the epidemics had been caused by any negligence from the part of
the management of the children’s ward.
After this medical
inspection, the children’s ward was inspected by a delegate of the German
Labor Front whose name was Foerst I believe. I had to give him and his
assistant a comprehensive report. In conclusion, he stated that the
children’s ward was a model installation.
Essen, 27 April 1948
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| [Signed] JOHANN WIENEN |
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