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TRANSLATION OF
DOCUMENT NIK-7155
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT
1522 |
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| AFFIDAVIT OF FRANZ BEDUHN, A KRUPP WORKER, 20 MAY 1947, CONCERNING
THE TREATMENT OF RUSSIAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN KRUPP'S BOILER
SHOP¹ |
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I, Franz Beduhn, Essen-West, Breslauerstrasse 23, [crossed out and
changed by hand to] Mommsenstr. 31 having been cautioned that I render myself
liable to punishment by making a false affidavit, voluntarily and without
coercion, depose the following:
1. I have been engaged in the boiler
shop of the Krupp Company, with the exception of 2 years, 1931-1932, when I was
unemployed, since the year 1927, and still hold this position today,
2.
In July of 1942 I observed the following:
Four Russian prisoners had
orders from Buschhauer² to sweep out the barrel rolling shop. All four
prisoners were so much weakened by the poor nourishment that they could not
perform any physical work. Buschhauer picked out an especially weak man and
ordered him to move, by himself, the heavy iron blocks, which weigh nearly 1000
pounds, so that these places too could be swept. The Russian made every
possible effort to carry out the order, but it was impossible for this poor
weak man to complete this work, because two strong men were barely able to move
these blocks. Buschhauer, who must have seen that he demanded something
impossible from the man, fell upon the prisoner and hit him in the face with
the fist. The Russian immediately collapsed. However Buschhauer did not leave
him alone, but kicked the poor man without mercy. He kicked him in the stomach,
in the neck, and in the back. In spite of the noise which is always present in
the boiler shop, I heard his moaning and wailing, but even that did not cause
the bestial Buschhauer to leave his victim alone; on the contrary, he kicked
his victim until I could look on no longer, and threw myself in between. I
appealed to his human sympathy, but this monster did not have any. On the
contrary, he yelled to me, “You take the side of the Russians and I shall
immediately report you.” That he really did, and I only owe it to the
understanding of the manager, that I was not turned over to the
Gestapo. |
__________
¹ Beduhn executed an
affidavit dated 4 May 1948 (Lehmann Doc. 140. Def. Ex. 1767) which was
introduced by the defense and he appeared as a defense witness. Extract of his
affidavit and testimony for the defense are reproduced below in section VIII G
3.
This earlier affidavit (NIK-7155, Pros. Ex. 1515) was
introduced by the prosecution during its cross-examination of Beduhn.
² Buschhauer was a Krupp worker who supervised and checked the
work of Russian prisoners of war in the boiler construction department.
1269 |
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