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factory (automotive works) to the ELMAG plant. On 27 March 1943, a
meeting for that purpose was held in the Reich Armament Ministry in Berlin,
there being present the defendants Janssen and Eberhardt as well as other Krupp
officials, representatives of the Armament Ministry, of the German Civil
Administration for Alsace, and of ELMAG. Minutes of the meeting were recorded
by defendant Eberhardt and distributed to defendants Krupp, Mueller, and
Pfirsch.
Strenuous opposition was raised by the administrators for
Alsace and the ELMAG representatives to taking over the plants by the Krupp
firm, but transfer of the automotive factory from Essen to the ELMAG plant had
been decided upon and nothing could be done to alter the decision. The Krupp
representatives obtained a statement by the Armament Ministry, to the effect
that: “The entire plant at Mulhouse, Masmuenster, and Jungholz will be for
the credit and debit of Krupp * * *.” It was also determined that
“the construction of signals and of machine tools will be abandoned by
ELMAG; the construction of textile machinery is to be continued for the time
being.”
At a conference of Krupp officials in April 1943 attended,
among others, by the defendants Krupp, Eberhardt, and Janssen it was decided to
set up a new firm to operate the plant under lease from the old ELMAG company.
Under the terms of the lease signed for the Krupp firm by defendant Eberhardt
the management of the three plants in Mulhouse, Masmuenster, and Jungholz was
turned over to the Krupp firm for the duration of the war. The machinery and
fixed installations were to remain the property of ELMAG. Raw materials usable
by the Krupp firm were to be inventoried and paid for. The Krupp firm was
authorized to make such changes and modifications in the plants as were deemed
necessary for operation. When the terms of this contract were learned by the
administrator of the old ELMAG company he complained to the Armaments Ministry
that ELMAG, for which he was speaking as administrator, “considers itself
raped by the form of plant management contract chosen by the Krupp, A.G.”
The new firm of ELMAG G.m.b.H. which was 90 percent Krupp owned was
issued a permit to operate in Alsace, 27 April 1943. The civil administrator of
Alsace notified the administrator of ELMAG of the ceding of the plant to the
Krupp firm, effective 1 May 1943.
The program of war production
initiated by the German administrators was greatly increased when the Krupp
firm took over the plant. In addition to this heavy armament program the
production of military tractors by Krupp Krawa was added. Extensive
preparations were made for the production of 88 |
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