"Distribution: High Command of the Navy-Medical Department. High Command of the Navy-Department for Research, Inventions and Patents. Research Operation of the Reich Minister for Aviation and Supreme Command of the Luftwaffe.
then we have here "For Information of: "--I didn't notice this, Your Honor, until just now. I obviously have had Page 15 of this Document Book and Page 16 are in the wrong order. Page 15 should follow Page 16 where I have just read, "The commission which has to determine the conditions for the series of experiments still to be conducted is composed as follows: "--And on the top of Page 15 it starts with the Commission.
Page 4 of the original German Document, which is Page 17 of Your Honors' Document Book, gives the distribution list of the reports of these meetings. It's quite interesting, Your Honors.
"Medical Experimentation and Instruction Division of the Air Force Jueterbog." This Your Honors will remember was the same Schaefer who was listed in Document NO-402 which was offered as Prosecution Exhibit 93 the other day by Mr. McHaney as the place from which the defendant Schaefer came; also, the defendant Schaefer is listed in this report, and now on the distribution list is his organization, which by the way was also the same organization that Holzloehner of the freezing experiments came. This right indicate the reason for Schaefer being present at the freezing experiments converence at Nuernberg.
We also turn to the next on the distribution list, "Institute for Aviation Medicine, D.V.L., Berlin-Adlershof." That is Ruff's Institute--defendant Ruff's Institute.
We turn also--it goes down to the Reichsfuehrer-SS, and the Technical Academy in Vienna, which was the organization of Professor Eppinger. You will note this document was signed by C. Christensen, and immediately under that is a handwritten note, which isn't quite clear. It, however, indicates that the defendant Gebhardt comes into our picture in the sea water experiments. It shows the note "A-" and then the "RSHA," which is the Reich Main Security Office. And then a note, "Through asocial gypsies," and the name "Gebhardt." And the name Gebhardt underlined.
We now turn to Document No. NO-185 of Your Honors' Document Book, which is offered as Prosecution Exhibit No. 134. This is a letter from the defendant Schroeder to Heinrich Himmler requesting experimental subjects.
This letter is dated 7 June 1944. As you noted in the defendant Schroeder's affidavit, he said that this letter was prepared also by Becker-Freyseng and signed by himself.
"To the Reich Minister of the Interior and Reichsfuehrer-SS. Through the Reichsarzt-SS and Police.
"Highly respected Reich Minister:
"Earlier already, you made it possible for the Luftwaffe to settle urgent medical matters through experiments on human beings. Today I again stand before a decision, which, after numerous experiments on animals and also on voluntary human subjects, demands final resolution: "--I might call to the attention of the Tribunal the words "voluntary human subjects," which indicate that they have completed their work as far as possible on volunteers and now must resort to concentration camp inmates.-- "The Luftwaffe has simultaneously developed two methods for making sea water potable. The one method, developed by a medical Officer, removes the salt from the sea water and transforms it into real drinking water; the second method, suggested by an engineer, leaves the salt content unchanged, and only removes the unpleasant taste from the sea water. The latter method, in contrast to the first, requires no critical raw material. From the medical point of view, this method must be viewed critically, as the administration of concentrated salt solutions can produce severe symptoms of poisoning.
"As the experiments on human beings could thus far only be carried out for a period of four days"--obviously because they were working on volunteers at that time--"and as practical demands require a remedy for those who are in distress at sea up to 12 days, appropriate experiments are necessary.
"Required are 40 healthy test subjects, who must be available for 4 whole weeks. As it is known from previous experiments, that necessary laboratories exist in the concentration camp Dachau, this camp would be very suitable.
"Direction of the experiments shall be taken over by Stabsarzt lecturer Dr. Beiglbock, civilian profession: Chief Physician of the Medical University Clinic in Vienna (Professor Dr. Eppinger). After receipt of the basic approval, I shall list by name the other physicians who are to participate in the experiments. 484 "Due to the enormous importance which a solution of this problem has for soldiers of the Luftwaffe and Navy who have become shipwrecked, I would be greatly obliged to you, my dear Reich Minister, if you would decide to comply with my request.
Signature: Schroeder."
This letter obviously indicates the position and stand of the defendant Schroeder who at this time was the Chief of the Medical Services of the Luftwaffe. Here he is asking Himmler for experimental subjects and obviously realizes that the ultimate result is death.
I turn now to Page 20 of Your Honors' Document Book which is NO-179 offered as Prosecution Exhibit 135. This is a letter from the Reichsarzt-SS, Dr. Ernst Grawitz, to Heinrich Himmler, dated 28 June 1944, concerning experiments in the concentration camp instigated by the Chief of the Medical Service of the Luftwaffe, addressed to the Reichsfuehrer-SS Heinrich Himmler, Field Command Post. Obviously, the Reichsfuehrer-SS was on a trip at this time.
"Top Secret (Military) "Reichsfuehrer:
"The Chief of the medical Service of the Luftwaffe requests in the top secret (military) letter, enclosed herewith, that experiments be performed on prisoners in order to test two simple methods which seem to promise success for sea water potable.
"In accordance with your order of 15 May 1944, Reichsfuehrer, I have requested the opinion of SS-Gruppenfuehrer Professor Dr. Gebhardt, SS-Gruppenfuehrer Gluecks and SS-Gruppenfuehrer Nebe. They read as follows: "--You may turn back, Your Honors, at this time where Gebhardt was Chief Surgeion under the Reichsarzt-SS and there was an order existing that before any programs of experimentation took place, they must get the opinion of Professor Dr. Gebhardt. SS-Gruppenfuehrer Gluecks was in the WVHA. under Oswald Pohl and SS-Gruppenfuehrer Nebe was Chief of the Reich Criminal Police.
"1.) SS-Gruppenfuehrer Professor Dr. Gebhardt:
'I deem it absolutely right to support the Luftwaffe in every way and to place a general physician of the Waffen-SS at disposal to supervise the experiments.' 485 "2.) SS-Gruppenfuehrer Gluecks:
'Referring to the above letter, we report that we have no objections whatsoever to the experiments requested by the Chief of the medical Service of the Luftwaffe to be conducted at the experimental station Rascher in the concentration camp Dachau. If possible, Jews or prisoners held in quarantine are to be used.'
"3. SS-Gruppenfuehrer Nebe:
'I agree with tho proposal to conduct experiments on prisoners of concentration camps in order to evolve a method for making sea water potable. I propose taking for this purpose the asocial gypsy half breeds. There are people among them, who, although healthy, are out of the question as regards labor committment. Regarding these gypsies, I shall shortly make a special proposal to the Reichsfuehrer, but I think it right to select from among these people the necessary number of that subjects.
"Should the Reichsfuehrer agree to this, I shall list by name the persons to be used.
"To the proposal of the SS-Gruppenfuehrer Nebe to use gypsies for the experiment, I beg to raise an objection; to wit, that the gypsies being of somewhat different racial composition might possibly provide experimental results, which might not apply entirely to our men. It would, therefore be desirable, if such prisoners could be used for those experiments, as are racially comparable to European peoples.
"I request most humbly being granted your approval in order to start with the experiments.
"Heil Hitler:" Signed: "Grawitz."
And there is a handwritten note: "Gypsies and for control three others," Initialed: "HH"--initials of Heinrich Himmler.
You will note here the opinion of Grawitz when he states that "the gypsies being of somewhat different racial composition might possibly provide experimental results, which might not apply entirely to our men." It's interesting to note that they feel that experimentation on gypsies right not be the same as experimentation on the healthy European peoples, which might be comparable to the Nerdic race. 486
MR. HARDY: We now turn to Document No. NO-183 which is Prosecution exhibit 136 - a letter from the defendant Rudolf Brandt to Dr. Grawitz.
" To the Reichsarzt - SS and Police SS Obergruppenfuehrer Dr. Grawitz, B e r l i n Subject:
Experiments by the Chief of the Medical Service of the Luftwaffe.
Reference: Your Letter of June 28th 1944.
Obergruppenfuehrer!
The Reichsfuehrer-SS decided, that according to suggestion of SS-Gruppenfuehrer Nebe gypsies should be used for the experiments. In addition three other prisoners shall be made available.
Heil Hitler!
signed: Brandt SS-Standartenfuehrer" So now the Luftwaffe have experimental subjects available to continued their research on seawater.
This next document, your Honors, page 23 of your Document Book, is NO-182 and is offered as Prosecution exhibit 137. Just tho first slant of the defendant Sievers entering this picture - this is a letter from the defendant Sievers to Grawitz. Also a copy to 33-Standartenfuehrer Dr.Brandt for information. Addressed:
"To the SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Reich-Arzt-SS and Police Dr. Grawitz, Subject:
Experiments on the salubrity of seawater.
Refer: Your letter of July 11th 44.
Dear Obergruppenfuehrer!
I want to inform you about my talks with SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer Dr.Ploetner and Chief Physician Dr. Beiglboeck in Dachau on 20 July. There will be employed: 1 person in charge, 3 medical chemists, 1 female assistant, 3 ranks for supervision. Prospective time: 3 weeks. In our research station only the 40 experimental persons can be accommodated, otherwise there is absolutely insufficient room since the section Ploetner is fully occupied and work can't be interrupted.
Our laboratory is insufficiently equipped, since some essential equipment is wanting. In spite of serious difficulties the following agreement was arrived at:
1.) in the section Ploetner a desk will be reserved (in the laboratory).
2.) the remaining rooms will be placed at our disposal in our Entomological Institute for the time of three weeks. Wanting equipment must be provided by the Luftwaffe. Thus it will be assured that the female assistants can work in Dachau too, because the Entomological Institute is located outside the concentration camp.
3.) Billets must be arranged between the Chief Physician Dr. Beiglboeck and the Kommandantura, since we have no billets at our disposal.
4.) SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer Dr. Ploetner will give his assistance, help and advice He was, however, not selected for internistic guidance, because that is being done by the Luftwaffe Physicians themselves.
The experiments are to begin on July 23rd, if until then experimental persons are available and the camp commander is in possession of the order of the Reichsfuehrer SS, he needs. Dr. Beiglboeck himself wanted to get in touch with SS Hauptsturmfuehrer Frowein, Adjutant of the Reich-Arzt-SS on this subject I hope that this arrangement may permit a successful conduct of the experiments.
When the results are reported at the proper time, please arrange to point out the participation resp. assistance of the Reichsfuehrer SS.
With best regards and Heil Hitler!signed:
Sievers SS-Standartenfuehrer " This letter indicates that the defendant Sievers is here now making all arrangements for equipment, desks, everything to make it as easy as possible to conduct these experiments at Dachau.
This morning it was noted the witness Viewag said that he thought the Luftwaffe had an institute there. This is obviously the explanation for it.
The Military Institute which was at Dachau was under the control of Sievers. Here Sievers is setting apart a portion of that institute for use by the Luftwaffe to conduct those seawater experiments.
I now turn to Document no. NO-910 which is Prosecution exhibit 138. The next three exhibits, your Honor, are affidavits. These affidavits were obtained by our Document Chief from the Police Files in Vienna, Austria. They were sent to us as part of the Police Files and have been duly authenticated by our Document Chief. We have anticipated due to the fact that no certificate appears they would be questioned by defense counsel. They were received in due course of business and we offer them as true extracts of the Vienna Police files.
DR. STENBAUER: I objected strongly to the reading of document 910. In order to same time object at the same time to the reading of documents 911 and 912. Article 10, of the 7 -- even though Order 7, Article 10, establishes that the Tribunal is not bound any specific order of evidence, nevertheless the same article gives contain directions for the evidence. Such documents as this can be accepted in evidence including affidavits. If you look at the index of contents of Document Book 7 you will see that all three documents are listed as a affidavits. Then if you look at the documents themselves you will see that neither 910 or 911 indicates for whom these affidavits were given. One was taken down in Vienna and the other in Klagenfurt at different times. The least one could ask would be that there should be some mention of the authority or some warning to tell the truth to the person who is testifying here. This is not the case in any of these three documents. The last document, 912, is headed "Police Main Office, Vienna, State Police Department 3". It is true that in Article 7 or Order 7 records of interrogations can be accepted as evidence if they are given before an authority of one of the United Nations. My country, Austria, unfortunately does not belong to the United Nations. I am an Austrian lawyer and know Austrian laws. Evidence cannot be accepted taken before an administrative authority but only evidence taken before judicial authorities. Therefore, there is no obligation for these persons to tell the truth and not even any request to tell the truth. The witness Pillwein who wast the last one who was tested interests no especially.
If the Tribunal would only read these so-called affidavits I, as defense counsel, would not have the right to cross examine on the most important points. I have applied for Pillwein as a witness before this Court. I, therefore, ask that all three of these so-called affidavits not be admitted in evidence.
JUDGE SEBRING: Mr. Secretary General, will you pass out the original documents.
MR. McHANEY: If the Tribunal please, it appears that each time the Prosecution wishes to introduce an affidavit we will be faced with this same question. I would like to say a few words generally first on that subject before getting down to the three affidavits now in question.
We are making every effort to bring before this Tribunal witnesses to testify with respect to facts that they know of their own knowledge. However, Tie cannot bring before this Tribunal all the witnesses whom we have available to us. We have now examined, as I recall, two witnesses before this Tribunal. The witness Viewag consumed approximately four to six hours of the Tribunal's time, as I recall, and was cross examined by six or eight of the Defense Counsel. We propose to bring before this Tribunal between 15 and 20 witnesses. We also propose to ask this Tribunal to admit in evidence a substantial number of affidavits that have been taken from persons who were in a position to know the facts stated in the affidavits.
As to these three particular affidavits, you have heard the witness Viewag testify concerning the sea-water experiments. He also had hoped to present at the conclusion of this portion of the case another witness, Heinrich Stor, who will testify about the sea-water experiments. We will, therefore, have had two witnesses before the Tribunal regarding the seawater experiments. At the same time, we ask admission of three affidavits which are, in effect, cumulative evidence as to what the witnesses Vieweg and Stor have already testified or will testify to before this Court.
Obviously we cannot call into this Tribunal every person who has given an affidavit, and I submit that when the evidence given in the affidavit is cumulative, there is no reason whatsoever to refuse admission of the affidavit.
Now, as to the three particularly in question here, I think that it would be advantageous for us to look at them and see precisely what the objection is.
Now, Defense Counsel is apparently objecting that these affidavits are not sworn to; that is, that there is no notarization on the affidavits. Now, that is quite true. There is no notarization on them. Whether that is customary under Austrian law, I do not know. In our own country, affidavits, are, of course, generally excluded because they are hearsay. They are excluded because, firstly, it deprives the opponent of the right of cross-examination, and, secondly, because they are extra-judicial statements not given under oath.
Now, unfortunately, we here have an affidavit which is subject to both of those objections. Normally our affidavits are under oath. The reason these are not is because they were obtained, as Mr. Hardy explained, from the police files of the Austrian police, and the reason for that is because the defendant Beiglboeck was, as I understand it, at one time in the custody of the Austrian police. They conducted a very extensive investigation of this man, in the course of which they took the three statements which we now submit to the Court for admission.
Now, the only questions is whether these affidavits are admissible before this Court. The probitive value of them is something for Your Honors to decide, but I respectfully submit that they are certainly admissible under Ordinance Number 7, irrespective of the fact that they are not notarized or sworn to, an extra-judicial statement not under oath. The defendant will not have the right to cross-examine that man, but Article No. 7 clearly states that affidavits are admissible. I take it that it does not make any difference that both of the normal objections to hearsay are present in this case, while normally only one objection, the lack of the right of cross-examination, is present.
We got these affidavits only seven days ago, after considerable difficulty. We had no opportunity to any further into this matter, and so far as I can see we do not wish to call these three people here to testify because of the lack of time, and we do not think that it is necessary in view of the fact that we will have two witnesses testify to the sea-water experiments. 492
JUDGE SEBRING: What preliminary proof has been offered to this Tribunal that Document 910, purportedly signed by I. Bauer, is in truth and in fact the statement of I. Bauer?
MR. MCHANEY: Well, Your Honor, there is no proof of that at all, and I submit that there would be very little more proof of it if we add an attestation to the bottom of them. It would normally be given by a Notary public in Austria, about which, of course, this Tribunal and myself would have no knowledge at all, so unless he attached some certificate of some sort proving who he was, I would assume that we would be no further along even if there were an attestation on it.
JUDGE SEEDING: What preliminary roof is there that this in face was a statement taken by the police of Vienna?
MR. MCHANEY: The only thing that we would call proof on that would be the certificate that is attached to the original document now before the Court, certifying that it was taken from the file of the police department in Vienna; through the CIC detachment in Austria, in Vienna, we secured two files from the Austrian police force. We have the complete files. From those we removed these three statements.
JUDGE SEEDING: Do you state now that you have those files in your possession officially?
MR. MCHANEY: Indeed we do. They were sent to us by the CIC in Vienna.
JUDGE SEBRING: They are now in the possession of the Prosecution?
MR. MCHANEY: Sir?
JUDGE SEBRING: They are now in the possession of the Prosecution?
MR. MCHANEY: They are. I understand that the Vienna police have requested that they be returned. I do not think they have been returned.
JUDGE SEBRING: Could you produce them before the Tribunal?
MR. MCHANEY: I think we could, Your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will reserve its ruling until any such record has been produced before the Tribunal.
MR. MCHANEY: It is now just a few minutes before the noon adjournment, and I would like to raise only one other point that the Tribunal may wish to rule upon. 493 We now have in the Number jail a man by the name of Walter Neff, and the Tribunal probably has heard mention of his name in connection with some of the documents, particularly in connection with the high altitude and freezing experiments.
Walter Neff was first a prison assistant to Dr. Rascher and was in September 1942 pardoned by Heinrich Himmler and eventually put in a police reserve unit. We think that it would be desirable for the Tribunal to hear the testimony of Walter Neff in connection with the experiments of which he has knowledge in Dachau.
The Prosecution has duly served notice of the calling of Walter Neff on the Defense Counsel on last Saturday, about 12 o'clock. The Prosecution, however, is reluctant to call Walter Neff as its own witness. The reason we feel that way is because Neff may very well be indicted and tried in this courthouse for his participation in the experiments at Dachau, and we would not wish to be bound by what he might testify to in this Court, particularly with respect to what he might have to say about his own participation in those experiments.
On the other hand, he has more knowledge about what went on in Dachau, I think, than any other living man, and I think it might be very desirable for the Tribunal to hear what he has to say. I request, therefore, that Neff be called as a Court witness; that is, the witness of the Tribunal, and in that way the Prosecution would be free to examine him to any extent that might be necessary and also, if necessary, to impeach him? but, even more important, if he is later tried, we would not be in the position of having relied on his testimony before this Tribunal and then proceed to try him and perhaps submit proof at variance with what he had to say here, especially with respect to himself. I would ask the Tribunal to make a ruling on that.
I do not know when it would be convenient for us to call Neff--possibly late today or sometime this week. In any event, we have four Polish witnesses in Nurnberg now. We have two witnesses from Strassbourg. I would like for them to be able to testify this week so they would not have to stay in Nurnberg over the recess.
It might be that we would delay Neff's testimony, possibly until even after Christmas.
JUDGE SEBRING: Would it be your purpose, Mr. McHaney, in the event this witness was called to the stand and was required to testify, to use such testimony as might be elicited from the witness stand against the witness Neff in a subsequent prosecution?
MR. MCHANEY: Well, that does not concern me quite so much as the possibility that he will take a defensive attitude as to his own participation in these experiments. I think that at that point his testimony may come into doubt. I think it would be fair if he were warned before he testified that anything he might say here could be used against him. It is just difficult to foresee what we might want to do with respect to his testimony at a later date.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will now recess until 1:30.
(A recess was taken until 13:30 hours.)
AFTERNOON SESSION (The hearing reconvened at 1330 hours, 16 December 1946)
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
MR. McHANEY: If the Tribunal please, we were discussing, before the luncheon recess, the admission of documents Nos. NO-910, 911 and 912. I am prepared now to submit, for the inspection of the Tribunal, the files sent us by the police in Vienna, and I have marked in these files the places at which the original affidavits appear. If these affidavits can be admitted provisionally at this time, the Prosecution will endeavor to secure, from the Chief of Police or the official in charge of the Vienna police, an affidavit giving the circumstances under which these statements were obtained.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will examine the files you have just passed up.
The Tribunal is of the opinion that these documents may be received in evidence subject to some later proof of the authenticity of the documents be exhibit of proof from some official in Vienna. In view of that ruling, does any of the Defense Counsel desire to be heard in regard to the provisional admission of these documents?
DR. FRITZ SAUTER (Counsel for defendant Ruff): If it please the Tribunal I should like to ask that the name "affidavit" should be corrected. We are here concerned, according to what the Prosecution has said so far, with extracts from a police interrogation and we are not concerned with an affidavit I therefore ask that the Defense be given the possibility to examine the documents in order to enable them to test the authenticity and correctness of the statements set forth therein.
MR. McHANEY: I am not sure that I understood all the remarks made by the Defense Counsel. We shall, of course, be quite glad to afford him the opportunity to inspect the statements in the original. As to whether they should be called affidavits or reports, I do not see that is a matter great materiality. They are not called anything in the document book itself They are listed as affidavits in the index, but, of course, that is not a part of the record of these proceedings.
But we shall be glad to let him see the original reports.
THE PRESIDENT: As far as Exhibits 137 and 138 are concerned, they are simply what purports to be copies of signed statements made by certain persons whose names are signed to them. The last exhibit contains some sort of a copy of the certification that was taken before some officer. I would suggest that the matter be held in abeyance and the defendant's counsel be permitted to examine the records you have.
At the same time see what you can do toward supplementing these records unless the present records before the Tribunal are satisfactory to the defendant's counsel.
MR. McHANEY: Well, do you suggest then that we do not now offer these as exhibits?
THE PRESIDENT: I suggest the statements be offered at this time; that their admission in evidence be not ruled upon until defendant's counsel has had a chance to examine the documents which are now presented by the prosecution.
MR. McHANEY: For purposes of the record, would it be permissible for Mr. Hardy to offer these and read them into the record at this time and then have the formal ruling, perhaps tomorrow? Of course we won't be able to secure all affidavits from the Vienna police that soon.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, is it your purpose in making that suggestion simply to have a consecutive record?
MR. McHANEY: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: I think we might be allowed to read them in the record, subject to objection and later ruling of the court, whether they should remain in the record or whether they should be stricken from the record.
MR. HARDY: We will all turn to page 25 of Your Honor's document book. This is NO-910, which is offered as Prosecution Exhibit No. 138, provisional This is entitled "Ignaz Bauer, Wahringerstrasse, 162, born on 2 June 1908, interned in the Dachau Concentration Camp from June 1944 to June 1945, Prison #73059, Vienna, 16 March 1946."
Entitled "REPORT, Experiments of the Luftwaffe performed under the direction of the academic lecturer Dr. BEIGLBOCK in the Dachau Prisoners' Hospital Barracks in Summer 1944."
"In summer 1944, shortly after my transfer to Dachau from a French prison I worked in the infirmary of the Light Station where I did physical therapy and made electrocardiograms.
"I think that about the end of July a sick-room for experimental purposes was made available to the Luftwaffe.
Several series of experiments were carried out forcibly, each one on about 15 gypsies. There experiments were carried out in such a way that for 4 to 6 days those people did not get anything to drink or to eat except some saltwater (seawater).
"From the second experimental series on, I had, apart from some electrocardiogram, to test the electric excitability of muscles and nerves the patients and, therefore, had the opportunity to watch part of what was happening and to draw my own conclusions.
"The purpose of these experiments was:
"1. To find out how long it takes until a healthy human specimen without water and food, who at most is given some seawater, will fall in agony.
"2. to study thoroughly the symptoms of dying of hunger and of thirst.
"3. to test the effects of a serum, the composition for which is unknown to me, on the experimental subjects who were already dying.
"In the course of those hunger and thirst experiments, the patients were subjected to numerous tests, among others daily bloodletting and liver punctures were made. This was repeated frequently.
"Symptoms of death by hunger and thirst which were also perceptible to the layman were:
"Visible deterioration of the patients, nervousness, agitation which, some cases, mounted to the point of madness. (The raving people were tied to their beds.) Some of the patients showed signed of apathy and unconsciousness, In many instances, weakness of the heart could be observed.
"Subjectively the patients suffered from gnawing hunger and, above all from terrible thirst, which, through the drinking of waltwater, became even more painful. The thirst was so terrible that some patients did not hesitate to drink dirty water used for washing the floor. I saw one of these poor *** falling on his knees, begging in vain for water. Doctor Beigelbock was pity, One youth, who succeeded in getting some water to drink, was bound to his b* for punishment (whether by Beigelbock or another, I unfortunately do not now know; in any case, Beigelbock, as chief of this division, was responsible)."To all these bodily torments was aided the constant fear of death.
For they know that in other experiments at the real research station, the sadistic pseudoscientific curiosity of the SS had demanded constant sacrifice of lives. For this reason they all feared the same fate.
"When the patients lay, one by one, at the point of death, the aforementioned serum was injected, whereupon they recovered. But whether they be came completely well again after all those bodily sufferings and mental tortures, I do not know, for I did not get to see these people any more. It is true that it is not known to me whether, in the course of events, lasting injuries or deaths occurred, but I consider this quite possible. To these enfeebled people, each "transport", each hard labor meant sure death, even though they received supplementary nourishment two or three days before and after the experiments. Everyone, including Mr. Beigelbock, was aware of the fact that the nourishment in the camp was absolutely insufficient, that the t** and tempo of the work were murder us, and that the hygenic conditions and the conditions in the dormitories were beyond description.
"Were these experiments so important and so valuable for mankind in general that one was permitted to place human life at stake? Aside from the fact that one is not permitted to make harmful experiments on human beings against their will, as was done here, these experiments served only the waraims of the German Luftwaffe.
"Besides this, these experiments could have been carried out just as w** if animals had been used for the purpose. The findings would perhaps have b** even more accurate, but to these unscupulous representations of the master r** the "sub-humans" in the concentration camps were cheaper and more worthless than guinea pigs or dogs.
"I would only like to add that one day I met Professor Eppinger in the infirmary in Dachau; he came from the direction of the aviation experiment station, where he saw to it that he was well informed by his pupil and assistant, Beigelbock, about the status of his experiments."
Signed "I. Bau** We now turn to document NO-911, which is Prosecution Exhibit 139.
This is a statement of Joseph Tschofenig, Miesstaler Street 23, Klagenfurt, Austria.
"Klagenfurt, 7 February 1946.
"Questioned with regard to the occurrences at the Luftwaffe Experiment tion Station of Dachau Concentration Camp, under the direction of Stabarzt Dr. BEIGELBOCK, I make the following assertions:
"I can no longer establish the exact date, but during the summer of 1944 the above-named carried out experiments in which a large number of prisoners had to drink sea water in order to determine how long they could stand this. Previously there had already been a Luftwaffe Experimentation Station at Dachau, which was headed by the Munich doctor, Dr. RASCHER. Innumerable deaths resulted from these experiments. It was one of the most feared experimentation stations in the camp. In 1944, a change in the direction of the experimentation station was going on; Dr. PLOETTNER, an SS doctor who had formerly been active in the Malaria Station, became Dr. RASCHER's successor. A number of highly placed persons visited this station among others the Reich Chief of Physicians CONTI, Reichsfuehrer SS HIMMLER, and, in 1944, the Vienna University Professor EFFINGER, whose name was kept secret but who was recognized by a Viennese medical student by the name of LEBERSDORGER who was a prisoner there. EFFINGER could not help talking with him, tried to convince him of the high purpose of National Socialism and expressed surprise that he was to be found among these criminals. EFFINGER locked the experimentation station over and an agreement was reached with Dr. PLOETNER to open a new experimentation station. After the Professor's departure orders were soon received to make room in the prisoners' infirmary for the new station and arrangements were made that these experiments could begin shortly. 60 gypsies, brought from Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp especially for this purpose, were selected for these experiments. Prof. BEIGELBOCK came with a staff of three Luftwaffe assistants, and the experiments began.
As far as I knew in various methods; starvation diets to begin with, sea water and salt diets, salt injections, and so on. The tortures led to enfeebling of the body which resulted in loss of consciousness and, as far as I know, in one death.
"Even if occasionally the diet was improved, the people couldn't eat it. Some of the experimental subjects had cramps and manic attacks. BEIGELBOCK delivered these so-called troublemakes to the SS, which treated them in the manner customary in the camp. Through these measures of force he was successful, in that the experimental subjects actually drank the salt water. I was known that experimental subjects hurled themselves on the floor rags used by the hospital attendants and sucked the dirty water out of them and tried in every conceivable manner to secure potable water. As in all the experimentation stations, it was BEIGELBOCK's practice too to send those prisoners undermined by the experiments to the regular infirmary in order to conceal the number of deaths among the experimental subjects. The frequent letting of blood and the inefficiency with which this was done also led to severe damage. The experiments lasted about six weeks. During these experiments other scientists also came to Dachau occasionally. It was known to us prisoners that only these people participated in these experiments who, as proven National Socialists, had the confidence of Himmler's most immediate staff, for the additional sufferings of the patients created in connection with the experiments were so obvious as not to be reconcilable with a physician's conscience.
"On account of my position as responsible prisoner at the X-ray Station of the prisoners' infirmary, I was in a position to gain insight into the experimentation station which, however, could only be superficial since this experimental station was kept separated and especially guarded within the prisoners' infirmary. Just to give one example:
"A German political prisoners, a patient in the infirmary, observed from the window the occurrences at the low pressure chamber which was standing in the courtyard. He was taken out by Stabsarzt RASCHER, put into the chamber, and a few hours later his body was in the morgue.