"Dear Hubert:
"After a long search I finally found the particulars you desired. Since this matter is still being dealt with by another office I can merely tell you in which journals Dr. Madaus's articles appeared.
"In the 'Journal for the Entire Experimental Medicine,' special print from Volume 109, 1st number, you will find an article 'Experimental Studies on Animals on the Question of Medicamental Sterilization. Another article headed 'Magic Plants in the Light of Experimental Research' appeared in the 'Umschau,' Frankfurt, vol. 25 of 21 September 1941. You will certainly get these journals in Berlin.
"I like this place out here very much and have already recovered from the Herlin hardships."
"Best regards, "Heil Hitler!"Here next is Document Number NO-047, which will be Prosecution Exhibit 145, a letter dated 23 April 1942, again from the personal staff of Himmler, This time to the Chief of the Security Police, and the Security Service, SS-Obergruppenfuehrer HEYDRICH, Berlin:
" "Enclosed I am transmitting copy of a report on the studies of experiments on animals regarding the question of sterilization by medicine with the request that it be duly noted."
Here we see that Himmler's Office Personal Staff is writing these letter to various other offices within the SS, advising them of the experiments to be carried out.
The next Document, Number NO-037, will be Prosecution Exhibit 146. This is from the Defendant Brandt, Rudolf Brandt, dated 20 April 1942 to the Reich Physician SS, Berlin.
"I am sending you enclosed a copy of a memorandum by Dr. Pokorny with a request to take note of it.
"Dr. Madaus' publication 'Experimental Study of the Question of Medicinal Sterilization of Animals' appeared in the 'Journal for the Entire Experimental Medicine,' special reprint from Volume 109, book 1, while the article 'Magic Plants in the Light of Experimental Research' was printed in the 'Umschau' (Review) of Frankfurt, 25th year, Book 38 of 21 September 1941."
"By order "(signed) B.R."Those are the initials of Rudolf Brandt.
The next document also still speaks of the Madaus publications. This is Document Number NO-038 and will be Prosecution Exhibit 147. The date on this letter is just given as June, 1942. This also is from the defendant Rudolf Brandt to SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl, Berlin.
"Dear Obergruppenfuehrer:
"On 10 March 1942 the Reichsfuehrer-SS sent you a memorandum written by Dr. Pokorny and the publication of Dr. Madaus on medical sterilization. In cooperation with the Reich Physician-SS experiments were to be made accordingly.
"The Reichsfuehrer-SS inquired today as to how the things were standing. I would appreciate getting information soon."
"Heil Hitler Your R. Brandt."
The next document is No. NO-046 a, and will be prosecution Exhibit No. 148, and this gives us Pohl's report on what is being done. It is dated June 3, 1942, from Oswald Pohl to Himmler, Subject "Sterilization by means of Drugs." It says, "Re: Your letter of 3 October 1942." Your Honor, that obviously must be 1941. It should read March 10, 1942. "To the Reichfuehrer SS. "Dear Reichfuehrer: In reference to the above matter I had a conversation today with the director of the Biological Institute of Dr. MADAUS & Co., at Radebaul/Dresden, Dr. phil. et med. Dr. E. KOCH.
I advised him of your desire to have publications on this subject discontinued for the time being. Dr. KOCH will comply with your request.
Furthermore, experiments have reached a dead point because the "Schweigrohr" grows only in North America and during the war cannot be exported in adequate quantities. Dr. KOCH's attempt to grow this plant from seed cultivated in hothouses have been successful, it is true; but the process is very slow and the yield is not sufficient to permit carrying on experiments on a large scale.
Dr. KOCH is hopeful that this will be remedied if it were possible for us to obtain permission for him to build a larger hothouse. I promised him this. For the time being this is the first and only practical step to promote the project.
I shall continue reports periodically.
Heil Hitler!
s/ Pohl."
JUDGE SEBRING: Mr. McHaney, will you refer again to the dates in your letter or document you have just read?
MR. McHANDY: The date, as I take it, is March 10.
JUDGE SEBRING: 1942?
MR. McHANDY: That is right, yes, sir.
JUDGE SEBRING: Then it refers to your letter of August 3, 1942; isn't that rather an impossible situation?
MR. McHANEY: I didn't understand the last, Your Honor.
JUDGE SEBRING: You say the letter is dated March 10, 1942?
MR. McHANEY: No, Your Honor, this letter is dated June 3, 1942.
JUDGE SEBRING: You say the correct date is 10 March 1942?
MR. McHANEY: No, the date I was correcting is contained in the reference within the letter itself. It originally read "Your letter of 3 October 1942." Do you find that, sir?
JUDGE SEBRING: Then it is the back of the letter, at the time it was received, 3 June 1942; is that correct?
MR. McHANEY: That is correct, sir. This letter, of course, indicated that difficulties are being experienced, and as we shall see happily enough the difficulties continued; but it does indicate they have been able to cultivate the plant on a small scale in hothouses, and that, in fact, they have carried out experiments, although, as stated, not on a large scale. And the subsequent documents show us they extended their efforts to close this plant by getting larger hothouses and they made efforts to produce the effective ingredients scientifically.
The next document, No. NO-046 b, will be prosecution Exhibit No. 149. This is a letter from the personal staff of Himmler, dated 11 June 1942. The translation notes the signature of sender illegible. It was sent to Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl. I think the letter is from Rudolf Brandt, since he was Obersturmbannfuehrer on the staff of Himmler, and the Court will also see his familiar initial "R" on this document.
Your Honors may wish to look at this document, which concerns medical sterilization.
"Dear Obergruppenfuehrer:
"I have informed the Reich Leader SS of your letter of 3 June 1942. He asks you to see to it without fail that a large hot-house is set up as soon as possible for Dr. KOCH. He considers the experiment extremely important.
"The Reich Leader SS asks you to continue to send in further reports.
Heil Hitler" and the signature is illegible.
The next exhibit, No. NO-044, which will be Prosecution Exhibit No. 150. This is a file memo written by defendant Rudolf Brandt, dated 22 June 1942. It is headed "Document reference."
"During a consultation of the Wewelsburg on 19 June 1942 with SS-Obergruppenfuehrer POHL, I mentioned, among other things, the desire of the Reichsfuehrer to investigate still more thoroughly what the ingredients are of the American plant SCHWEIGROHR which may be considered for sterilization. The Reichsfuehrer SS wished it to be determined if similar effective ingredients are contained in the plants which are to be found here or in any area accessible to us in Europe.
"The present support of the work of Dr. KOCH of the MADAUS Institute shall be continued to the fullest extent.
"The Reichsfuehrer SS also requests that with the ingredients of this plant on hand sterilization experiments should now in any case be carried out in the concentration camps.
SS Obergruppenfuehrer POHL agreed to take the necessary steps at once."
Signed "Brandt."
The next document will be No. 050. It is Prosecution Exhibit No. 151. This is a letter written by a man named Fischer, who is not the defendant Fischer in the dock. It is written to the Reich Main Security Office, that is the RSHA and is directed particularly - IV B 4, Attention of SS-Sturmbannfuehrer Guenther, dated July 4, 1942 "With reference to our telephone conversation of 1 July 1942, I am transmitting to you the enclosed photostats of Dr. MADAUS' work.
May I request you to work in closest collaboration with the agency of SS-Obergruppenfuehrer POHL in this matter."
Signed "Fischer."
I would like to call the Court's attention to the characters IV B 4. That refers to the attention of the department within the RSHA which was the Reich Main Security Office, the Chief, which at that time was Heydrich, who was assassinated in 1943 in Czechslovakia. This particular department, IV B 4 was headed up the missing Adolf Eichmann. Eichmann, in this department having to do with the so-called Jewish question, which meant the extermination of the Jewish population in Europe. This man Gerland, to whom the letter was addressed, one of the so-called subordinates in the department. The reason it was addressed to him, this method of sterilization would be a solution to the Jewish question.
The next document, No. 051 which is Prosecution Exhibit No. 152, is dated the same date, 4 July 1942, and is also a letter from Fischer to the defendant Rudolf Brandt in the headquarters of the Fuehrer.
"I am sending you the enclosed copy of my letter to SS Sturmbannfuehrer Guenther of 4 July 1942 for your attention."
The next document No. 039, which will be Prosecution Exhibit No. 153, and we see that approximately 9 months after the date of Pokorny's letter suggested this planning of medicinal sterilization, that another man by the name of Gerland has gotten the same idea, and is now translating it to Himmler.
This letter is from the Deputy Gauleiter of the Lower Danube, who is K. Gerland. Your Honor will find his name translated at the end of the document on Page 18 of the Document Book, as K. Gund. That is obviously a mistake, as you will see from the next document that will go in, which was a reply from Rudolf Brandt to the letter I am about to read, and which is addressed to K. Gerland.
Prosecution Exhibit No. 153 reads as follows:
24 August 1942 "Sir, At the order of Gauleiter Dr. JURY, his staff have hitherto busied themselves to a particular extent with problems of population and racial policy and problems of anti-social elements.
Since the prevention of reproduction by the congenitally unfit and racially inferior belongs among the duties of our National Socialist racial and demographic policy, the present Director of the District for Racial Policy, Gaunauptstellenleiter Dr. FEHRINGER, has examined the question of sterilization and found that the methods so far available, castration and sterilization, are not sufficient in themselves to meet expectations. Consequently, the obvious question occurred to him whether genital incapacity and sterility could not also be produced in both man and woman by the administration of medicine or injections. So he came to the studies of the Biological Institute of Dr. MADAUS in Radebeul-Dresden on animal experiments for medicinal sterilization which became accessible to him through the Madaus Annual Report, IVth year, 1940, and are of the highest interest for our demographic policy. MADAUS and KOCH found that caladium sequinum used in homaeopathic doses, that is, administered in infinitesimal quantities, favorably affects genital power, sterility and frigidity (sexual indifference), so that clinical and medicinal research should not proceed without regard to this fact. It was established by an extensive series of experiments on rats, rabbits and dogs that in the administration or injection of caladium extract male animals became genitally unfit and females unreceptive and it could thereby be determined what differences were manifest in the effects of the various methods of innoculation. From the animal experiments it seems that a permanent sterility is liable to result in male animals and a more temporary one in females.
"It is clear that these observations could be of tremendous importance if alterations of genital power of fecundity could also be successfully brought about in human beings by the administration of Schweigrohr extract. Research on human beings themselves would, of course, be necessary for this. Accordingly, the director of my Racial-Political Office points out that the the necessary research and human experiments could be undertaken by an appropriately selected medical staff basing their work on the Madaus animal experiments in cooperation with the pharmacological institute of the Faculty of Medicine of Vienna, on the persons of the inmates of the gypsy Camp of Lackenbach in the Lower Danube.
"It is quite clear that such research must be handled as a nationally important secret matter of the most dangerous character, because enemy propaganda could work tremendous harm all over the world by the knowledge of such research, should it come by such knowledge.
"Since these considerations are only a theory, the fundamental accuracy of which has already been established by animal experiments and the possibility of the application of which to human beings is highly probable, a mere indication can only be given of the prospects of the possibility of the sterilization of practically unlimited numbers of people in the shortest time and in the simplest way conceivable.
"In this connection, I may perhaps point out that it would surely be worth while to study the science, of the old cults and of their priestly castes bearing on the promotion and prevention of the human genital faculty and fecundity. Primitive, primeval populations which are close to nature also had and still have a very extensive knowledge of this subject without these things being known to Science. It is known, for instance, that the natives of South America attempted to bring the power of their enemies to extinction by administering Schweigrohr (caladium seguinum) to them.
"I should be particularly thankful to you if you would give me your opinion in this respect when the occasion arises, or even order a concrete working plan to be submitted to you. Gauleiter Dr. JURY would personally have approached you with his plan were he not at present away on a vacation. Heil Hitler! Yours faithfully" (Signed) K. Gund.
I think it is marvelous to note that two people so widely separated as Mr. Gerland and Pokorny came up with such identical ideas.
The next Document is No. 040 - that will be Prosecution Exhibit 154. This is dated 29 August 1942 and is a reply by the defendant Rudolf Brandt to the letter, which I have just read. It is to the Deputy Gauleiter in Lower Danube: 521 "Dear Sir:
On account of the absence of the Reichfuehrer SS, who at present undertakes a long official trip in the Altreich, I am acknowledging your letter of 24 August. I can inform you that the subject of your inquiry addressed to the Reichfuehrer has already been known since last March and dealt with.
SS-Obergruppenfuehrer POHL and SS-Gruppenfuehrer Dr. GRAWITZ are attending to it.
"There are difficulties insofar as the plant in question grows only in North America and on account of the war is no obtainable in sufficient quantities. The growing in hot houses is a very tedious process and the yield does not seem sufficient to carry out the planned experiments on a larger scale.
"I would be very thankful if you could inform me, whether the plant in question is possibly at the disposal of Dr. FEHRINGER and what he considers the possibility of obtaining it.
"On the return of the Reichfuehrer SS I shall submit your reply together with your letter, a copy of which I have already forwarded to the SS-Obergruppenfuehrer POHL and SS-Gruppenfuehrer Dr. GRAWITZ. Heil Hitler! by order of (Signed) Brandt."
He sends a copy to Pohl and Grawitz and a third copy for information as we see on the next page.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will now stand in recess for fifteen minutes.
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
MR. McHANEY: If the Tribunal, please, we had reached Document NO-042, which will be Prosecution Exhibit 155. This is a letter dated 7 September 1942 from Oswald Pohl to Gerland, and is also in response to a copy of the letter which originally went to Himmler and which is our Prosecution Exhibit 153.
"Dear Comrade Gerland, I received today a copy of the letter of 29 August 1942 of the Personal Staff to your regarding caladium.
"I can inform you that at my suggestion the Reich leader SS took up this problem many months ago. Since that time we have been co-operating intensely with Dr. Madaus in Dresden-Radebeul, to whom the Reich Leader gave the exact order to continue the experiments with caladium as a special order and to abstain from any publication until the conclusion of these experiments and the exact results are on hand.
"I myself have personally instituted the negotiations with the director of the Biological Institute Madaus, Mr. Koch, and also supervise the experiments personally, together with the physician of Main Department, SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. Lolling.
"Only last Tuesday I was with him personally in Radebeul, where we have informed ourselves of the state of the experiments.
"I believe that the matter is continuing well, from your point of view also. If you are interested I shall inform you from time to time. Heil Hitler. Yours, Pohl", with a copy to the defendant Rudolf Brandt and a copy to Grawitz.
This letter was in reference to Prosecution Exhibit 154 rather than Prosecution Exhibit 153 as I previously stated.
The next document will be NO-041 which is Prosecution Exhibit 156. This is a letter from Oswald Pohl to the defendant Rudolf Brandt, dated 7 September 1942.
"My dear Brandt: I hasten to transmit to you a copy of my letter to the Deputy Gauleiter in Niederdonau, SS-Oberfuehrer K. Gerland.
"Please inform the Reich Leader of SS troops that I personally went to Radebeul last Tuesday to be convinced of the state of affairs. The matter is running smoothly. I have new interested SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. Lolling. We have agreed with Madaus to transfer the experiments to our concentration camp as soon as possible. I have sent a copy of this letter to the Reich doctor SS and police SS-Gruppenfuehrer Professor Dr. Grawitz. With best regards, Heil Hitler, Yours Pohl."
The next exhibit will be Document NO-043, which will be Prosecution Exhibit 157. This is a letter again from Gerland to the defendant Rudolf Brandt, dated 14 October 1942.
"Dear Comrade Brandt: SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl has informed me that the doctor of his Main Office is already collaboration with the Madaus Biological Institute for research on the effects of caladium seguinum, so that the suggestion of my District Main Office Leader, Dr. Fehringer, becomes obsolete. I have today suggested to the Obergruppenfuehrer, that Dr. Fehringer be allowed to try to produce a synthetic caladium seguinum in collaboration with an important Vienna, biologist.
"Unfortunately, I must give a negative reply to your question as to whether Dr. Fehringer has the plant in question available. He considers the procurement of caladium seguinum possible by chemical means.
"It is also conceivable that one or another of the hot-houses which are located in our climatically preferable district could be used for experimental purposes in order to be able to cultivate the plants at least to a sufficient extent for experimental purposes.
"I should be grateful if I could obtain the opinion of the Reich Leader in this matter and suggest that Dr. Fehringer collaborate with SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. Lolling. Heilt Hitler, Yours. K. Gerland."
The next document is NO-048. It is a letter from the defendant Rudolf Brandt to SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl, dated 25 October 1942.
"Dear Obergruppenfuehrer, I am sending you the copy of a letter of SS Oberfuehrer Gerland and a carbon copy of my answer.
"I could not ask the Reichsfuehrer SS but am convinced that he will certainly welcome the experiments to produce caladium seguinum synthetically.
"I would be grateful to you if you see to it that SS-Obersturmbannfurhrer Dr. Lolling contacts Dr. Fehringer in this matter."
Document NO-049 which will be prosecution Exhibit 160 -- yes, 159. It is a letter signed by Rudolf Brandt to Gerland, and it is the one undoubtedly referred to in Rudolf Brandt's letter to Pohl. It is dated the 25 October 1942.
"Dear Oberfuehrer, The Reichsfuehrer SS is at present away on official business. Therefore I cannot inform him of the contents of your letter which you wrote on 14 October 1942, I know however that he would agree to a collaboration of Dr. Fehringer with SS Obersturnbannfuehrer Mr. Lolling.
"I have forwarded a copy of your letter to SS Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl with the request to act accordingly. You will certainly obtain a reply from his office within the next few days. Signed Rudolf Brandt."
This completes the documents on the medicinal sterilization phase of the case. The Tribunal will find that in the affidavit of the defendant Rudolf Brandt, which is Prosecution Exhibit 141, he states that experiments on concentration camp inmates were actually carried out with Caladium seguinum. The Prosecution very frankly concedes that it has no proof that this drug was effective in sterilizing people. We have found no one who was actually sterilized with it. I submit that it is without question a crime in any event. I very earnestly hope that the drug did not produce a permanent sterilization, and we can all be happy that if it did they were not able apparently to produce the plant from which the obtained this drug on a very large scale.
I turn now to the documents dealing with X-ray sterilization. The first of which is a rather long affidavit by the defendant Viktor Brack, and that is Document NO-426.
DR. SERVATIUS (Counsel for defendant Karl Brandt): Mr. President, I object to the reading of this document. According to the Golden Rule of evidence, only the best evidence can be brought here.
Here the witness is a defendant in the courtroom himself. The statement which he has made has been established of lesser value. For my client I have considered objections against this document. I could not cross examine the witness if the document is read now and later examination if the defendant Brack, if he should come to the witness stand, would not wipe out the impression which this document will make on the Court now. For that reason, I object.
MR. McHANEY: If the Tribunal please, the document which we had just come to deals with the question of Euthanasia as well as X-ray sterilization. It was my plan to read this affidavit in full because I think that is necessary in order to understand the part on X-ray sterilization.
As to the objection, as to its admissibility at this time, it seems to me quite clear that this affidavit made by a defendant is admissible on any one of a number of grounds. We certainly admitted into the record already a substantial number of affidavits by various defendants in the deck, which, of course, not only contained admissions against that particular defendant, but also against, perhaps, some of his co-workers. As to the right of cross examination, I cannot say -- Brack is a defendant here and he may take the stand, and I certainly assume that the counsel for Karl Brandt can call him as a witness and cross examine him as to the matters here stated; and I assume that he may do so at the conclusion of the reading of this affidavit if he so desires. However, I do not think that it is incumbent upon the Prosecution if they wish to introduce a statement made by a defendant which contains admissions against him primarily, they don't have to call him to the stand to do so. I submit that the document should be admitted now.
THE PRESIDENT: The objection to the admission of the document at this time is overruled.
MR. McHANEY: This document NO-426 will be Prosecution Exhibit 160.
"I, Viktor Hermann Brack, being duly sworn, depose and state:
1. I was born in Haaren, Germany, on November 9, 1904 and studied Economic Science from 1923 until 1928. In December 1939 I joined the NSDAP and at the same time the SS. My party number is 173388 and my SS number is 1940. In the summer of 1932, Phillip Bouhler, then Reich Manager of the NSDAP, appointed me to the "Brown House" in Munich. In 1934, when Reichsleiter Bouhler was appointed Chief of the Chancellery of the Fuehrer of the NSDAP, I was appointed his Chief of Staff and later, in 1936, Chief of Department II of this office, located in Berlin. In accordance with my position, I held the title of Reichsamtsleiter. Eventually, I received the rank of Oberdienstleiter. In this capacity, my duties were of an administrative nature as personal representative to Bouhler as far as Department II was concerned.
2. By reason of this position and because of my personal contact with Bouhler, I obtained ample knowledge of the details of many of the activities in which Bouhler and various other high ranking personalities participated. From time to time, I had discussions with Bouhler and other persons participating in activities with which this office was concerned. In my position I was able to read a vast amount of correspondence addressed to Bouhler, received orders from him, and in numerous instances I personally handled, on my own initiative, various details of the particular matters involved.
3. Due to my position, I gained complete knowledge of the Euthanasia Program (Mercy Killing Program). Therefore, I am able to make the following statement on this subject.
THE EUTHANASIA PROGRAM.
4. The Euthanasia Program was initiated in the summer of 1939. Hitler issued a secret order to Professor Dr. Karl Brandt, Reich Commissioner for Medical and Health Matters, and at that time personal physician to the Fuehrer, and to Phillip Bouhler, charging them with responsibility for the killing of human beings who were not able to live, that is, the according of a mercy death to incurably insane persons.
Prior to the issuance of this secret order, Bouhler had a conference with Dr. Brandt and Dr. Leonardo Conti, the Reich Chief for Public Health and Secretary of State in the Ministry of Interior. On the basis of this order of Hitler, Bouhler and Brandt were to select doctors to carry out this program. Inasmuch as the insane asylums and other institutions were functions of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Herbert Linden became the representative of the Ministry of Interior. Dr. Karl Brandt and Phillip Bouhler appointed Professor Dr. Heyde and Professor Dr. Nietsche along with several other medical men to aid in the execution of this Euthanasia Program.
5. Professor Dr. Karl Brandt was in charge of the medical section of the Euthanasia Program. In this capacity, as shown in the chart I have drawn dated 12 September 1946, Dr. Karl Brandt appointed as his deputies Professor Heyde and Professor Nietsche. In charge of the administrative office under Brandt was first Mr. Bohne and later Mr. Allers. Three different names were used by Brandt's section in order to disguise the activities of the organization. The names of the organization were as follows:
Reich Association,- Hospital and Nursing Establishments Charitable Foundation for Institutional Care General Patient Transport Corporation 6. In the early stages of this program, Dr. Karl Brandt visited Phillip Bouhler and discussed with him many details of this program.
As a matter of fact, after such meetings between Brandt and Bouhler, I received many orders, more often from Bouhler than from Brandt directly.
7. In my capacity as Chief of Office II of Bouhler's Chancellery, I was ordered to carry out the administrative details of the Euthanasia Program. My deputy was Werner Blankenburg, who eventually became my successor, that is, in the beginning of 1942 when I joined the Waffen-SS Von Hegener, Reinh. Vorberg, and Dr. Hevelmann were members of my staff.
8. In the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Linden was in charge of the Euthanasia Program and his deputy was Councillor Franke.
The Department for Public Health of the Ministry of Interior had authority over all insane asylums of the Reich, and in this position, my department as well as the office of Dr. Brandt had close liaison in order to efficiently operate this Euthanasia Program.
THE PROCEDURE 9. By order of Dr. Linden, the directors of all insane asylums in the Reich had to fill out questionnaires for each patient within their institutions.
These questionnaires were drafted by Bouhler, Heyde, Nietsche and others in several of their many conferences. Then the questionnaires were forwarded to the Ministry of Interior to be distributed to the various insane asylums and similar institutions. Theoretically Dr. Linden's office had the questionnaires returned and then forwarded them to the administrative section of the office of Dr. Brandt.
The program was --"
I am sorry, Your Honors, there are about two or three words there that I can't read.
"-- the photostats of each questionnaires were to be sent to the office of Dr. Brandt to determine the status of each patient. The panel of experts consisted of about 10 to 15 doctors. I do not remember the names of all the members of this panel but Dr. Pfannmueller, Dr. Schumann, Dr. Faltlhauser, and Dr. Rennaux are fresh in my memory in this connection. Each of these experts indicate by making a certain comment on the questionnaire whether or not the patient could be transferred to an observation institution and eventually killed. Then the questionnaire was forwarded to a chief expert. According to the regulation, the chief expert was only entitled to order the transfer of the patient when all four experts vested for the transfer. This chief expert also marked the questionnaire, and then submitted it to Dr. Linden who ordered the insane asylum to transfer the patient to one of the observation institutions. Off-hand I can remember, among others, the names of the following observation institutions: Eglfing-Haar, Kempten, Jena, Buch, Arnsberg.
10. At these institutions the patients were under the observation of the doctor in charge for a period of from one to three months. The physician had the right to exempt the patient from the program if he decided that the patient was not incurable. If he agreed with the opinion of the chief expert, the patient was transferred to a so-called Euthanasia Institution. I can recall the names of these Euthanasia Institutions; Grafeneck, under Dr. Schumann; Brandenburg, under Dr. Hennecke; Hartheim, under Dr. Rennaux; Sommenstein, under Dr. Schmalenbach; Hadamar -- I do not remember under whose leadership -- Bernburg, under Dr. Behnke or Dr. Becker.
In these institutions the patient was killed by means of gas by the doctor in charge. To the best of my knowledge, about fifty to sixty thousand persons were killed in this way in the period from autumn 1939 to the summer of 1941.
11. The order issued by the Fuehrer to Brandt and Bouhler was secret and never published. The Euthanasia Program itself was kept as secret as possible, and for this reason relatives of persons killed in the course of the program were never told the real cause of death. The death certificates issued to the relatives carried fictitious causes of death such as heart failure. All persons subject to the Euthanasia Program did not have an opportunity to decide whether they wanted a mercy death, nor their relatives contacted for approval or disapproval. The decision was purely within the discretion of the doctors. The program was not restricted to those cases in which the person was 'in extremis'.
12. Hitler's ultimate reason for the establishment of the Euthanasia Program in Germany was to eliminate these people confined to insane asylums and similar institutions who could no longer be of any use to the Reich. They were considered useless eaters and Hitler felt that by exterminating those so-called useless eaters, it would be possible to relieve more doctors, male and female nurses, and other personnel, hospital beds and other facilities for the use of the Armed Forces. 530 REICH COMMITTEE FOR RESEARCH ON HEREDITARY DISEASES AND CONSTITUTIONAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SEVERE DISEASES.
13. This committee, which was also a function of the Euthanasia Program, was an organization for the killing of children who were born mental deficient or bodily deformed. All physicians assiting at births, midwives, and maternity hospitals were ordered by the Ministry of Interior to report such cases to the office of Dr. Linden in the Ministry of Interior. Then experts in the medical section of Dr. Brandt's office were ordered to give their opinions in each case. As a matter of fact, the complete file on each case was sent to the offices of Bouhler and Dr. Brandt in order to obtain their opinions and to decide the fate of each child involved. In many cases these children were to be operated upon in such a manner that the result was either complete recovery or death. Death resulted in a majority of these cases. The program was inaugurated in the summer of 1939. Bouhler told me that Dr. Linden had the order to ask for the consent of the parents of each child concerned. I do not know how long this program continued since I joined the Waffen-SS in 1942.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE EUTHANASIA PROGRAM AND SS BRIGADEFUEHRER GLOBOCNIC 14.
In 1941, I received an oral order to discontinue the Euthanasia Program. I received this order either from Bouhler or from Dr. Brandt. In order to preserve the personnel relieved of these duties and to have the opportunity of starting a new Euthanasia Program after the war, Bouhler reques ted I think after a conference with Himmler, that I send this personnel to Lublin and put it at the disposal of SS Brigadefuehrer Globocnik. I then had the impression that these people were to be used in the extensive Jewish labor camps run by Globocnik. Later, however, at the end of 1942 or the beginning of 1943, I found out that they were used to assist in the mass extermination of the Jews, which was then already common knowledge in higher party circles.
15. Among the doctors who assisted in the Jewish extermination program were Eberle and Schumann. Schumann performed medical experiments on prisoner in Auschwitz.
It would have been impossible for these men to participate in such things without the personal knowledge and consent of Karl Brandt. The order to sent these men to the East could have been given only by Himmler to Brandt, possibly through Bouhler.
THE STERILIZATION PROGRAM 16.
In 1941, it was an 'open secret' in high party circles that the powers that be intended to experminate the entire Jewish population of Germany and the occupied countries. I and my collaborators, especially Dr. Hevelmann and Blankenburg, considered this intention of the party leaders not worthy of the German nation and mankind in general. Therefore, we decided to find another solution to the Jewish problem which would tend to be le** radical than complete extermination of a race. We developed the idea to depo all Jews to a far-off place and I can recall that Dr. Hevelmann suggested the island of Madagascar for this purpose. In my office, we drafted such a plan and submitted it to Bouhler. Obviously, this plan was not acceptable, so we reached the conclusion that sterilization would be the answer to the Jewish problem. Since sterilization would be a complex program, we thought of sterilization by means of X-Rays. In 1941, I proposed the sterilization of Jews by means of X-Rays to Bouhler, but it was not accepted. Bouhler told me that such a problem of sterilization by means of X-Rays would not be feasible as Hitler was against it. I continued to work on this problem and eventually submitted a new project to the Reichfuehrer SS, Heinrich Himmler. Dr. Hevelmann submitted a report which indicated that the sterilization of human beings by means of X-Rays was medically impossible. Several months later Dr. Schumann received the order to carry out experiments on human beings to determine the effects of X-Rays for sterilization purposes. Himmler requested that the name of a suitable doctor should be given to him to carry out these experiments. I do not think that I suggested Dr. Schumann, who was expert in the Euthanasia Program and Director of a Euthanasia Institution, to Himmler As far as I remember, Dr. Schumann submitted a report on his experiments to me or directly to Bouhler. I do not know whether the sterilization of the Jews was actually carried out because, as I said before, I joined the Waffen SS and had no further dealings with this matter.