Accustom yourselves to the German tongue. The Alsatian language harms our ears. When we say 'Au Revoir', the French think they are listening to an Arabic word, which sounds barbarous. Sometimes they say 'Adje'. This word is phonetic, which makes our beautiful German dialect unmusical. These words are not worthy of Alsace. It harms the female sensitivity to say 'Frau' instead of 'Madam'.
"We are sure that Alsatians are going to lose the habit of linguistic complexities so that the authorities will not have to act against those who sabotage the German language." music. This is the purpose of a decree of March 1, 1941, signed by the Administrative Chief of the People and of Propaganda, Dressier. This is Document 704, published in the German Official Journal, page 170, of the year 1941. I shall simply cite the title of this decree, "Concerning Undesirable and Disagreeable Music." The first three lines are:
"Musical works contrary to the will of the National Socialist culture will be place on a list concerning undesirable and harmful music, under the section of Propaganda to the People."
After music, now, we have the question of headwear. In this regulation its ridiculous quality struggles constantly with its odious nature. I would almost like to ask the Tribunal to pardon me, for truly nothing in this is invented by us.
Here is Document 705. It is a decree of December 13, 1941, published in the Official Bulletin of 1941, page 744. This Document 705 concerns the wearing of French berets, berets Basques in Alsace. I only read the first paragraph "The wearing of French berets (Basque berets) is forbidden in Alsace.
Under this prohibition all berets must be considered which, by their form or by their aspect, resemble French berets.
"I may add that this prohibition may result in fine or prison."
which the inhabitants kept in their homes. I cite as an example Strasbourg, in the archives of Strasbourg.
It is dated February 19, 1941.
I read three paragraphs of this document.
"The Gauleiter desires that through the organization of Blocks adequate way for household needs.
Until the 1st of May next no "This operation must be carried out in the following way.
"It must also be pointed out that after the 1st of May next we in private property."
"Where, from the 1st of June, 1941, Alsatians still have in their camp."
the obligatory or compulsory service bureau. This is the purpose of the Gauleitung of Strasbourg.
I read the first line of this "Given the general situation of the labor market, the Chief of European countries must, in the future, be used in Alsace.
There employed in Alsace."
THE PRESIDENT: The translation which came through to me came to me as "must."
It came through that the foreign workers of all countries of Europe must, in the future, be used.
The word is "pouvait."
That doesn't mean "must," does it? It is "pouvait."
Doesn't that mean "could"?
M. FAURE: The interesting aspect is that those who are French belonged to France.
I shall cite one example in relation to this point.
This is our document 709.
reproduced in a memorandum of the General Delegation of the French Government, which is found in the archives of the government. I read this document 709, which is short:
"The German Ambassador has the honor to point out the following to the General Delegation of the French Government in occupied territory.
"The German Ambassador has been informed that in a series of reports on a theme concerning the country, a French radio station in the non-occupied territory, on the 16th or 17th of April, 1941, about 21 hours, broadcast in the village of Brumath.
"As Brumath, near Strasbourg, is in a territory of German language, the German Ambassador requests that they inform him if in truth such a broadcast took place." been kept, and have kept an anecdotic character. We must now cite two especially serious cases, for they included assault, flagrant violations of sovereignty, aid even crimes. cathedral of Strasbourg. I shall submit, concerning this subject, Document 710, which is a letter of August 14, 1943, a letter of protest of General Berard, President of the French delegation attached to the German Armistice Commission, I read the beginning of the letter: "My General;
"From the beginning of the war, the treasury of the Strasbourg Cathedral and the property of certain parishioners of this diocese had been entrusted by Monseigneur Ruch, Bishop of Strasbourg, to the Beaux-Arts Department. The Beaux-Arts Department had put them in a safe place in the chateau of Hautefort and of Bourceilles in Dordogne, where they still were on the date of May 20, 1945."
There is a serious error. It should be May 20, 1943.
"Among the treasures of this property are found in particular the pontificlia reserved for the exclusive use of the bishop, several of which were his personal property; the relics of saints; vases or objects for the celebration of ceremonies.
"After having sought on several occasions, but in vain, to obtain the consent of Monseigneur Ruch, the ministerial counsellor Kraft solicited upon the 20th of May, not only from the prefect of Dordogne, but also the director of ceremonies, the authorization to remove these trusts. Faced with the refusal of these high officials, he declared that the repatriation to Alsace of the property of the Catholic Church would be entrusted to the Sicherheitspolizei.
"As a result, on the dawn of May 21, the castles of Hautefort and Borceilles were opened and occupied by the troops, despite the protestations of the conservateur. The holy objects were placed in trucks and were taken to an unknown destination. This seizure, moreover, was carried out in the case of the vases and ceremonial objects ritually blessed, and the relics of saints honored by the veneration of the faithful. The seizure of these holy objects by laymen not legally mandated, and the conditions under which the operation was carried out, awakened the emotion and unanimous reprobation of the faithful.
"Signed: Berard." one fact which we shall find frequently subsequently, which is, in our opinion, very important in this trial. It is the constant collaboration of different or diverse German administrations. Thus, the Tribunal must, through this document, observe that the Minister Kraft, belonging to several services concerning national education, appeals to the police and to the SS to obtain objects which he cannot obtain through his own efforts. Strasbourg. From the beginning of the war, the University of Strasbourg, which was one of the most beautiful universities in France, had withdrawn to Clermont-Ferrand to continue its teaching there. After the occupation of Alsace, and since this occupation constituted annexation, it was not brought back to Strasbourg and remained in its city of refuge.
"The Nacis conceived a great discontent which was expressed in numerous threatening memoranda. We would like to submit Document 711 relative to this. In this document we shall find the ministerial counsellor Herbert Kraft, about whom I spoke in the preceding document. The document which I submit bears the number 713 and is an original signed by Kraft. It was found in the archives made by the German embassy.
expresses his disappointment at the result of steps which he had undertaken with the rector of the University of Strasbourg, M. Danjon. I believe that it is adequate if I read a very short passage of this memorandum in order to show the insolence and the threatening methods which the Germans used, even in the part of France which was not yet occupied. The passage which I am going to read will be the last paragraph on page 2 of Document 711. Mr. Kraft relates the end of his conversation with the rector. I cite:
"I cut the conversation short, arose, and asked him if, by chance, the decision of Admiral Darlan did not represent for him an order from his government. As I went out I added, I hope that they will arrest you. He ran after me, made me repeat my remark, and as I went off he said to me ironically that it would be for him a great honor." was very serious. Document 712. This document is an extract from the archives of the High Court and has been certified by the clerk of that jurisdiction. Here is the text of this Document 712. I shall not read the beginning of the document:
"The German Embassy feels that it is extremely desirable to work its way towards a solution of the affair of the University of Strasbourg at Clermont-Ferrand. We would be happy to learn that no further publication would appear under the title 'University of Strasbourg' so that new disagreements may not result from publications of that kind.
"The German Embassy is aware of the fact that the Ministry of National Education can no longer fill professorial chairs which have become vacant. We request that in the future no examination certificate be awarded with the mention of University of Strasbourg." out to the Tribunal a fact which is notorious. That is, Thursday, the 25th of November, 1943, the German police took possession of the buildings of the University of Strasbourg in Clermont-Ferrand, arrested the professors and students, screened them, raid deported a great number of persons. During this operation, they even shot at two professors. One was killed and the other was seriously wounded.
that is indispensable since there are proofs for this accusation that these murders were committed under orders which definitely show governmental responsibility.
THE PRESIDENT: M. Faure, did you say that you had or had not got proof of the facts that you have just stated about the seizure of the property of the university?
M. FAURE: I said this, Mr. President: We consider that these facts are facts of public knowledge, but because of the interpretation which was given by the Tribunal, I have considered that it would be better to prove it by documents. As this document was not bound into this bock at that time, this document will be submitted as a text. I am going to read a passage of this document, but I should like to explain that it isn't found in its proper place as I added it to the brief after the statement of the Tribunal the other day according to the interpretation of facts of public knowledge.
THE PRESIDENT: The Court will adjourn now.
Tomorrow being Saturday, the Tribunal will sit from 10:00 o'clock in the morning until 1:00 o'clock. We will then adjourn.
DR. KAUFFMANN: (Counsel for the defendant Kaltenbrunner): It was said that this afternoon there will be a witness. I would like to ask that this testimony be postponed to another day. I believe that we have reached a socalled silent agreement that we will be notified in advance as to whether there will be witnesses and what the subject will be.
I don't know whether there will be cross examination, and the possibility exists, of course, and expert questions can only be put when we know, first of all, who the witness is to be, and secondly, what the subject will be that the witness will be cross examined on, and perhaps we will just have a clue.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal does not think it is necessary to postpone the evidence of this witness. As a matter of courtesy on the part of the Prosecution, it would be well, perhaps, that the subject matter - not necessarily the name, but the subject matter upon which the witness is to give evidence - should be communicated to the defense so that they may prepare themselves upon that subject matter for any cross examination. deal with the circumstances in respect to the German occupation of Luxembourg. That is right, is it not?
M. FAURE: Yes, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Perhaps you will give the defendants' counsel the subject matter upon which they can prepare themselves for cross examination. I am told that this subject matter has already been communicated to the defendants and is on their bulletin board at the present moment.
(Whereupon at 1250 hours the hearing of the Tribunal adjourned to reconvene at 1400 hours).
Official transcript of the International Military Tribunal in the matter of:
The United States of Hermann Wilhelm Goering, et al.
, Defendants,
MARSHAL OF THE COURT: May it please the Court, I desire to announce that the defendants Kaltenbrunner, Seyss-Inquart and Streicher will be absent from this afternoon's session on account of illness.
THE PRESIDENT: The question which was raised this morning about certain documents has been investigated, and the Tribunal understands that the documents were placed in the Defense Counsel's Information Center yesterday, but it may be that the misunderstanding arose owing to those documents not having been in any way indexed, and it would, I think, be very helpful to the Defense Counsel if Prosecuting Counsel could, with the documents, deposit also some sort of index which would enable the Defense Counsel to find the documents.
M. FAURE: It is understood that we shall present a table of contents of the documents to the German Defense.
THE PRESIDENT: I think if you could, yes.
M. FAURE: Your Honors, I was speaking this morning of the incident which occurred at the Strasbourg faculty in Clermon-Ferrand, Strasbourg, 25 November 1943. I pointed out to the Tribunal that I produced to this effect a document. This document has not been classified in the document book, and I shall ask the Tribunal to accept it as an annex number or as the last document of this book, if that is agreeable.
This is a report of M. Hoeppfner, Dean of the Faculty of Letters, a report established on the date of 8 January 1946, and transmitted from Lorraine to the French Public Ministry. I should like to read simply to the Tribunal, in order not to take up too much of its time, the two passages which constitute the texts which were submitted to it as an appendix.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you got the original document here?
M. FAURE: Yes. "This is the 25th of November, 1943, a Thursday. The 10:00 o'clock course is drawing to an end. As I come out of the room, a student posted at a window in the hall makes a signal to me to approach and shows me in the inner court a Wehrmacht soldier with helmet, boots, a submachine gun in his arm, Counting guard.
'Let us try--' Too late. At the same moment, wild cries arise from all directions--the corridors, the stairways, fill with sound of heavy boots, the clanking of weapons, fierce cries, a frantic shuffling. A soldier rushes down the hall between everybody in the hall.' Naturally everyone understood."
Second passage:
"One of our people, Paul Collomp, was coldly murdered with a shot in the middle of the chest, and an eye-witness confirms the fact that this, alas, is only too true. Asked to leave the Secretariat where he was alone he was, no doubt, obeying too slowly for the policeman, for the latter gave him a violent blow in the back, and instinctively our colleague turned-around, and the other then fired a shot full in the breast. Death was almost immediate, but the body was left there for some time.
"Another sound reached us. We didn't know from where. A colleague in Protestant Theology, M. Eppel, was apparently also shot down in his own house, where he had been sent for. He received, as was later learned, several bullet shots in the abdomen, but miraculously recovered and even resisted the horrors of Buchenwald Camp." accusation does not have the proof that such crimes were due to a German governmental order, but I believe that it is nevertheless interesting to advise the Tribunal of this last episode of the German undertakings against the University of Strasbourg, for the episode constitutes the succession, the consequence, and in a sense, the crowning of the preceding incidents. We have seen, indeed, that German procedure began first by regular procedures and that after these regular procedures, it reached the stage of recourse to the police and brutality and violations that accompanied this systematic development. number 712. of Germanic norms. The leaders of the Reich began by organizing a specifically German administration. I already indicated a while ago the appointment of Gauleiters as chiefs of the civil administration. I continue on this point by producing as document 713 the Ordinance of 28 August 1940.
Official German Journal, 1940, Page 22. The Ordinance is entitled "Concerning the Introduction of the German Regime in Alsace." I shall not read this Ordinance. I simply indicate that its object is to put into effect from 1 October 1940 the German municipal regime of 30 January 1935. territories annexed were re-organized on the basis of German administration concepts. At the head of each arrondissement we have no longer the French sub-prefect but a Landkommissar, who has under his orders the different offices of Finance, Labor, School Inspection, Commerce, and Health. The large towns, the seats of arrondissements and even of cantons, were endowed with a Stadtkommissar instead of and in place of the eliminated mayors and municipal counsellors. appeals. The agricultural services, and in particular, the chambers of commerce, were carried out by the representatives of the chambers of commerce of Karlsruhe for Alsace and of Saarbruecken for Moselle. Germans undertook to Germanize the personnel. They named numerous German officials to posts of authority. officials who had remained in office signed declarations of loyalty to the Germans. These attempts, however, not the refusal of the officials. They were renewed on a number of occasions in different forms. We have been able to recover in the archives of the Gauleiter of Strasbourg ten different formulas of these declarations of loyalty. I shall produce one of these for the Tribunal, by way of example. This is Document 714:
"Formula of the new declaration which the officials are obliged to sign if they wish to keep their employment:" There are blanks for the date, name and first name, grade, and domicile, and Service.
"I have been engaged since ________________ 1940 up to this date in a public service of the German administration in Alsace. During this period I have had occasion through my own observation, as well as through the Party and the authorities, verbally and in writing, to learn the obligations of the German official and the requirements which are exacted of him from the point of view of policy and general opinion:
I approve these obligations and these requirements without reservation and am resolved to be ruled by them in my personal and professional life. I give my adherance to the German people and to the National Socialist ideals of Adolph Hitler." Alsace the parallel administration of the National Socialist Party, as well as that of the Arbeitsfront, which was the sole labor organization. to Lorraine 25 October 1940. The Empire Mark became henceforth the legal means of payment in the annexed territory. successive measures which led to the decree of 30 September 1941 concerning the simplification of the judiciary organization in Alsace. I produce this ordinance as Document 715. regulations and of ordinances which were aimed at assuring integration into the German teaching system. I shall simply mention the dates of these chief documents, which we produce as documents and which are documents of a public nature, since they were all published in the Official Journal in Germany.
Here are the Chief texts: Alsace. subsidies in Alsace. Alsace. and Lorraine of German civil law, German criminal law, and likewise, procedure. I shall quote as the most important, under Document 721, the ordinance of 19 June concerning the application of the provisions of German legislation to Alsaciens. I should like to read the first paragraph of Article 1 because it indicates a notion which is interesting:
"Article 1. (1) The state of persons who have acquired French nationality by virtue of the appendix to Articles 51 to 319 of the dictate of Versailles, as well as the state of persons who hold their nationality from this source, notably as regards the personal status and the right of family, are ruled by the legislation in force in the old Empire as rights of their country of origin, to the extent to which this legislation provides for the application of the laws of the country of origin." of 15 September 1941 concerning the application of German legislation to personal and family status in Lorraine. German Official Bulletin, page 817. the principal measures which have been introduced in the penal sphere. dispositions declared applicable in Lorraine by virtue of Section 1 of the second ordinance concerning certain measures in the domain of justice. introduction to Alsace of the German legislation of penal procedure and of other penal laws. to Alsace of the German penal code and other penal laws. draw the attention of the Tribunal to two features which show that the Germans introduced into Alsace the most extraordinary provisions of the penal law, conceived from the point of view of the National Socialist regime.
The Tribunal will see this in this document 725, page 1 Under Number 6 of the enumeration that the law of 20 December 1934 repressing perfidious attacks directed against the State and the Party and protecting the uniforms of the Party. to the protection of the military power of the German people. right of association, and they dissolved all such associations. They intended to leave free room for the Nazi system, which involves the single and obligatory association. these texts, which are public: commissariat for associations in Lorraine. solution of unions of teachers. an exception in favor of the organization called Union of National Socialist Teachers. of gymnastic societies and of sports associations in Alsace.
I should like to read Article 4 of this document 729:
"My commissar of Physical Sulture will make in regard to other gymnastic societies and sports associations in Alsace all necessary provisions in view of their integration into the Empire National Socialist Union for Physical Culture." texts which are very characteristic, and which I produce as documents number 730 and 731. Of Document 730 I read simply the title, which is characteristic "Ordinance of 7 February 1942 relative to the creation of an Office of Geneological Research of the Upper Rhine."
I shall likewise read the title of document 731: "Regulation of 17 February 1942 concerning the creation of the Service of the Official German Commissar for the Strengthening of Germanism."
ed in Alsace and in Lorraine in a way that Was parallel with the administration I shall produce in this connection Document 732, which is a confidential note of the National Socialist Workers Party of the country of Badd, dated Strasbourg, 5 March 1942. This document is likewise part of the series found in the files of the Gauleiter of Strasbourg. It bears as a heading, "Direction of the Gau -- Auxiliary Bureau of Strasbourg."
If the Tribunal please, I shall read the beginning of this document:
"Evaluation of possible adherences to the Party, to its subdivisions and to the groups to it in Alsace.
"In the framework of the action of 19 June organized for the recruiting of members of the Party, the Kreisleiter in collaboration with the Ortsgruppenleiter, is to establish for the Alsaciens above the age of 18, even if their membership has not been obtained within the framework of the action --" The word "qui" has been omitted in the text. "who are to be considered as future members of the Party, of its subdivisions and of the group connected with it; who are, moreover, the men between the ages of 17 and 48 who may be employed in an active manner in the Party or in its subdivisions. These evaluations are equally to include, in order that we may same obtain a view of the whole, the persons already enrolled in the Party, in the Opferring -- " This is the collecting organization for the Party. "--its subdivisions and affiliated groups. The Kreisleiter may call upon the collaboration of the Kreisorganizationsleiter--" These are the organizing directors of the arrondissement. "--and of the Kreispersonalamtsleiter--" The personnel informatuion bureau of the arrondissement. "The 19 June action, organized with a view to recruiting members, must not because of this be put into a second category, but must be carried on by all means toward the purpose indicate by the Director of the Gau, and must be concluded at the date specified.
"The results of the investigation of the population are to be set out in five lists; namely:
"List 1 a "List 1 b "List 2 a "List 2 b "Control list."
purely administrative, and I shall continue on page 2 of the document, paragraph 9.
"The objective of the National Socialist movement being that of putting all Germans into a National Socialist organization in order to be able to influence and the lead them in toward the ends of the movement, it will be necessary to feature on List 1(a) and (b), 2(a) and (b), ninety percent of the population, and on the control list solely those who shall have been considered unworthy of belonging to an organization led or supported by the Party; namely, persons of inferior rape of Germanophobes." connected, questions which, on the one hand, concern nationality, and, on the other hand, military recruiting. and this hesitation is related to the German policy in regard to military recruiting. Indeed, the German leaders seem to have been drawn by two contradictory trends. One of these trends was that of conferring nationality very broadly, and this in order to impose in a corresponding manner the obligation of serving in the army. The other trend was that of conferring nationality only with discernment. In this view, it was considered, first of all, that nationality is an honor, and that in regard to persons who did not possess it to begin with it should, to a certain extent, constitute a reward. On the other hand, nationality gives to the one who possesses it a certain special quality. It gives the person, in spite of the abolition of all democracy, a certain element of influence in the German community. It should therefore be granted only to persons who give guarantees in this regard and what are not likely to abuse it.
These are guarantees of loyalty (and we know that in the German conception loyalty is not only a choice of spirit, but that it is inherent in the appraisal of physical qualities. The well-known qualities are elements of blood, of race, and of origin). nationality. This is how these developed: yet feeling need for manpower as great as what they were to feel later, deferred the institution of obligatory recruiting. In a parallel manner, they deferred a general imposition of nationality. During this first period the Nazis, not making any obligatory recruitments, simply appealed to voluntary recruiting, which, however, they tried to increase by all manners of inducement and of pressure. voluntary recruitment. I should like simply to give by way of example the subject matter of document 733. It is an appeal that was posted in Alsace on the 15th of January, 1942. It constitutes one of the appendices of the governmental report, which was submitted under No. 472. In this document, I shall read simply the first sentence of the second paragraph:
"Alsatians: Since the beginning of the battles in the East, hundreds of Alsatians have freely decided to march as volunteers side by side with the men of other German regions against the enemy of civilization and of European culture, etc." exaggeration, the term "hundreds", which is used in this document, is quite revealing of the failure which the Nazi recruiters had encountered. "Hundreds" must obviously be translated by tens, and it must be recognized that this was a very poor supply for the Wehrmacht. nationality a policy similar to that of its policy of recruitment for the military forces. They appealed to the volunteers of nationality. It is desirable to quote in this regard an ordinance of 20 January 1942, a general ordinance of the Reich, and not a special text, that was directed at the annexed territories.
This ordinance, in its first article, widens the possibilities of naturalization in connection with conditions which, until then, had been very narrow for the Empire statute book, and in Article 3 it gives the following provision. This ordinance is not produced in the document book, for it is an ordinance of the German Empire and, therefore, a public document:
"The Empire Minister of the Interior may grant German nationality by means of a general regulation to categories of strangers established on a territory placed under the sovereign power of Germany or one having his origin in such territory." the Alsatians and the Lorrainians who did not become German citizens did not for that keep their French nationality. They are all considered as German subjects. They are qualified in the documents of the period as members of the German community. This natably entails the consequence that they ore subject to the German labor service. I submit document 734 in this connection, regulation of 27 August 1942, on obligatory military service and on labor service in Alsace. I shall return to this document presently as concerns military service, but I would like to quote immediately the text relative to service in the Hitler Youth, the ordinance of the 2nd of January 1942 for Alsace, and ordinance of the 4th of August 1942 for Lorraine. turning point in the month of August 1942. At this moment, under the pressure of the military difficulties and of the necessity for extensive recruiting, the Germans instituted obligatory military service in Lorraine by an ordinance of the 19th of August 1942, and in Alsace by an ordinance of the 25th of August 1942. These two ordinances, relative to the setting up of obligatory military service, constitute document 735, ordinance for Lorraine, and document 736, ordinance for Alsace. German nationality in Alsace, in Lorraine, and in Luxembourg. This text is the subject of a circular of the Minister of Empire, which constitutes document No 737. I should like simply to summarize for the Tribunal the provisions of the various texts, which it would take long to read. These provisions are the following:
Lorrainians, and the Luxembourgers in the following cases: First, when they have been or will be called to serve in the armed forces of the Reich or in the SS armed formations: second, when they are recognized as having acted as good Germans.
As concerns the expression "of German origin," which is used in these tects, this concerns Alsations and Lorrainians who either have become French through the Treaty of Versailles or who have become French subsequently on the condition of having previously been German nationals, or on condition of having transferred their domicile from Alsace or from Lorraine to the territory of the Reich after 1st September 1939; and, finally, likewise considered as of German origin, are children, grandchildren, and spouses of the preceding categories of persons. and the Luxembourgers who did not acquire German nationality in an absolute manner could obtain it subject to revocation. that an ordinance of the 2nd February 1942 gave details as to the German laws on nationality applicable in Alsace, and that an ordinance of the 2nd November 1942 likewise gave German nationality to persons who had been in concentration camps during the time of war. The German texts indicate that, on the one hand, German nationality was imposed upon a great number of persons; and, on the other hand, that the Alsatians and the Lorrainians who were French were obliged to the exorbitant requirements and the truly criminal requirements of military service in the German army against their own country. successive classes, going even to the class of 1908. French National Committee, which in London represented the Free French public authority. I should like to read to the Tribunal the text of this protest, which is dated 16 September 1942, and which I submit as document 739. I shall simply read the three paragraphs of the official protest, which constitutes the beginning of this document.
"Information Service of London:
"After having proclaimed in the course of the war the annexation of Alsace and of Lorraine, banished and stripped a great number of inhabitants, taken the most rigorous measures of Germanization, the Reich now constrains Alsatians and Lorrainians, declared German by the Reich, to serve in the German armies against their own compatriots and against the allies of France.