Tapping Hitler's Generals

No, if I hadn’t several proofs of that sort of thing I wouldn’t make such a noise about it, but in my opinion it was utterly wrong! What madness was that onslaught on Jewish homes; I happened still to be in VIENNA at the time, at BAD VÖSLAU.[348] We were then already short of glass and everything else and then we go and smash all their windows! Those people could easily have been turned out and we could have said: ‘Well, this business is now taken over by a Christian, Franz MEYER. They’ll be compensated, whether well or badly makes no difference.’ But we were short of everything and still everything was smashed and the houses set ablaze. I quite agree the Jews had to be turned out, that was obvious, but the manner in which it was done was absolutely wrong, and the present hatred is the result. My father-in-law, who certainly couldn’t stand Jews, always said: ‘That will not pass unpunished, say what you like!’ I’d be the first to agree to getting rid of the Jews; I’d show them the way–out of GERMANY! But why massacre them? That can be done after the war, when we can say ‘We have the power; we have the right; we have won the war; we can afford to do it!’ But now! Look at the British Government–who are they? The Jews. Who governs in AMERICA? The Jews. While Bolshevism is Judaism in excelsis.

Document 137

CSDIC (UK), GRGG 286

Report on information obtained from Senior Officers (PW) on 19–21 Apr. 45 [TNA, WO 208/4177]

WILDERMUTH (re killing of inmates of lunatic asylums): I once spoke with the director of the whole business at ANGERS(?). His name was EBERT or EBES(?).[349] In the course of a somewhat heated argument I said to him: ‘You’re a lawyer too, there’s a certain unpleasant paragraph in the penal code called “murder”. You will have to come to terms with it. It must be perfectly clear to you that you will one day have to answer for it.’ That gave the man a bit of a shock.

BROICH: No more people over 70 years of age even being accepted in hospital any more.

WAHLE: Not even if an operation is necessary?

BROICH: Operations could be done, but the patients had to return home afterwards. My father-in-law–it was forbidden and was quite impossible; that was in POTSDAM and even the operation was only carried out at all because the doctor was a friend. He said: ‘No, I may not take you in, it would get us into the greatest difficulties.’ That was in the spring of 1942.

ELFELDT (re killed-off mental cases): 70–80,000 people have been put away, haven’t they?

WILDERMUTH: Yes, and I arrive at that figure from my brother’s figures and from that EBERT or EBES(?). I said: ‘Have they killed 100,000 people there?’ To which he merely replied: ‘No, not 100,000.’

BROICH: Was there more?

WAHLE: No, less.[350]

Document 138

CSDIC (UK), GRGG 288

Report on information obtained from Senior Officers (PW) on 24–6 Apr. 45 [TNA, WO 208/4177]

HEILMANN: We were in the front lines and said: ‘It isn’t our business what they do in the rear.’ Gradually it leaked out how they were treating the many PW.

FISCHER: At least three or four million of them died of starvation during the winter of 1941/42.[351]