The Nizkor Project: Remembering the Holocaust (Shoah)

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Last-Modified: 1997/12/10

         Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression, Supplement B
       Himmler Dresses SS Men in Clothes of Dead Jews
                              
     Excerpts from Testimony of Oswald Pohl, taken at
     Nurnberg, Germany, 4 June 1946, 1010-1100,  by Dr.
     Robert Kempner, and Lt. Col. Smith W. Brookhart,
     Jr., IGD. Also present: Bert Stein, Interpreter;
     Piilani A. Ahuna, Court Reporter.
     
Q. Will you put yourself back to the time of your first
conversation with Funk?

A. Yes.

Q. What was the approximate date of that conversation?

A. I believe it was the summer of 1944. 1943 or 1944, I
don't know exactly, but it was in the summer. It was good
weather.

The reason why Himmler sent me there was the ever-increas-

                                                 [Page 1588]
                                                            
ing scarcity of uniforms, and the small contingent that we
received from the textile industry, I believe it was
President Kehrl who always declared it was not sufficient.

Q. Thereupon you received the order from Himmler to get in
contact with Funk?

A. Yes.

Q. Where did you visit Funk?

A. I visited Funk in the Economics Ministry.

Q. What did you tell him at that time in brief?

A. That Himmler sent me to him and wanted to tell him that
he hoped the Waffen SS, at the distribution of the textile
contingents, would receive preferential treatment, for
Himmler was giving the clothing from the Jews to the Economy
during the action against the Jews.

Q. Which Jewish actions are in question?

A. That was the liquidation of the Jews.

Q. What quantities of clothing from dead Jews came into
consideration?

A. We really did not talk about quantities in detailed
figures.

Q. Did one mean great, large quantities which justified
preferential treatment?

A. Yes, that is to be supposed.

Q. From where was the clothing of the dead Jews taken, and
where was it delivered?

A. They were stored in Auschwitz, and they were delivered,
but where they were delivered I do not know. I do know that
Gruppenfuehrer Loerner should know about that. He was in
charge of the whole utilization of textiles.

Q. How was that? Did the procedure change or vary in a
certain period?

A. The procedure did not change much, I don't believe so.

Q. The affair started already in 1941, did it not?

A. Yes. What do you mean?

Q. So that the Economy had always something to do with it.
The things were always turned over to the Economy.

A. The Economy had always something to do with it. The
things were always turned over to the Economy.

Q. When speaking of the Economy, which agency do you mean?

A. Our textile contingent was always negotiating with
President Kehrl.


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