The Nizkor Project: Remembering the Holocaust (Shoah)

Shofar FTP Archive File: imt/tgmwc//tgmwc-06/tgmwc-06-51.11


Archive/File: imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-06/tgmwc-06-51.11
Last-Modified: 1998/04/29

Now I come to Exhibit RF 1222, of which I shall also read
only the title, "Conference with the Specialists for Jewish
Questions of the Security Police, Command of the Section IV-
J on 30th June, 1942. Deportation to Auschwitz of Jews from
the Occupied Territories."

In this memorandum Dannecker again refers to the conference
which took place at the R.S.H.A., according to which 50,000
Jews were to be transferred. There follows a list of trains,
the stations in which they were to be assembled, and a
requests for report.

I next submit Exhibit RF 1223. It is a memorandum dated 1st
July, 1942, summing up a conference between Dannecker and
Eichmann, who, as we already know, was in Berlin, but had to
come to Paris on that occasion. Purpose: "Departmental
Conference with S.S. Hauptsturmfuehrer Dannecker Concerning
the Impending Evacuation from France."

It still deals with the preparation of the great operation
envisaged.

I submit Exhibit RF 1224, of which I read only the title and
the date, 4th July, 1942: "Directives for a Major Round-up
of Jews in Paris."

Next I submit Exhibit RF 1225, which is a memorandum by
Dannecker dated 6th July, 1942. Object: "Deportation of Jews
from France." It concerns a conference held with
representatives of French authorities. We see in the
document the expression "Judenmaterial," which was
translated in a roundabout way by the words "Jewish
livestock."

I now submit Exhibit RF 1226. I should like to read, if the
Tribunal pleases, the first paragraph of this document,
which is very revealing, as regards both the collaboration
with the transport services and the horrifying mentality of
the Nazi authorities. The memorandum is the sequel to a
telephone conversation between the signatory Roethke and the
S.S. Obersturmfuehrer Eichmann at Berlin:

     "S.S. Obersturmfuehrer Eichmann in Berlin telephoned on
     14th July, 1942, about 19.00 hours. He wished to know
     why the train provided for the transport of 15th July,
     1942, had been cancelled. I replied that at first those
     who wore stars were to be arrested in the provinces
     too, but that in conformity with a recent agreement
     with the French Government, only Jews who had lost
     their nationality were to be arrested to begin with.
     
     The train leaving on 15th July, 1942, had to be
     cancelled because, according to information received by
     the S.D. Kommando at Bordeaux, there were only 150
     Stateless Jews in Bordeaux. There was no time to find
     `Ersatz' Jews. S.S. Obersturmfuehrer Eichmann replied
     that it was a question of prestige. They had to conduct
     lengthy negotiations about trains with the
     Reichsminister of Transportation; these had eventually
     been crowned by success; then Paris cancels the train!
     Such a thing had never happened to him before. The
     matter was highly regrettable. He did not wish to
     report it to S.S. Gruppenfuehrer Mueller, for the blame
     would fall on his own shoulders. He wondered if it
     would not be necessary to drop France generally as an
     evacuation country."
     
I next submit Exhibit RF 1227, which gives statistics
indicating that up to 2nd September, 1942, 27,069 Jews were
evacuated and that by the end of October a total figure of
52,069 might be reached. They are anxious to accelerate the
pace and to attack also the Jews in unoccupied France.

Next is Exhibit RF 1228. It is also an account of a
conference where there were invited representatives of the
French authorities. I should like to read only the last
paragraph:

                                                   [Page 92]
                                                            
     "On the occasion of the meeting which took place on
     28th August, 1942, at Berlin, it was observed that most
     of the European countries were closer -- much closer --
     to a permanent solution of the Jewish problem than
     France. In fact, these countries began much earlier.
     We, then, must catch up in many matters between now and
     31st October, 1942."
     
I submit Exhibit RF 1229 without reading it. It is a
memorandum by Dr. Knochen on this same subject of
deportation dated 31st December, 1942.

I submit Exhibit RF 1230, which is a memorandum dated 6th
March, 1943, headed: "Ref: Present State of the Jewish
Question in France." In the first part of this document the
deportations are stated to have reached a total of 49,000
Jews as on 6th March, 1943. This is followed by a statement
of the nationalities, which are very varied, of a certain
number of Jews who were deported in addition to the French
Jews.

Paragraph 3 of this memorandum is headed: "Position of the
Italians in Regard to the Jewish Question." I shall read
only the first and the last lines of this long paragraph:

     "The situation in those departments of France occupied
     by the Italians must be changed if we wish to solve the
     Jewish problem. A few terrible cases..."
     
I break off the quotation here.

These terrible cases were cases in which the Italians
opposed the arrest of Jews in the zone occupied by them.

I now read the last paragraph:

     "A.A. has been informed by the R.S.H.A.(Eichmann) of
     the acts of the Italians."
     
A.A. appears to be the initials of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and this is confirmed by the following sentence. I
continue the quotation:

     "The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Herr von Ribbentrop,
     meant to discuss in audience with the Duce the attitude
     taken up by the Italians with regard to the Jewish
     Question. We do not know the results of these
     discussions."
     
I shall not submit 1231 and 1232. I pass, then, to the last
documents which I want to present to the Tribunal. These
documents relate more specifically to the deportation of
children.

I submit Exhibit RF 1233 which is a memorandum by Dannecker
dated 21st July, 1942. I shall read paragraph 2:

     "The question of deporting children has been examined
     with S.S. Obersturmbannfuehrer Eichmann. He decided
     that as soon as deportations to the Government General
     could be resumed, convoys of children could be sent by
     rail. S.S. Obersturmfuehrer Nowak promised to arrange
     about six convoys to the Government General at the end
     of August or the beginning of September. These were to
     comprise all classes of Jews, including old people and
     those unfit for labour."
     
Now I offer in evidence Exhibit RF 1234. It is a memorandum
dated 13th August, 1942. Before pointing out the importance
of this document I remind the Tribunal that I have already
submitted, as Exhibit RF 1219, a document in which there was
a formula which I recall, namely, "The possibility is left
open of sending at a later date children under 16, who were
left behind." The Nazis wished to give the impression that
they deported entire families at the same time, or, at
least, that they did not deport whole trainloads of
children. To give this impression, they invented a device
which is wholly incredible unless you actually see it in
black and white: the mingling of children and adults in
definite proportions. I read paragraph 4 of this document:

                                                   [Page 93]
                                                            
     "The Jews from the unoccupied zone will be mingled at
     Drancy with Jewish children now at Pithiviers and
     Beaune La Rolande, so that out of a total of 700 at
     least 500 Jewish adults 200 to 300 Jewish children. In
     conformity with the instructions of the R.H.S.A., no
     trains containing Jewish children only are to leave."
     
I read the next sentence too:

     "At Leguay they were told that thirteen trainloads of
     Jews would also leave Drancy in September and that
     Jewish children from the unoccupied zone could be
     handed over."
     
I now submit the last document of the series dealing with
the Jewish question as Exhibit RF 1235. I am going to read
it, as it is very short.

     "Received: 7th April, 1944, Lyons, 20.10 hours. Object:
     The Institution for Jewish Children at Izieu, Ain. The
     institution for Jewish children -- 'Child Colony' -- at
     d'Izieu (Ain) was dissolved this morning and a total of
     forty-one children aged from 3 to 13 taken in charge.
     Moreover, the arrest of the entire Jewish personnel,
     numbering ten in all, and including five women, was
     successfully effected. They were unable to place cash
     or other goods in security. The convoy for Drancy will
     leave on 7th April, 1944."
     
This document also bears a memorandum written by hand and
couched in the following terms:

     "Matter discussed in the presence of Dr. V. B. and
     Hauptsturmfuehrer Brunner. Dr. V. B. stated that in
     cases of this kind, special measures were provided
     about the lodging of the children by the S.S.
     Obersturmfuehrer Roethke. The S.S. Hauptsturmfuehrer
     Brunner stated that he knew of no such instructions or
     of any such plan and that he did not approve of such
     special measures. In this case he would also act in
     conformity with the customary methods of deportation.
     From that time on he is to take no decision in such
     cases."
     
For me what is even more striking and more horrible than the
concrete fact of removing these children is the
administrative colour given to the proceedings, the report
made through official channels, the meetings at which
different officials placidly discussed the matter as if it
were part of the normal business of the department. All the
administrative machinery of the State -- I am speaking of
the Nazi State -- was set in motion -- on what an occasion
and for what a purpose! It is a perfect illustration of the
word used by Dannecker in his report: "La maniere froide.
The cold manner."


Home ·  Site Map ·  What's New? ·  Search Nizkor

© The Nizkor Project, 1991-2012

This site is intended for educational purposes to teach about the Holocaust and to combat hatred. Any statements or excerpts found on this site are for educational purposes only.

As part of these educational purposes, Nizkor may include on this website materials, such as excerpts from the writings of racists and antisemites. Far from approving these writings, Nizkor condemns them and provides them so that its readers can learn the nature and extent of hate and antisemitic discourse. Nizkor urges the readers of these pages to condemn racist and hate speech in all of its forms and manifestations.