The below is a letter to the editor from Simon Wiesenthal to "Books and Bookmen," April 1975, Vol. 20, No. 7, p. 5. In reply to Colin Wilson's letter (b&b Feb on The Myth of the Six Million), it is no myth, it is rather sad that thirty years after the fall of the Third Reich there are still doubts as to the enormity of Nazi-Crimes. Hundreds of trials have taken place against persons who helped to clean Europe and the world of human vermin. No SS-man accused of these deeds in court has yet denied the existence of Gas-Chambers and their usage. His usual defence was--he had to obey orders. The Commandant of Treblinka, Franz Stangl, admitted at his trial in 1968 in Dusseldorf, that they had gassed eighteen thousand people a day. The accusation was that he was responsible for the death of four hundred thousand people. But during the proceedings a German Scientist proved that the real figure was nearer nine hundred thousand. I'm quoting this case in particular because all the facts are today completely documented. Anybody who has doubts is welcome to look into it. The other two extermination camps were Sobibor and Belzec. In these camps they killed two million Jews. The Commandant of Auschwitz, Hoess, declared in court, that between three to four million people were exterminated in his camp. We know today that in all eleven million people, not all Jews, of the civilian population were murdered by the Nazis in occupied countries, mainly in Eastern Europe. Scientific researchers and historians in various countries reached the firm conclusion, based on German documents, that the figure of exterminated Jews was between five million eight hundred thousand and six million two hundred thousand. They agree to a round figure of six million. Eichmann in his trial spoke of five million and yet he was only responsible for part of the extermination of the Jews. The dead of the 'Einsatzgruppen' in the East and the dead of Gas-Lorries were not part of Eichmann's programme. Because there were no extermination camps on German soil the Neo-Nazis are using this as proof that these crimes did not happen and furthermore exhibit witnesses from German Labour-Camps who have never seen mass-extermination. For political reasons the Neo-Nazis try to diminish the blame of Germans towards Jews. This has been taken very lightly by Historians and by Jews alike, which is wrong. The circulation of the Neo-Nazi-istic writings with their malicious and ridiculous arguments connot be prevented. They find sometimes an echo in some countries. Goebbels always recommended--repeat a lie often enough and people will come to believe it. They also declared that the Diary of Anna Frank was an invention until one day I succeeded in finding the policeman in Holland who had Anna Frank arrested. Today the Neo-Nazis have no more to say about the subject of Anna Frank. We would be glad if the Myth of the six million was a myth. Unfortunately it is not, it is a tragic reality. Simon Wiesenthal Vienna
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