Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression A special Nazi program combined the brutality and the
purposes of the slave labor program with those of the
concentration camp. The Nazis placed Allied nationals in
concentration camps and forced them, along with the other
inmates of the concentra-
[Page 915]
tion camps, to work in the armaments industry under
conditions designed to exterminate them. This was the Nazi
program of extermination through work.
The program was initiated in the spring of 1942. It was
outlined as follows in a letter to Himmler, dated 30 April
1942, from his subordinate Pohl, SS Obergruppenfuehrer and
General of the Waffen SS:
"Today I report about the present situation of the
concentration camps and about measures I have taken to
carry out your order of 3 March 1942."
"1. The war has brought about a marked change in the
structure of the concentration camps and has changed
their duties with regard to the employment of the
prisoners. The custody of prisoners for the sole
reasons of security, education, or prevention is no
longer the main consideration. The mobilization of all
prisoners who are fit for work for purposes of the war
now, and for purposes of construction in the
forthcoming peace, come to the foreground more and
more.
"2. From this knowledge some necessary measures result
with the aim to transform the concentration camps into
organizations more suitable for the economic tasks,
whilst they were formerly merely politically
interested.
"3. For this reason I have gathered together all the
leaders of the former inspectorate of Concentration
Camps, all Camp Commanders, and all managers and
supervisors of work on 23 April 1942 and 24 April 1942;
I have explained personally to them this new
development. I have compiled in the order attached the
main essentials, which have to be brought into effect
with the utmost urgency if the commencement of work for
purposes of the armament industry is not to be
delayed." (R-129)
The order referred to in paragraph 3 above set the framework
for a program of relentless exploitation, providing in part
as follows:
"4. The camp commander alone is responsible for the
employment of the labor available. This employment must
be, in the true meaning of the word, exhaustive, in
order to obtain the greatest measure of performance.
Work is allotted by the Chief of the Department D
centrally and alone. The camp commanders themselves may
not accept on their own initiative work offered by
third parties and may not negotiate about it.
"5. There is no limit to working hours. Their duration
de-
[Page 916]
pends on the kind of working establishments in the
camps and the kind of work to be done. They are fixed
by the camp commanders alone.
"6. Any circumstances which may result in a shortening
of working hours (eg. meals, roll-calls) have therefore
to be restricted to the minimum which cannot be
condensed any more. It is forbidden to allow long walks
to the place of working and noon intervals for eating
purposes." (R-129)
This armaments production program was not merely a scheme
for mobilizing the manpower potential of the camps. It was
directly integrated into the larger Nazi program of
extermination. A memorandum of an agreement between Himmler
and the Minister of Justice, Thierack sets for the Nazi
objective of extermination through work:
"*** 2. The delivery of anti-social elements from the
execution of their sentence to the Reich Fuehrer of SS
to be worked to death. Persons under protective arrest,
Jews, Gypsies, Russians and Ukrainians, Poles with more
than 3-year sentences, Czechs and Germans with more
than 8-year sentences, according to the decision of the
Reich Minister for Justice. First of all the worst anti-social elements amongst those just mentioned are to be
handed over. I shall inform the Fuehrer of this through
Reichsleiter Bormann."
*******
"14. It is agreed that, in consideration of the
intended aims of the Government for the clearing up of
the Eastern problems, in future Jews, Poles, Gypsies,
Russians and Ukrainians are no longer to be judged by
ordinary courts, so far as punishable offenses are
concerned, but are to be dealt with by the Reich
Fuehrer of SS. This does not apply to civil lawsuits,
not to Poles whose names are announced or entered in
German Racial Lists." (654-PS)
In September, 1942, Speer arranged to bring this new source
of labor within his jurisdiction. Speer convinced Hitler
that significant production could be obtained only if
concentration camp prisoners were employed in factories
under the technical control of the Speer Ministry instead of
the camps. In fact, without Speer's cooperation, it would
have been difficult to utilize the prisoners on any large
scale for war production since he would not allocate to
Himmler the machine tools and other necessary equipment.
Accordingly, it was agreed that the prisoners were to be
exploited in factories under Speer's control. To compensate
Himmler for surrendering this jurisdiction to Speer,
[Page 917]
Speer proposed, and Hitler agreed, that Himmler could
receive a share of the armaments output, fixed in relation
to the man hours contributed by his prisoners. The minutes
of Speer's conference with Hitler on 20, 21, 22 September
1942, are as follows (R-124):
"*** I pointed out to the Fuehrer that, apart from an
insignificant amount of work, no possibility exists of
organizing armament production in the concentration
camps, because:
"1. the machine tools required are missing,
"2. there are no suitable premises.
"Both these assets would be available in the armaments
industry, if use could be made of them by a second
shift.
"The Fuehrer agrees to my proposal, that the numerous
factories set up outside towns for ARP reasons, should
release their workers for supplementing the second
shift in town factories and should in return be
supplied with labor from the concentration camps-also
two shifts.
"I pointed out to the Fuehrer the difficulties which I
expect to encounter if Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler should
be able, as he requests, to exercise authoritative
influence over these factories. The Fuehrer, too, does
not consider such an influence necessary.
"The Fuehrer however agrees that Reichsfuehrer SS
Himmler should draw advantages from making his
prisoners available; he should get equipment for his
division.
" I suggest to give him a share in kind (war equipment)
in ratio to the working hours done by his prisoners. A
3%-5% share is discussed, the equipment also being
calculated according to working hours. The Fuehrer
would agree to such a solution.
"The Fuehrer is prepared to order the additional
delivery of this equipment and weapons to the SS,
according to a list submitted by him." (R-124)
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
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Volume
I Chapter X
The Concentration Camp Program of Extermination Through
Work
(Part 1 of 2)