MME. VAILLANT-COUTURIER: No. In Auschwitz, obviously, extermination was
the sole aim and object. Nobody was at all interested in the output. We
were beaten for no reason whatsoever. It was sufficient to stand from
morning till evening but whether we carried one brick or 10 was of no
importance at all. We were quite aware that the human element was
employed as slave labor in order to kill us, that this was the ultimate
purpose, whereas at Ravensbrück the output was of great importance. It
was a clearing camp. When the convoys arrived at Ravensbrück, they were
rapidly dispatched either to the munition or to the powder factories,
either to work at the airfields or, latterly, to dig trenches.
The following procedure was adopted for going to the factories: The
manufacturers or their foremen or else their representatives were coming
themselves to choose their workers, accompanied by SS men; the effect
was that of a slave market. They felt the muscles, examined the faces to
see if the person looked healthy, and then made their choice. Finally,
they made them walk naked past the doctor and he eventually decided if a
woman was fit or not to leave for work in the factories. Latterly, the
doctor’s visit became a mere formality as they ended by employing
anybody who came along. The work was exhausting, principally because of
lack of food and sleep, since in addition to 12 solid hours of work one
had to attend roll call in the morning and in the evening. In
Ravensbrück there was the Siemens factory, where telephone equipment was
manufactured as well as wireless sets for aircraft. Then there were
workshops in the camp for camouflage material and uniforms and for
various utensils used by soldiers. One of these I know best . . .
THE PRESIDENT: I think we had better break off now for 10 minutes.
[_A recess was taken._]
M. DUBOST: Madame, did you see any SS chiefs and members of the
Wehrmacht visit the camps of Ravensbrück and Auschwitz when you were
there?
MME. VAILLANT-COUTURIER: Yes.
M. DUBOST: Do you know if any German Government officials came to visit
these camps?
MME. VAILLANT-COUTURIER: I know it only as far as Himmler is concerned.
Apart from Himmler I do not know.