Sent with request for acknowledgment. I present the report with the
request for acknowledgment and return since the Reich Leader SS in
Munich wants these copies again.
[Signed] BRANDT
SS Sturmbannfuehrer
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-323
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 94
MEMORANDUM OF RASCHER ON WOMEN USED FOR REWARMING IN FREEZING
EXPERIMENTS, 5 NOVEMBER 1942
Sigmund Rascher, M. D.
Munich, Trogerstrasse 56, 5 November 1942
Subject: Requested report on concentration camp prostitutes.
For the resuscitation experiments by animal warmth after freezing as
ordered by the Reich Leader SS I had four women assigned to me from the
women’s concentration camp Ravensbrueck.
One of the assigned women shows unobjectionably Nordic racial
characteristics: blond hair, blue eyes, corresponding head and body
structure, 21¾ years of age. I asked the girl why she had volunteered
for the brothel. I received the answer: “To get out of the concentration
camp, for we were promised that all those who would volunteer for the
brothel for half a year would then be released from the concentration
camp”. To my objection that it was a great shame to volunteer as a
prostitute, I was told: “Rather half a year in the brothel than half a
year in the concentration camp”. Then followed an account of a number of
most peculiar conditions at camp Ravensbrueck. Most of the reported
conditions were confirmed by the three other prostitutes and by the
female warden who had accompanied them from Ravensbrueck.
It hurts my racial feelings to expose to racially inferior concentration
camp elements a girl as a prostitute who has the appearance of a pure
Nordic and who could perhaps by assignment of proper work be put on the
right road.
Therefore, I refused to use this girl for my experimental purposes and
gave the adequate reports to the camp commander and the adjutant of the
Reich Leader SS.
[Signature] DR. S. RASCHER
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-320
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 103
LETTER FROM SIEVERS TO BRANDT, 28 JANUARY 1943, AND
RASCHER’S REPORT ON HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH GRAWITZ AND
POPPENDICK
The Ahnenerbe
The Reich Business Manager
To the Reich Leader SS Berlin, 28 January 1943
Personal Staff G/R/8 S 1/Sb
[illegible shorthand notes]
Attention: SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. R. Brandt
Berlin S. W. 11, Prinz Albrecht Str. 8
Secret!
Subject: Research of Dr. Rascher.
Dear comrade Brandt!
I submit to you enclosed a documentary note of Dr. Rascher on his
discussion with the Reich Physician SS [Reichsarzt SS] of 13 January
1943. I would be much obliged to you if you could advise us as to what
attitude we or Dr. Rascher are to take in the future. I am slightly
astonished about the course of the discussion, for the orders of the
Reich Leader SS were especially to the effect that we—that is the
Ahnenerbe—were to take Dr. Rascher’s work under our care. The argument
of SS Gruppenfuehrer Grawitz, that it constituted an unbearable
situation to have a non-physician give information on medical matters,
is not pertinent. I have never claimed to be a judge of medical matters,
nor do I consider it as one of my duties. My duty merely consists of
smoothing the way for the research men and seeing that the tasks ordered
by the Reich Leader SS are carried out in the quickest possible way. On
one thing I certainly can form an opinion—that is, on who is doing the
quickest job.
If things are to go on in the future as SS Gruppenfuehrer Grawitz
desires, I am afraid that Dr. Rascher’s work will not continue to
advance as fast and unhampered as hitherto.
With comradely greetings,
Heil Hitler!
Yours
[Signature] SIEVERS
[Stamp]:
Personal Staff RF SS / Enclosure
Received on: 4th Feb. 1943 1
Journal No: 1786/43
To: RB Please turn!
COPY
_Documentary note_ on discussion Reich Physician SS [Reichsarzt
SS] Dr. Grawitz—SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. Poppendick—SS
Hauptsturmfuehrer Dr. Rascher, 13 January 1943.
RASCHER: Reports on freezing experiments with water and emphasizes that
they have been concluded practically, but not in theory.
GRAWITZ: Question about the memorandum. Whether Rascher believes this to
be absolutely established for dry freezings, too?
RASCHER: No, a lot of theoretical work is still to be done, primarily
many practical experiments have still to be conducted.
GRAWITZ: That is my opinion, too. We cannot distribute a memorandum to
the troops, abolishing all former views, if this is not entirely
well-founded, as otherwise uncertainties will arise among the troops. I
shall write to Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. Brandt that I am asking the
Reich Leader SS not to distribute the memorandum before a well-founded
method of treatment of dry frozen persons has been established.
RASCHER: Very well, that’s why the Reich Leader SS gave me the order of
13 December 1942. But I urgently want to emphasize that the results of
the freezing experiments with water have been established and are
well-founded.
GRAWITZ: Well, now, this had to be mentioned in the letter to Brandt so
that you are not blamed in any way! You see, from my former activities
(mention of some hospital) I know so much about metabolism that I am
almost a specialist in this field and can help you enormously.
RASCHER: As I understood, Gruppenfuehrer, that’s why I am to turn to
your office for glass materials, chemicals, etc.
GRAWITZ: No. Not only for that. You have to turn to me in all medical
matters, since after all, I am Reich Physician SS and all medical
affairs are subordinate to me. It is absolutely necessary that all
medical matters destined for the Reich Leader SS go through my office.
RASCHER: I don’t know, Gruppenfuehrer, if this was the intention. I am
under the direct orders of the Reich Leader SS and I have always
reported directly to him. I have never received orders to another
effect.
GRAWITZ: You certainly will be transferred to the Waffen SS?
RASCHER: Yes, I hope so. The transfer is under way.
GRAWITZ: There you are. Then you will be under my orders as a physician
at any rate and all matters will have to go through my office, otherwise
the situation would be unbearable.
RASCHER: But I am under the orders of the Ahnenerbe! Am I to report to
you, too, what I have to report to the Ahnenerbe?
GRAWITZ: Certainly! At least a copy on all medical matters has to be
sent to me for my information. For it is an unbearable situation to have
a non-physician, such as Standartenfuehrer Sievers, inform me on medical
matters if he does not have the adequate special medical education. I
have nothing against Sievers. Well, yes, I know you are of the
Ahnenerbe. I don’t say anything against your work for the Ahnenerbe, but
I want you to work with the Ahnenerbe for the Reich Physician. I shall
also write to Brandt on that matter.
POPPENDICK: Well, I already had to ask Standartenfuehrer Sievers several
times to come to me to receive information. In the long run all medical
matters wind up with us, anyway.
GRAWITZ: You see, this is the point! When the Reich Leader SS does not
understand a medical matter clearly he hands the matter over to me,
anyway.
RASCHER: Of course, I am grateful for every kind of help, but I believe
that I am primarily under the orders of the Ahnenerbe.
GRAWITZ: Certainly not when you are a member of the Waffen SS. I am able
to be of much use to you through my knowledge and I shall inform Brandt
to that effect. It isn’t that I bear a grudge against you or your work,
but all things have to follow their course. Don’t be afraid, scientific
thefts don’t occur with us. As I know, you have to acquire the right of
giving lectures at universities as a qualified academic teacher under
Pfannenstiel. And you will need support. Do you want to be supported by
me?
RASCHER: Of course, I thank you most obediently. Where I need support, I
gladly accept it.
GRAWITZ: Well, we shall wait then with the memorandum until you have a
few hundred cases, then we shall continue. Of course, I would not like
the Reich Leader SS to believe that I want to impede you. But if
something has not yet been proved to a great extent, we cannot
distribute anything to the troops that might spread uncertainty among
the responsible authorities!
Everything may be true for freezing by water, but we don’t have that in
the Waffen SS. So you agree to wait with the distribution of the
memorandum.
RASCHER: Gruppenfuehrer, anyway it is entirely your affair, whether the
memorandum is issued now, as you are responsible for it. I composed the
memorandum on the basis of these few cases of dry freezing, because the
Reich Leader SS pressed for its publication. In composing the
memorandum, I was fully aware of the necessity that many experiments
still have to be carried out, and I also submitted this view on the
occasion of a discussion with the Reich Leader SS in Dachau. But the
Reich Leader saw the results in Dachau and in wanting to help the troops
ordered the memorandum to be drawn up.
GRAWITZ: In composing a memorandum or in any other scientific work you
should not let anybody press you, not even the Reich Leader SS, that
will never do! Well now, you’ll send me a copy of all your medical
correspondence with the Ahnenerbe, and you’ll no longer write directly
to the Reich Leader SS in medical matters but write to me, as it comes
to me anyway. Will you do that?
RASCHER: I’ll have to discuss the matter with Standartenfuehrer Sievers
first, this comes too much as a surprise.
GRAWITZ: Well, I shall send you a copy of my letter to Dr. Brandt so
that you can get a clear picture. I am very pleased to have established
such a close contact with you.
This is a certified true copy.
[Signature] WOLFF
SS Untersturmfuehrer
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1616-PS
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 105
LETTER FROM RASCHER TO HIMMLER, 17 FEBRUARY 1943, AND
SUMMARY OF EXPERIMENTS FOR REWARMING OF CHILLED
HUMAN BEINGS BY ANIMAL WARMTH, 12 FEBRUARY 1943
Dr. S. Rascher
SS Hauptsturmfuehrer