TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-257
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 283
EXTRACT FROM THE AFFIDAVIT OF DR. ERWIN SCHULER, 20 JULY 1945,
CONCERNING TYPHUS EXPERIMENTS
* * * * *
_Hoven’s Share in Block 46_
In February 1942 the order to conduct typhus experiments came through. I
was chosen to carry out these experiments. Since I had my office in
Berlin, a deputy had to be appointed for my absence in Buchenwald.
Reichsarzt SS Dr. Grawitz, in agreement with the leading doctor of the
concentration camps, Lolling, appointed SS 1st Lt. Dr. Hoven as station
doctor at Buchenwald. My presence in Buchenwald always lasted only a few
days, while the experiments and the typhus epidemic lasted about 10
weeks.
Dr. Hoven had orders to get the prisoners (professional criminals
sentenced to death), who had been released for the experiments from the
Reich Security Office and the chief of the concentration camps, for
vaccination or infection after an examination of their physical fitness.
As deputy, he often ordered Dr. Plaza to take over the guard of Block
46. Dr. Plaza, in addition, continued to work independently under Kapo
Dietzsch.
For experiments that did not result in death, such as the effectiveness
of yellow fever vaccine, 200 to 300 volunteers stood in readiness. This
I know from rosters that Dietzsch showed me once. Such experiments did
not only take place in the block but also, in a certain case, in the
camp itself. For that experiment about 80 Dutchmen were taken; they did
not have to work and they were given extra rations. For that they had to
have their temperature taken three times daily and every two days they
had to give 10 cc. blood for a blood count.
Hoven worked as my deputy until my permanent entrance into Buchenwald in
August 1943. In September he was arrested.
In the year 1942 he had to work a lot by himself, since I contracted
typhus and after that was sent to a rest home. Immediately after that I
was detailed to the Pasteur Institute in Paris. During this time the
sick reports bore the signature of Hoven or Plaza.
[Signed] DR. SCHULER
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-571
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 285