“Berlin W 15, Knesebeckstrasse 43/44; 16 May 1942
“To Oberfeldarzt Professor Dr. Rose; Berlin N. W., Foehrerstrasse 2
“Robert Koch Institute
“Dear Professor:
“The Reich Physician SS and Police has consented to the execution of
experiments to test typhus vaccines. May I therefore ask you to let me
have the vaccines?
“The other question which you raised, as to whether the louse can be
infected by a typhus patient vaccinated for protection, will also be
dealt with. In principle, this has also been approved. There are,
however, still some difficulties at the moment about the practical
execution, since we have at present no facilities for breeding lice.
“Your suggestion to use Olzscha has been passed on to the personnel
department of the SS Medical Office. It will be given consideration in
due course.
“With kind regards, and
“Heil Hitler!
“Yours
“Dr. MRUGOWSKY, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer.”
There is a footnote to this letter, and I quote:
“According to telephone inquiry, Dr. Mrugowsky asks to be called
by telephone after Professor Dr. Rose’s return. Dr. Mrugowsky
will not be in Berlin in June. His deputy, Dr. Ding, is
informed. 20 May 1942.”
This letter shows that Dr. Mrugowsky once informed me that the Reich
Physician SS and Police had consented to the testing of typhus vaccines.
He then asks me to send him these vaccines. I cannot recall what
vaccines he is speaking of.
Then the question is discussed about lice being infected by typhus
patients vaccinated for protection.
I admitted that a possibility exists, and I said that this question was
at one time discussed with me.
The final paragraph says that one of my assistants had been drafted into
the Waffen SS and that I endeavored to have him used in the hygiene
service.
Q. Herr Professor, let’s go to the footnote first. What are the initials
“B. L.” at the end of that footnote for? Isn’t that Frau Block?
A. Yes, that would be Frau Block, yes.
Q. And Frau Block has been in touch with Dr. Mrugowsky. She notes that
Dr. Ding, who I suppose you will admit is Dr. Ding, has been informed.
In view of this note we can pretty well disregard the testimony of your
witness Frau Block before this Tribunal, can’t we? She testified that
you had not corresponded with Mrugowsky, didn’t she?
A. She said that she could not recollect any correspondence with
Mrugowsky, but you will see from my documents which you have before you,
that this correspondence in effect was so small that it is quite
understandable if she does not remember it in detail. It is a result of
my express order that you have these documents available. I ordered that
in my institute at Pfaffenrode no documents should be destroyed under
any circumstances. There is a written document available to show that I
gave such an order.
Q. Herr Professor, this letter is in response to one which you wrote to
Mrugowsky, isn’t it?
A. That’s possible.
Q. And in the letter that you wrote to Mrugowsky you asked him to have
the Bucharest vaccine tested in Buchenwald, didn’t you?
A. I told you before in great detail that I could not remember this
matter about the Bucharest vaccine. If you have a letter before you
about this matter, it would, of course, give me a possibility to refresh
my memory.
Q. I should think this letter would refresh your memory, Herr Professor,
particularly in view of the Ding diary, which has an entry shortly
following the date on this letter where Ding carries out his experiments
with the Bucharest vaccine among others, and says in the diary that the
vaccine was obtained from you; and Mrugowsky in this letter asked you to
send him the vaccines which you have mentioned in your previous letter.
There’s really no doubt about it, is there, Professor?
A. This possibly becomes apparent.
Q. And was this person Olzscha mentioned in the letter? Was he to assist
in Buchenwald?
A. He was to be used in the hygiene service. Since he particularly dealt
with entomological questions, I asked that he should work on these
questions there.
Q. You got a report from Ding, too, on these experiments testing the
Bucharest vaccine, didn’t you, Professor?
A. I cannot remember that, and I already told you once that had I
received any such report, I would have drawn the conclusions from it;
and since I did not do that, I think it is improbable that I received
such a report.
Q. In view of this letter, Doctor, do you want to go back and change
your testimony about the Copenhagen vaccine? Didn’t you also suggest
those experiments, and didn’t you also supply the Copenhagen vaccine for
the experiments in Buchenwald?
A. No. I have no intention of doing that.
Q. Well, in that event I will ask that Document NO-1186 be passed up to
you, and this will be marked as Prosecution Exhibit 492 for
identification. Will you read this letter aloud please?