I, Fritz Friedrich Karl Rascher, being duly sworn, depose and state:
1. I was born on 13 August 1888 at Kellmuenz/Schwaben-Neuburg. I am a
German citizen. My present civilian address is: Hamburg, Parkallee 78. I
attended the following schools: 4 years public school at Augsburg, 4
years St. Anna Gymnasium at Augsburg, 2 years Real-Gymnasium at
Augsburg, and 4 years of senior high school at Ravensburg. I graduated
from junior college at Ravensburg in 1909. I studied medicine for 5
years at Munich. I passed my state board examination in 1914 at Munich.
From 1914 to 1917 I worked as general practitioner. In the autumn of
1917 I was drafted into the armed forces, remained however at first in
Hamburg in the home guard reserve and worked at the same time as general
practitioner until May 1918. From May 1918 until November 1918 I was a
medical officer. Since the end of 1918 until now I have been a general
practitioner in Hamburg.
2. I am the uncle of Dr. Sigmund Rascher and have always maintained a
pleasant family relationship with my nephew. I also was well acquainted
with the wife of Dr. Sigmund Rascher, Nini Rascher nee Diehl. I also
maintained contact with Dr. Sigmund Rascher and his wife during the war
until the arrest at the end of 1943 or beginning of 1944. For the
reasons stated above, I am in the position to make the following
statement:
3. While attending the wedding of my nephew in Munich he told me that he
had been asked to take over a laboratory in the concentration camp
Dachau by order of the Luftwaffe and in connection with the Ahnenerbe.
This offer was made to him through the medium of his wife and Himmler.
He told me that this would be a big chance to work free and undisturbed.
At the same time he saw in it a chance of continuing his experiments on
blood crystallization. In these experiments he was supported by a
relative of his wife by the name of Fraeulein Lulu, who later committed
suicide. At that time I advised my nephew against accepting such a job.
4. In August 1942 I heard from my nephew in Munich that he had taken
over the laboratory at Dachau and that he would work there extensively.
Knowing the great diligence and the ambition of my nephew I was not
surprised that he accepted this job.
At that time I drove with my nephew by car up to the entrance of the
concentration camp, but did not enter. The only thing I heard from my
nephew at that time was that he had carried out high-altitude tests on
himself.
5. In August 1943 I was with my nephew twice in the Dachau concentration
camp. The first time I went only to his private quarters and did not see
the laboratory. The second time he showed me his laboratory and
introduced me to his colleagues. I still remember the following names:
Dr. Punzengruber and Dr. Feix. I inspected the chemical exploitation of
blood coagulation. At that time he also told me of freezing experiments.
He said that he had carried these out on himself at first and then he
introduced to me one of his colleagues who had volunteered three times
for these experiments. If I remember rightly, Himmler is supposed to
have been present at one of these experiments and to have pardoned the
man who was condemned to death. During the absence of my nephew, I
accidentally found the following document in his desk:
It refers to a report about the shooting (execution) of four people for
the purpose of experimenting with the hemostatic preparation “Polygal
10”. As far as I remember they were a Russian Commissar and a cretin, I
do not remember who the other two were. The Russian was shot in the
right shoulder from above by an SS man who stood on a chair. The bullet
emerged near the spleen. It was described how the Russian twitched
convulsively, then sat down on a chair and died after about 20 minutes.
In the dissection protocol the rupture of the pulmonary vessels and the
aorta was described. It was further described that the ruptures were
tamponed by hard blood clots. That could have been the only explanation
for the comparatively long span of life after the shot. After reading
this first protocol I was so shocked that I did not read the others. At
the time I took a sample of the hemostatic preparation from the desk
which I submit herewith to the files.
6. On the way to Munich after this visit to Dachau, which was my last, I
called my nephew to account. He raved when he learned that I knew of
this matter. After appealing to his conscience, from the scientific as
well as from the humane point of view, he broke down and cried: “I dare
not think, I dare not think.” In Munich my nephew and I continued this
conversation during the whole night. Dr. Sigmund Rascher admitted at the
time that he was on the wrong path but that he didn’t see any
possibility of resigning from it.
7. At the end of 1943 or beginning of 1944 I received a letter from my
nephew, in which he informed me that he and his wife had been arrested
because of illegal adoption (and registration) of a child. This letter
was accompanied by a note by Kriminalrat Schmidt from Munich in which he
informed me that I should contact him if I knew anything about this
matter. I wrote at the time to Munich that I considered this to be
impossible because I myself had once seen Frau Rascher in a pregnant
state. I am a doctor and examined her myself. That was before the birth
of the second child; she was then in the 6th or 7th month of pregnancy.
I wish to add that the first son looked very much like his father and
also had similar habits.
8. Since this occurrence in 1943 or 1944 I have not heard from either
Dr. Sigmund Rascher or his wife. Only in 1946 I learned from various
people that my nephew had been shot in Dachau before the arrival of the
Americans and that his wife had been hanged at Ravensbrueck or Berlin on
orders of Himmler. I also submit to the files three pictures taken
during the youth of Dr. Sigmund Rascher. All my nephew’s documents which
I had in my possession I burned in 1944 because I was afraid of the
Gestapo.
I have read the above affidavit in the German language consisting of 2
pages and declare that it is true and correct to the best of my
knowledge and belief. I was given the opportunity of making alterations
and corrections in the above affidavit. This affidavit was made by me
voluntarily, without any promise or reward and I was subjected to no
compulsion or duress of any kind.
[Signature] RASCHER
Hamburg, 31 December 1946.
PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-438
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 240
REPORT FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR MILITARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, (DEPARTMENT
DR. RASCHER) ON “POLYGAL 10”
[Handwritten]
Mue. med. Wo. Schri.
delivered 20 Dec. 1943.
From the Institute for Military Scientific Research (Department Dr.
Rascher) “Polygal 10”, a hemostat to be administered orally
by
Dr. med. S. Rascher, Munich, and Dr. med. H. Haferkamp,
Waltershausen (Thuringia).
A good hemostat has to have the following qualifications: