TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-429
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 281
EXTRACTS FROM THE AFFIDAVIT OF WALDEMAR HOVEN, 24 OCTOBER 1946,
CONCERNING THE KILLING OF INMATES BY PHENOL AND OTHER MEANS
I, Waldemar Hoven, being duly sworn, depose and state:
1. I was born in Freiburg, Breisgau, on the 10th of February 1903. I
attended high school but did not complete my education until many years
later. Between the years 1919 and 1933 I visited Denmark, Sweden, United
States, and France. In 1933 I returned to Freiburg and completed my high
school course and then attended the Universities of Freiburg and Munich.
In 1939 I concluded my medical studies and joined the Waffen SS as a
physician. The last rank I held in the Waffen SS was Hauptsturmfuehrer
(captain). In 1934 I had joined the Allgemeine SS.
2. In October 1939 I was assigned as an assistant medical officer in the
SS hospital in the Buchenwald concentration camp and held that position
until 1941 when I was appointed the medical officer in charge of the SS
troops stationed in the camp. At the end of 1941 I was transferred to
the camp hospital and became the assistant medical officer therein. This
hospital was for the inmates of the Buchenwald concentration camp. In
July 1942 I was elevated to the position of chief physician and thereby
had the full responsibility for the inmate patients in the hospital. I
held this position until September 1943 when I was arrested by the SS
police court of Kassel and remained under arrest until 15th of March
1945.
3. Due to my various positions in the Buchenwald concentration camp
during this period of nearly four years I became acquainted with all
phases of the medical activities therein and am hereby able to make the
following statement:
* * * * *
10. In the camp we had a great many prisoners who were jealous of the
positions held by a certain few of the inmates, that is, some of the
political prisoners held key positions and were able to get better
living conditions than the average. Hence, many of the prisoners envied
these positions and made every effort to discredit the men who held the
key positions. Such traitorous actions became known through the
“grapevine” to the men in the key positions and then such traitors were
immediately killed. In each case I was later notified in order to make
out the death statements of the prisoners killed. These statements did
not indicate the actual cause of death but were made out to indicate
that the prisoner died of natural causes.
11. In some instances I supervised the killing of these unworthy inmates
by injections of phenol at the request of the inmates. These killings
took place in the camp hospital and I was assisted by several inmates.
On one occasion Dr. Ding came to the hospital to witness such killings
with phenol and said that I was not doing it correctly, therefore he
performed some of the injections himself. At that time three inmates
were killed with phenol injections and they died within a minute.
12. The total number of traitors killed was about 150, of whom 60 were
killed by phenol injections, either by myself or under my supervision in
the camp hospital, and the rest were killed by various means, such as
beatings, by the inmates.
The above affidavit written in the English language, consisting of five
(5) pages, is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
This affidavit was given by me freely and voluntarily, without promise
of reward and I was subjected to no duress or threat of any
[Signed] DR. WALDEMAR HOVEN
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-257
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 283
EXTRACT FROM A SWORN STATEMENT BY DR. ERWIN SCHULER (DING), 20 JULY
1945, CONCERNING EUTHANASIA WITH PHENOL INJECTION