Non-German nationals and Jews, who were inmates of the concentration
camps, were victims of the Euthanasia Program which operated in these
camps under the code name “14 f 13.” (_NO-429, Pros. Ex. 281._)
A few documents submitted by the prosecution on one “14 f 13” action in
Gross-Rosen show how the Euthanasia Program operated in concentration
camps. The list of concentration camp inmates of the Gross-Rosen
concentration camp, who were sent to the Bernburg euthanasia station for
extermination, contains many names of non-German nationals and
non-German Jews. (_NO-158, Pros. Ex. 410._) Jews in protective custody,
Poles in protective custody, Jews who were habitual criminals, Jews who
were “shirkers,” Jews who “defiled the race,” Czech “shirkers,” and
Czechs in protective custody were among the inmates selected by the camp
physicians for “examination” by the experts. (_1151-PS, Pros. Ex. 411._)
By comparing the names on the lists contained on Documents NO-158 and
1151-PS, it is proved that, of the 240 names listed for extermination in
the Bernburg euthanasia station, at least 51 were of Polish or Czech
nationality. How many of the Jews listed were of non-German nationality
cannot be ascertained from these documents, but a substantial number of
them were born in countries other than Germany, as the list contained in
Document NO-158 shows, and it is therefore apparent that a further
substantial number of the inmates selected for extermination were of
non-German nationality. (_NO-158, Pros. Ex. 410_; _1151-PS, Pros. Ex.
411_.)
On 17 March 1942, 70 inmates were transferred to Bernburg for
extermination. (_NO-1873, Pros. Ex. 556._) Of these, 27 of the
non-Jewish prisoners on the transport list were of Czech or Polish
nationality. Compare transport list with list of inmates originally
selected in Gross-Rosen. (_1151-PS, Pros. Ex. 411._) On 19 March 1942 an
additional 57 inmates arrived at Bernburg from Gross-Rosen. (_NO-158,
Pros. Ex. 410._) Of these, 15 of the non-Jewish prisoners of the
transport list were of Czech or Polish nationality. Thus, of the total
of 127 inmates proved to have been sent to Bernburg in March 1942, at
least 42, or one-third of the total, were non-German citizens forcibly
detained in an enemy country. That all of these inmates were
exterminated in Bernburg is conclusively proved by the laconic report
from Gross-Rosen to the Economic and Administrative Main Office that
“special treatment of 127 prisoners was concluded on 2 April 1942.”
(_1234-PS, Pros. Ex. 555._)
This evidence as to Action 14 f 13 is amplified by the testimony of the
witnesses Neff (_Tr. pp. 600-605_), Kogon (_Tr. pp. 1210-13_), Roemhild
(_Tr. pp. 1634-37, 1641_), and Holl (_Tr. p. 1060_).
Non-German nationals and Jews other than those in concentration camps
were not exempt from the program, and many of them were killed. Besides
the evidence cited under A above, there is ample proof that non-German
nationals were subjected to extermination from the beginning of 1940
through the war. (_NO-1135, Pros. Ex. 334_; _NO-818, Pros. Ex. 373_.)
Jews of German and Polish nationality and stateless Jews were also
subjected to the program. (_NO-1310, Pros. Ex. 337._) Polish and Russian
nationals and other non-German nationals were subjected to the program.
(_NO-720, Pros. Ex. 366._)
The questionnaires had a space provided for “race”, being defined:
German or similar blood (of German blood), Jew, Jewish mixed breed
Grades 1 or 2, Negro (mixed breed). (_1696-PS, Pros. Ex. 357._) This
question would have been completely unnecessary if non-Germans were
exempted from the program. Questionnaires had to be filled out about all
patients who were not of German nationality or German related blood,
indicating their race and nationality. (_NO-825, Pros. Ex. 358._) These
questionnaires had to be processed by the experts. (_Tr. p. 1881._)
Those who were active in euthanasia never received an order that
non-German nationals were to be excluded from the program. (_NO-817,
Pros. Ex. 368._) The witnesses Mennecke (_Tr. pp. 1877, 1922_) and
Schmidt (_Tr. pp. 1860-1_) also testified to this effect. Hugo Suchomel,
LL. D., the highest official after the Minister in the Austrian Federal
Ministry of Justice, says in his affidavit that when Brack, as
representative of the defendant Brandt, gave a lecture on euthanasia in
the Ministry of Justice in 1942, he enumerated, as the classes of
persons who were exempted from the program, the war-wounded and persons
who had become insane as a result of air attacks. Foreigners and Jews
were not mentioned among the groups of persons who were excluded.
(_NO-2253, Pros. Ex. 557._) Brack admits having held the lecture. (_Tr.
p. 7589._)
As early as 1939 inmates of insane asylums in occupied Poland were
killed. (_3816-PS, Pros. Ex. 370._) In the autumn of 1940, funds for the
evacuation of 1,558 inmates of mental institutions of East Prussia and
approximately 250 to 300 insane Poles were made available by the
defendant Brack, who was the administrative executive of the Euthanasia
Program. As these transfers were carried out by a special detachment
(Sonderkommando) of the infamous SD, which was used for special tasks,
there is no doubt that these insane Poles were killed. (_NO-2909, Pros.
Ex. 500_; _NO-2911, Pros. Ex. 501_.) In September 1941, an order was
issued that the inmates of the insane asylums in Russia, in the
occupation zone of the German Army Group “Nord,” were to be killed.
(_NO-1758, Pros. Ex. 444._)
Eastern workers were also dealt with. (_NO-1430, Pros. Ex. 429_;
_NO-1436, Pros. Ex. 430_.) Eastern workers, who had been forcibly
brought into Germany, who were no longer able to work, and who were
considered a burden on the mental institutions of Germany, were brought
together in a collecting institution and, unless they could be
discharged in a matter of six weeks, they were exterminated under the
Euthanasia Program. (_NO-891, Pros. Ex. 414_; _NO-1116, Pros. Ex. 415_.)
Half-Jewish healthy children (_NO-1427, Pros. Ex. 431_) and adult
gypsies (_3882-PS, Pros. Ex. 371_) were also killed.