“In Block 21”—that is another block, the women’s block was
Number 10—“mass experiments on castration of men were carried
out for the purpose of studying the possibility of sterilization
by X-ray. The castration itself was carried out some time later
after the X-ray process. These experiments on X-raying and
castration were carried out by Professor Schumann and Dr.
Dering. It frequently happened that after treatment by X-ray,
one or both testicles of the subject were removed for
examination.”
I beg the Tribunal to allow me, in order to show the extent of these
experiments, to read short excerpts from the testimony of the Dutch
Doctor De Vind. It is contained in the Exhibit Number USSR-52 (Document
Number USSR-52) already presented to the Court. I will not read the
testimony in full but will just quote the statistics, which the Tribunal
may find on the back of Page 203 of the document book, last paragraph,
first column. I repeat that these numbers refer only to one block, Block
10. The following women were interned in this block:
“Fifty women of different nationalities who arrived in March
1943; 100 Greek women who arrived in March 1943; 110 Belgian
women who arrived in April 1943; 50 French women who arrived in
July 1943; 40 Dutch women who arrived in August 1943; 100 Dutch
women who arrived on 15 September 1943; and 100 Dutch women who
arrived one week later; and finally 12 Polish women.”
I will quote a further excerpt from the statement of the Dutch Doctor De
Vind, which has also been submitted previously to the Tribunal as
Exhibit Number USSR-52 (Document Number USSR-52), I quote that part of
the statement in which he speaks of experiments carried out by a certain
Professor Schumann on 15 young girls. Your Honors will find this excerpt
on Page 204 of the document book, first column of the text, third
paragraph:
“Professor Schumann (a German). These experiments were carried
out on 15 girls of 17 to 18 years of age, including Shimmi
Bella, from Salonika (Greece) and Buena Dora, from Salonika
(Greece). Only a few of them survived; but unfortunately they
are still in the German hands, and we have consequently no
objective data on these brutal experiments. However, the
following has been established beyond doubt: The girls were
placed between two plates within the field of ultra-short waves;
one electrode was placed on the abdomen and the other on the
buttocks. The focus of the rays was directed on the ovaries
which were consequently burned out. As a result of the irregular
dosage, serious burns appeared on the abdomen and on the
buttocks. One girl died of these terrible sufferings; the other
girls were sent to Birkenau to the medical unit or to working
kommandos.
“A month later they were returned to Oswieczim, where they were
subjected to two operations for checking the results; one,
longitudinal, the other, a horizontal incision. The reproductive
organs were removed for study. As a result of the destruction of
hormones, the girls completely changed in appearance and
resembled old women.”
With this I end the quotation.
Experiments on sterilization of women and castration of men were carried
out in Oswieczim on a mass scale beginning in 1942, and some time after
the sterilization the men were castrated for a special study of the
tissues.
You can find a confirmation of this fact in the report of the
Extraordinary State Commission of the Soviet Union on Oswieczim, where
numerous statements of individual internees who underwent such
operations have been quoted. The Tribunal will find the excerpt which I
wish to read on Page 197 of the document book, second paragraph, second
column of the text. I quote two paragraphs:
“Valigura, who was subjected to such experiments, stated:
“‘A few days after I had been brought to Birkenau, I believe it
was in the first days of December 1942, all the young men from
18 to 30 years of age were sterilized by X-raying the scrotum. I
myself was among those sterilized. Eleven months later, that is
to say, on the 1st of November 1943, I was castrated. Together
with me on that same day 200 men were sterilized.’
“Witness David Sures, from the town of Salonika (Greece), stated
the following:
“‘Toward July 1943 I myself and 10 other Greeks were placed on
some kind of list and sent to Birkenau. There we were stripped
and subjected to sterilization by X-rays. A month later we were
summoned to a central section of the camp where all those
sterilized underwent an operation of castration.’”
I believe that it was not by accident that the experiments on people
began with sterilization and castration. This was a quite natural result
of the theories of German fascism, interested in lowering the birthrate
of those people whom they considered to be vanquished. It was a part of
Hitler’s depopulation technique; and in confirmation of this I would now
like to quote a very short excerpt from Rauschning’s book, _The Voice of
Destruction_, which has already been submitted to the Tribunal. This
extract has not yet been read into the record, and the Tribunal will
find it on Page 207 of the document book.
Hitler said to Rauschning:
“And by ‘destruction’ I do not necessarily mean extermination of
these people—I shall simply take systematic measures to prevent
their procreation.”