Testimony of Dieter Wisliceny at Nuremberg on June 5, 1946 Source: Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals Under Control Council Law No. 10. Vol. 5: United States v. Oswald Pohl, et. al. (Case 4: 'Pohl Case'). District of Columbia: GPO, 1950. pp.
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT GEORG LOERNER 27 GEORG LOERNER DEFENSE EXHIBIT 24 EXTRACT FROM TESTIMONY OF DIETER WISLICENY BEFORE A COMMISSIONER APPOINTED BY THE IMT, JUNE 5, 1946, ON SECRECY CONCERNING "FINAL SOLUTION OF THE JEWISH PROBLEM" Q. You have based your testimony during your examination on 3 January on a chart which bears different names. Did all the persons named [on the chart] know about this special order? A. I cannot say so for sure. I assume that the majority of them knew about it. If you will show me the chart, I can tell you with which persons I discussed it. (The witness looks at the chart.) I remember that in autumn 1942 a meeting of Eichmann's Department on business routine took place in Berlin. Pursuant to this meeting I ascertained that Eichmann had discussed this new order with several of his staff. I can now indicate the names of those people from the chart of whom I know that they were initiated into this order. Q. Yes. Please do. A. Hauptsturmfuehrer Brunner, Sturmbannfuehrer Hans Guenther, Hauptsturmfuehrer Otto Hunsche, Hauptsturmfuehrer Franz Nowak, Untersturmfuehrer Hartenberger, Hauptsturmfuehrer Dr. Seidl, Hauptsturmfuehrer Dannecker, Obersturmbannfuehrer Krumey and Hauptsturmfuehrer Burger. These are the men whom I know were initiated by Eichmann either in autumn 1942 or later. Q. Did Eichmann place very special personal confidence in these people, exceeding the confidence customary between a superior and a subordinate? A. Yes. He was on familiar terms with most of these people. Q. Can you now tell me what special measures were taken to keep this order of Eichmann's secret? A. It was not permitted to make any written records about them; and then Eichmann, in the discussion I had with him in August 1942 and also later, told me of a number of measures which he had taken in order to keep these things absolutely secret. He mentioned that he was maintaining Theresienstadt for this reason in order to be able to take commissions of the International Red Cross or foreign diplomats into the Theresienstadt camp, to make it appear as though the standard at Theresienstadt was the normal standard of accommodation for the Jews. Besides, he had thought out a special system of post cards and letters, whereby he believed he could mislead the public. The Jews brought to Auschwitz or to other extermination camps were forced, prior to being murdered, to write post cards. These post cards -- there were always several for each person -- were then mailed at long intervals, in order to make it appear as though these persons were still alive. Moreover, he invited various press representatives to Auschwitz. I myself once accompanied a German journalist from Slovakia on a trip to Soshoviez and Auschwitz. It was absolutely impossible on these tours of inspection to gain the impression that Auschwitz was an extermination camp. Q. Did you already know at that time that Jews were being exterminated there ? A. No. This visit was before the time when Eichmann initiated me into the fact. Q. A short time before? A. Yes, a short time before.
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