Speer’s Knowledge of Auschwitz Camp (May 2005)

The Speer writes to Himmler about Auschwitz, May 30, 1943; Himmler replies Jun 15, 1943Below: Speer to Himmler, May 30, 1943 (translation on right)below: shorthand note on rear of above page >below: Himmler thanks Speer, Jun 15, 1943 >and his assistant Rudolf Brandt notifies Oswald Pohl >Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Himmler Files, file 405, drawer 101, folder 4Website comment: From the description of the needs, it appears that the iron and steel requirements may be

primarily for the IG farben plant attached to the KZ Auschwitz. note the low classific ztion level: Geheim.

Documents about the liqudiatio of Jews were routinely marked Geheime ReichssacheTHE REICH MINISTER FOR ARMAMENTS AND MUNITIONSBerlin-Charlottenburg 2May 30, 1943To the Reichsführer SS and Chiefof German Police, HimmlerRe: Iron and steel quota for SS, especially Auschwitz concentration campDear Party Comrade Himmler!On the basis of the reports before me and the inspection of the Auschwitz concentration camp by my Messrs.

Desch and Sander I am prepared, over and above the iron and steel quantities allocated to you for the third quarter of 1943 (in the amounts of 450 tons per month to cover requirements within the Reich territory, and 180 tons per month for requirements in the adjacent and occupied territories) to make a once-only allowance of the following quantities :1000 tons of iron and steel acquisition rights1000 tons of cast steel tubes, for which the SS is to make available 300 tons of iron and steel

acquisition rights from its overall allotmentApprox 100 tons of half-inch water piping from the disposition stocks of the Plenipotentiary-General for Construction in HammThe requisite quantity of 8-20 mm hardened steel rodThese quantities of iron and steel are to be used only for the expansion [or construction] of the concentration camps, particularly Auschwitz.

Unfortunately I cannot allocate further iron and steel quotas for temporary construction requirements incurred by raising the new Waffen SS divisions. The requirement will have to be drawn from the overall iron and steel quota quantities allocated to the SS by the Plenipotentiary-General for Construction. Individual allocation issues are to be determined between your authorities and my own raw materials office.

The requisition of acquisition certificates for one thousand tons of cast steel pipes and the dispatch of the water piping have already been set in motion. Heil HitlerYours truly, SpeerHandwritten: I was pleased that the inspection of the other concentration camps yielded a completely positive picture.