Let their be Light (IlseKoch1)

Documents on the allegation about
lampshades made from human skin

Introduction:
parallel with the legend
about Nazi factories boiling down corpses of their victims to manufacture human soap the story gained currency, thanks to the war crimes trials, that Nazi camp staff had made lampshades from human skins of their victims..

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION

DATE: September 28, 1973
REPLY TO ATTN. OF:
NNDW

National Archives and
Records Service Washington National Records Center Washington, DC 20409

SUBJECT: Family Chronicles (Photo Albums) of
Ilse Koch

To: Director, General Archives Division &emdash;
NNG

In the process of reviewing the records of the United
States Army Judge Advocate General for the years 1939-1948
(RG 153, Entry 321-B), we have found the record of trial of
Frau Ilse Koch who became infamous in post&emdash;World War
II crime trials as the "Bitch of Buchenwald." One of the charges against Frau Koch was that of using the skin of concentration camp inmates, after suitable treatment and tanning, for various household decorative items.

Among these were lamp shades, hand gloves, and photo albums.

We have found two photo albums which apparently figured in the prosecution's case against Frau Koch in FRG
Box 1089 in this record group. Whether or not one of them is actually bound in human skin turned into a fine grade of suede leather may be open to conjecture, but the content of both albums are of considerable historical interest so far as they relate to the personal and family life of one of the most notorious of all of the concentration camp figures in the war crimes trials.

Album No. 1 deals with the Koch
"Family Chronicle" up until 1937 — prior to Colonel Koch becoming commandant of Buchenwald; Album No. 2 commences with the Buchenwald years in 1938. As a side note to history, Colonel Koch was even too inhuman for the Nazis. He was tried by a Nazi military court in 1944 for a number of irregularities (most of which were financial) concerning his management of Buchenwald and executed.

In view of the historical value of these two items, we recommend that they be transferred from their present file location in the WNRC and re&emdash;located in the NARS
Audio Visual collection concerned with captured enemy records.

WILLIAM B. FRALEY

Chief WNRC Review Branch

ORDER NUMBER

DOCUMENT RESTORATION _______________

SERVICE ORDER

REQUESTED BY

NNSP/82-19

DATE May 12 1982

RGGP NUMBER

RECORD GROUP NUMBER 153

TELEPHONE NUMBER

AGSmith

18 N X33055

ADDRESS (If other than Archives Building)

KIND OF SERVICE REQUIRED

EXAMINATION

NNSP

REPAIR OF BOUND
VOLUMES

APPROVAL (Head of Unit): — Acting Chief

FLATTEN ONLY

NATP XX OTHER (See description of of materials)

TO BE FILLED IN BY NA TP

Lv — Test album cover for
content composition

Album-.RG 153 — IK Ilse Koch/
album 2

Attn: Shahani

Call Betty Hill (on ext. above) if you have questions.

REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL
ARCHIVES

University
of Cincinnati

Department of Basic
Science in Tanning Research Tanners’ Council Laboratory (#14) Cincinnati Ohio 45221

Phone (513)
281-8501

August 19, 1982

Mr. Chandru J. Shahani, Chief Technology Assistance Staff National Archives and Records General Services Administration Washington, DC 20408

Dear Mr. Shahani:

I attach our Report No. 9580 concerned with the small sample of book binding leather which you submitted with your letter of August 11. We regret that since the sample was sueded, we could only conclude that it originated from some large animal, but that a specific species identification was impossible.

Sincerely yours,

Robert M. Lollar Technical Director| Tanners’ Council of America

RML: j e c

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