Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume IVarious
Philosophy
Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume I
Various
Nuremberg Trial of Major German War Criminals, Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946; War crime trials -- Germany -- Nuremberg
When answering the question whether the experiments could inflict
torture and death on the experimental subjects, one has to distinguish
between the experiments which according to the detailed instructions of
Dr. Ruff were carried out by Dr. Rascher and Dr. Romberg in the Dachau
concentration camp, and the experiments which Rascher carried out either
with the knowledge and permission of Himmler, or without his permission
on his own responsibility.
With regard to the first experiments it has to be said that they caused
the experimental subjects some discomfort through high-altitude
sickness, but that on no account did they mean torture and death for the
experimental subjects. (Evidence of Dr. Ruff in direct examination.)
On the other hand the experiments which Rascher conducted on his
responsibility have, according to Prosecution Document 1971-A-PS (_Pros.
Ex. 49_), apparently to be judged in a different manner.
Sievers came in contact with the low-pressure experiments only; in the
second half of March 1942. By letter of 21 March 1942 Rudolf Brandt
replied to an inquiry of the Reich business manager of the Ahnenerbe of
9 March 1942 concerning Rascher, and informed him that low-pressure
experiments were carried out in the Dachau camp: “The Reich Leader SS
gave his permission on condition that Dr. Rascher would participate.”
(_1581-A-PS, Pros. Ex. 48._)
The cause of Sievers’ letter of 9 March 1942 was the statement of Dr.
Rascher to the curator Wuest, according to which certain research work
which he carried out for the Luftwaffe in Dachau, and of which he could
give no details, was to be supported by the administration of the
“Ahnenerbe”. (_German Tr. p. 5671._) Following this, Sievers went to
Dachau in late March or on 1 April 1942. (_German Tr. p. 5672._)
Thus this date was the earliest on which Sievers could possibly have
gained knowledge about the carrying out of high-altitude experiments in
Dachau. It is important that at this time the experiments had already
been under way for over a month.
The cunning Rascher took the first visit of Sievers as an opportunity to
invite Sievers to have a look at the experiments directed by him, in
spite of the fact that Sievers had nothing at all to do with the
carrying out of the experiments. Sievers watched two experiments. He
took the opportunity to speak to the two persons who were subjected to
the experiments on that day. Both told Sievers that they had volunteered
for the experiment. A few minutes after the experiment both experimental
subjects did not show any after-effects and finished the experiment
without suffering any bodily or physical damage. (_German Tr. p. 5741._)
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