Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume IIVarious
Philosophy
Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume II
Various
Nuremberg Trial of Major German War Criminals, Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946; War crime trials -- Germany -- Nuremberg
As to all this, the proof is clear that Becker-Freyseng was actively
employed in organizing and was present at the so-called “Cold Congress.”
But more than the evidence discloses is needed to establish that he had
any later part in or connection with the experiments themselves, or that
he had any controlling relationship to their initial establishment.
TYPHUS EXPERIMENTS
The evidence is insufficient to disclose any criminal responsibility of
the defendant Becker-Freyseng in connection with the typhus experiments.
SEA-WATER EXPERIMENTS
We have discussed the sea-water experiments in that portion of our
judgment which deals with the case of the defendant Schroeder. As was
pointed out there, two methods of making sea water drinkable were
available to the Luftwaffe. One, the so-called Schaefer method, had been
chemically tested and apparently produced potable sea water; the other,
the so-called Berka process, which changed the taste of the sea water
but did not reduce the salt content.
Becker-Freyseng, as chief consultant for aviation medicine in the office
of Schroeder, arranged for a conference to be held in May 1944 to
discuss the testing of these two methods. At the conference the
defendant reported on various clinical experiments which had been
conducted by a certain von Sirany to test the Berka process. He came to
the conclusion that the experiments had not been conducted under
sufficiently realistic conditions of sea distress to make the findings
conclusive.
As a result of the conference it was decided that new experiments should
be conducted.
We learn from the report of the meeting, which is in evidence, that two
series of experiments were to be conducted. The first, a maximum period
of six days, during which one group of subjects would receive sea water
processed with the Berka method; a second group, ordinary drinking
water; a third group no water at all; and the fourth group, such water
as would be available in the emergency sea distress kits then used.
During the duration of the experiment all persons were to receive only
an emergency sea diet, such as provided for persons in distress at sea.
In addition to the 6-day experiment it was determined that a 12-day
experiment should be run. The plan for this series reads as follows:
“Persons nourished with sea water and Berkatit, and as diet also
the emergency sea rations.
“Duration of experiments: 12 days.
“Since in the opinion of the Chief of the Medical Service
permanent injuries to health, that is the death of the
experimental subjects, has to be expected, as experimental
subjects such persons should be used as will be put at the
disposal by [the] Reichsfuehrer SS.”
By letter dated 7 June 1944 Schroeder requested the Reichsfuehrer SS to
allow him to use concentration camp inmates for the sea-water
experiments. The letter stated among other things the following:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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