Instructions for the transfer of 45000 Jews from the ghettoes to Auschwitz for labor

TEXT:
[CABLE]
Date 16 December 1942 URGENT—SECRET
In accordance with the increased recruitment of manpower into the concentration camps, which was ordered by 30 January 1943, the following may be applied in the Jewish sector.
1. Total amount: 45,000 Jews.
2. Start of transportation 11 January 1943.
3. Completion of transportation 31 January 1943.
The Reichsbahn [German State owned railway] cannot make available special trains for the evacuation during the period 15 December 1942/10 January 1943 on account of the increased leave traffic of the Armed Forces.
4. Breakdown: The 45,000 Jews consist of 30,000 Jews from the Bialystock district, 10,000 Jews from the Theresienstadt Ghetto. Among those are 5,000 able-bodied Jews who, so far, have been utilized in the Ghetto for necessary minor jobs, and
5,000 Jews who are generally incapacitated; also Jews over sixty years of age, in order to reduce in the interest of the extension of the Ghetto the excessive number of inmates to slightly below
48,000. I request special permission for this. As heretofore, only the Jews who have no special connections and relations, and who have no important decorations, have been earmarked for deportation; 3,000 Jews from the occupied areas in the Netherlands, 2,000 Jews from Berlin which equals 45,000. In the total of 45,000 are included physically handicapped [underlined] and others (old Jews and children). In making a distribution for this purpose, at least 10,000 to 15,000 laborers [underlined], will be available when the Jews arriving at Auschwitz are assigned.
The Chief of the security police and the SD Dept. IV, Div. B, Sec. 4, a-2093/42 g (391)
By Order of MUELLER
SS Gruppenfuehrer
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