This document has been presented to the Tribunal as USSR Exhibit 119.
I skip to the middle of page 2 .
In January 1942, in the Reseknen District of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Germans destroyed the Hamlet of Audriny with the whole of its population, ostensibly for having aided members of the Red Army. In the towns of Latvia a notice was put up by the Chief of the German State Security Police in Latvia, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Strauch, in German, Latvian, and Russian.
I present to the Court a certified photostat of this notice as USSR Exhibit 262, and I read to the Court an excerpt from this document. This excerpt is at page 158 of the document book.
"The Commander of the German State Security Police in Latvia hereby announces the followings:
"2. The inhabitants of the Hamlet of Audriny, in the Rezhetz District, concealed members of the Red Army for over one-quarter of a year, armed them, and assisted them in every way in activities against the State.
"As punishment I ordered the followings:
"That the Hamlet of Audriny be wiped off the face of the earth."
The Hitlerites widely practiced punitive expeditions in the occupied districts of the Leningrad provinze. As can be seen from a sentence of the Military Tribunal of the Leningrad military district, which was submitted to the Tribunal as USSR Exhibit 91, the Hitlerites burnt down, in February 1944, 10 inhabited localities in the Dedovitch, Pozherevitz, and Ostrov Districts. The Hitlerite punitive expeditions also burnt down the Hamlets of Strashevo and Zapolye in the Plyuss District, and the Hamlets of Belshye Lyady, Ludoni, etc.
Numerous punitive detachments, acting on the orders of the German Supreme Command, burnt down many hundreds of inhabited localities in Yugoslav territory.
I refer, as evidence, to the third section of the report of the Yugoslav State Commission for the Establishment of the Crimes of the German Usurpers, which has been presented to the Tribunal as document USSR 36, and also to the special statement of the Yugoslav State Commission, numbered 2697 (45), and signed by Professor Nedelkovic, which I present to the Tribunal as USSR 309.
These documents are at pages 165 and 167 of the document book.
In these documents we find a number of facts concerning the burning and destruction of villages and hamlets by the Hitlerites, by means of special punitive expeditions. As examples one can name the localities of Zagelzyde, Udova, Meckovac, Marsic, Grasnica, Rudnika, Krupnza, Rastovac, Orah, Craboviea, Dracic, Lozinda, and many others. These districts of Yugoslavia were completely devastated after the Germans had been there.
I also present to the Tribunal a photostatic copy of a notice by the so-called Commander-in-Chief of Serbia, which I beg the Tribunal to accept as USSR Exhibit 200. This notice was captured by troops of the Yugoslav army of liberation, and it is certified by the Yugoslav State Commission.
I read into the record only one extract of this notice:
"The Commander-in-Chief of Serbia announces that the Hamlet of Skela has been burnt down and razed to the ground."
German punitive units also destroyed inhabited localities in 22nd Feb - M - O'B - 1 Poland.
As evidence I submit to the Tribunal USSR exhibit 368, which is an affidavit of the Plenipotentiary of the Polish Government, Dr. Stefan Kurovsky. This affidavit is an appendix to the official report of the Polish Government.
From this document it is ascertained that in the spring of 1943 in the territory of the Zemoisky, Bilgoraisky, Khrubeshovsky and Krasnitzky districts, and under the command of the SS Officer Globotchnik, the Germans burnt down a number of inhabited localities; and in February 1944 five hamlets were destroyed in the Krasnitzky district with the help of the air force.
A considerable number of inhabited localities were burnt down and razed to the ground in Greece. As examples we will name the settlements of Amelofite, Kleston, Kizonia, Ano-Kertselion and Kato-Kertselion in the Salonica district, and the settlements of Mesovounos and Selli in the Korzani district, and others.
I present to the Tribunal, as USSR exhibit 103, certified photostats of three telegraphic reports of the 164th German Infantry Division to the Chief of Staff of the 12th Army. These reports, gentlemen, are at page 170 of the document book.
Each of these reports consists of nine to ten lines. They are uniform in type and standardized. But these short official documents reveal actually the monstrous system generally employed by the Hitlerites in the territories occupied by them.
I will read into the record one of these reports.
"18 October, 1941. To the Chief of Staff of the Army, 12 Athens.
"Daily Report.
"1. The villages of An -Kertselion and Kato-Kertselion, which had been proved to be the base of a rather large guerrilla band in this area, were razed to the ground by the troops of the Division on 17th of October. The male inhabitants between 16 and 60 years of age-totalling 207 persons--were shot, and the women and children were evacuated to another spot.
22nd Feb - M - O'B - 2 "2. No other special, important incidents.
"164th Infantry Division."
I believe that I do not need to comment on the document.
I also refer to the official report of the Greek Government, which is presented to the Tribunal as USSR exhibit 358.
On pages 39 and 40 of the report, which corresponds to page 207 of your document book, we find numerous facts concerning the burning and destruction of hamlets on the Island of Crete.
Thus, the hamlets of Skiki, Prassi and Kanados were completely burnt down, in retaliation for the murder of some German parachutists carried out by employees of the local police at the time of the attack on the Island of Crete.
Certain hamlets were demolished by the Germans for the sole reason that they were in the partisans' zone of operations.
It is stated in the report that, out of 6,500 hamlets, 1,600 were completely or partially demolished.
One must also note that the Germans intentionally shelled undefended towns and caused heavy damage to 23 Greek towns, among which Yannina, Arta, Preveza, Tukkala, Larissa and Canea were almost completely destroyed.
This is mentioned on page 21 of the report of the Greek Government.
It is on page 190 of the document, book.
Gentlemen, the whole world knows about the Hitlerites' crimes at Lidice.
The 10th of June, 1942, was the last day of Lidice and of its inhabitants.
The Fascist barbarians left irrefutable evidence of their monstrous crime.
They made a film of the annihilation of Lidice, and we are able to show this cinematographic document to the Court.
Following an order of the Czechoslovak Government, an investigation was carried out.
This investigation established that the filming of Lidice was entrusted to a professor and advisor on photography, Dr. Franz Troml, and was carried out to the letter, in conjunction with Kiroslav Wagner.
Among those documents which we present to the Tribunal there 22nd Feb - M - O'B - 3 are photographs taken by the operators who filmed the different phases of the destruction of Lidice.
I present these documents to the Tribunal as USSR exhibit 370.
I would like to remark that this film, which is a German film, was taken a few years ago. The technical state of this reel is not very satisfactory, and therefore when we demonstrate it there may be a few defects.
I beg the forgiveness of the Tribunal beforehand that we be allowed to demonstrate this film as documentary evidence.
(The film of the destruction of Lidice was shown.)
What the Germans perpetrated in Lidice was repeated a short time later in another inhabited point of Czechoslovakia in the village of Lezaky.
I will refer as proof to the Czechoslovak Government's report, pages 126-127. This document is presented to the Court as USSR Exhibit No.60.
This report states:
"Lezaky, like Lidice, was totally destroyed and the ground where it had stood was covered over with mud."
I pass on to the next count of my statement, the destruction of villages and towns, industry and transport on the territory of the USSR.
Your Honors, I have quoted above the general directives of the criminal German Government and the German Supreme Command concerning the destruction of inhabited centers of industry and means of communications in the USSR. Now I pass on to the presentation of proofs of those destructions which were committed in execution of these directives by the Hitlerites everywhere on all the territories which they temporarily occupied in the Soviet Union.
I skip the proof of the destructions of single towns and pass on to the destruction on page 142 of my report.
There are a large number of documents at the disposal of the Soviet Prosecution which incriminate the Hitlerite criminals of the premeditated and systematic, calculated and cruel annihilation and destruction of towns and villages, works and factories, railways and means of communication.
The presentation of all this documentation would seriously delay the process of the trial.
Therefore, I consider it proper to pass on to general conclusive data established by the Extraordinary State Commission.
From document USSR Exhibit 35, which has been submitted to the Tribunal, I will quote only those sections and data which have not been quoted previously and only those which directly concern the subject of my statement. These extracts are on pages 223-224 of the document book.
"The German-Fascist invaders totally or partially destroyed and burned 1710 towns and more than 70,000 villages and hamlets. They burned and destroy more than six million buildings and rendered some 25 million persons homeless. Among the destroyed towns which suffered most are the great industrial and cultural centers of Stalingrad, Sebastopol, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Odessa, Smolensk, Novgorod, Pskov, Orel, Kharkov, Voronesh, Rostov on the Don and many others.
"The German-Fascist invaders destroyed 31, 850 industrial concerns, which employed some four million workers."
I skip pages 43 and 44 and 45 and begin with page 46 of my report.
"The Hitlerites destroyed 36,000 postal and telegraphic bureaux, telephon centers and other centers of communications during their occupation of a part of the Soviet Union, and especially during their retreat. The German Fascist invaders committed great damage to the railway system and waterways.
"With special machines they put out of action 26 and partially destroyed eight main railway lines. They destroyed 65,000 kilometers of rails and 500,00 kilometers of cables for signals and brake installations, They blew up 13,000 railway bridges, 4,100 railways stations. They destroyed 317 locomotive, depots and 129 locomotive and wagon repair shops, as well as railways construction installations.
"They destroyed, damaged or evacuated to Germany 15,800 locomotives, and diesel locomotives, and 428,000 trucks and railways cars.
"The enemy caused great damage to the buildings, enterprises and institutions and shins of the shipping lines operating in the Arctic Sea, in the White Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Black and the Caspian Seas. They sunk or partially damaged more than 1,400 passenger, cargo and special ships.
"The sea ports of Sebastopol, Mariupol Kertch, Novorossisk, Odessa, Nikolayev, Leningrad, Murmansk, Lepaya, Tallinn and others equipped with modern technical installations suffered greatly.
"The *---* sank or stole 4,280 passenger and cargo steamers and steam tugs of the inland shipping services, as well as 4,029 tug boats. They destroyed 479 harbor and landing bridge installations, as well as 89 wharves and machine factories.
"Revreating before the assault of the Red Army, German troops blew up and destroyed 91,000 kilometers of highways and 90,000 road bridges, of a total length of 930 kilometers."
I now conclude my statement, Your Honors. The documents which were presented to the Tribunal and read into the record clearly demonstrate how the Hitlerite conspirators in all the territories captured by them in the USSR, Jugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslavia and Greece, trampled upon the laws and custom of war, the fundamental principles of criminal law and the ordinary provisions of Articles 46 and 50 of the Hague Convention of 1907.
The documents submitted also prove that in the plans of the German invade the complete destruction was contemplated of cities and villages from which the Hitlerites were compelled to retreat under the blows of the armed forces of the Soviet Union.
The documents show finally with what bestial cruelty and mercilessness the Hitlerites put into practice their criminal plans, reducing to dust and ashes the largest cultural and industrial centers.
Over a wide area from the White to the Black and the Aegean Seas, in territory temporarily occupied by the German troops, the Hitlerites pruposely and according to plan reduced to ruins densely populated and flourishing Russian, Byleorussian, Jugoslavian, Greek and Czechoslovakian cities, towns and villages.
All this was the result of the criminal activity of the Hitlerite Government and of the German High Command, the representatives of which are now on the defendants' benches.
I would like, Mr. President, to present as evidence and as USSR 401 a documentary film concerning the destruction perpetrated by the Germans on the territories of the Soviet Union. The documentary proof of this film is submitted now to the Tribunal.
(Whereupon the aforementioned motion picture film was projected on the screen in the courtroom.)
THE PRESIDENT:Will you continue, if possible. All right, we will adjourn.
(A recess was taken until 1400 hours.)
Official transcript of the International Military Tribunal in the matter of The United States of America, the French Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics against Hermann Wilhelm Goering et al, defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany on 22 February 1946, 1400-1700, Lord Justice Lawrence presiding.
GENERAL RAGINSKY:Mr. President, in order to exhaust all of the material and presentation of evidence in regard to the subject matter that I touched, I ask your permission to examine one witness Joseph Abgarovitch Orbeli who is brought to the Tribunal. Orbeli will testify in regard to the devastation and wrecking of the monuments of culture and art in Leningrad.
THE PRESIDENT:Do you, have any objections to make?
DR.SERVATIUS (counsel for the Leadership Corps): I would like to ask the Court, if I may, to decide whether the witness can be heard on this subject and if this is official. Leningrad was never in German hands. Leningrad was only shelled with regular means of troops and also from the air, just as it is done regularly by all armies of the world. It should be said what would be proved by this witness.
THE PRESIDENT:The Tribunal considers that there is no substance in the objection that has just been made, and we will hear the witness.
(JOSEPH ARGAROVITCH ORBELI testified as follows:) BY THE PRESIDENT:
QWhat is your name?
AJoseph Abgarovitch Orbeli.
QWill you repeat this oath after me. I, and stale your name, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, summoned as a witness in this trial, promise and swear, in the presence of the Court, to tell the Court nothing but the truth about everything I know in regard to this case.
A (The witness repeated the oath.)
THE PRESIDENT:You may sit if you wish.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY GENERAL RAGINSKY:
QWill you tell us, please, what was your position?
AI was Director of the State Hermitage Museum.
QWhat is your scientific attainment?
A I am a member of the Academy of Science, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; an active member of the Academy of Architecture of the USSR; president of the Armenian Academy of Science; an Honourable member of the Iran Academy of Science; member of the Society of Antiquarians in London; and a member Consultant of the American Institute of Art and Archeology.
QHere you in Leningrad at the time of the German blockade?
AYes.
QDo you know about the destruction of monuments of culture and art in Leningrad?
AYes.
QCan you tell us in your own words, facts that were known to you?
ABesides general observations in regard to general activities activities around Leningrad, I also was an eye-witness of the treasures which were destroyed by the enemy, so far as the Hermitage Museum is concerned, and the building of the Winter Palace and Heritage Palace - the exhibits belonging to the Hermitage Museum. During many months there was a systematic air bombardment and artillery shelling of the buildings of the Hermitage. There were to aviation bombs that hit the building Hermitage and about 30 artillery shells hit the buildings These shells caused considerable damage to the building. Air bombs destroyed drainage and the water supply of the museum. Observing the damage done to Hermitage, I also saw at the same time the burning of the Academy of Science, which was situated on the opposite shore of the river. The buildings of the Academy of Science; namely, the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography situated right next to the Zoological Museum. All these buildings were subjected to heavy artillery shelling by incendiary shells, and as a result of this I saw the result of these hits while looking at it from the Winter Palace. The damage itself, from artillery shells, caused considerable damage; and to wit, the ones that I consider were substantial. One shell broke a portico of the main building of the Hermitage, facing Million Street, and the upper part of the Atlanta statue was bombed and the remainder was destroyed, the second shell having gone through the ceiling was one of the biggest holes in the Winter Palace, which broke through the walls of the first story and caused considerable damage within the hall itself. Two shells hit the former riding school of the palace, where considerable exhibits dating from the 17th and 18th century were located.
One hit broke entirely four famous carriages of the 18th Century and one of gilt carriage of the 19th Century was hit.
Furthermore, one shell went through the ceiling of the column hall of the main building of the Hermitage and a balcony, and the gallery of this hall was destroyed by it. At the same time, a branch building of the Hermitage Museum on Talt Street, late Stieglitz was hit by the aviation bombs which caused great damage to the building. The building was absolutely wrecked, and a large part of the exhibits in this building was destroyed.
Q Do I understand you correctly? You have mentioned about des-
truction of the Hermitage and you mentioned the 'Winter Palace. Is that only one building? Where was the Hermitage Museum located, the one that you mentioned?
AUntil the Revolution, the Hermitage occupied a special building of its own facing Million Street, and the other side facing the Winter Palace on the Neva. After the Revolution, a Small Hermitage was also joined to the Big Hermitage, the building which was separating the Hermitage from the Winter Palace; and subsequently the winter palace was also in corporated into the Large Hermitage.
So now the series of buildings and premises which belong to the Hermitage consist of the Winter palace, Small Hermitage, and Big Hermitage, which was occupied by the musuem prior to the Revolution, and also the building of the Hermitage Theatre, which was built by Catherine II. That was the building that was hit by the bomb, that was mentioned.
QBesides the destruction of the Winter Palace and the Hermitage, do you know any other facts about the destruction of other monuments?
AYes, I observed monuments which suffered great damage from artillery shelling and aviation bombs. Among them damage was caused to the Kazan Cathedral, which was built in 1814 by Architect Voronichin Isaaki; the cathedral, where columns carried out the traces of damage.
THE PRESIDENT:You are going rather too fast. Go on.
THE WITNESS:And within the city limits great damage was done to the Rastrelli Building and the Smolensk Cathedral, which was build by Rastrelli, where the middle part of the gallery was blown up. Furthermore, considerable damage was done to the surface of the walls of Fortress of Peter and Paul, which now is not a military fortification at all.
QBesides Leningrad, do you know anything at all about the destruction and devastation of the suburbs of Leningrad?
AI had the chance to familiarize myself with the condition of the monuments of Peterhof and Pavlovsk, and in all those three towns I saw traces of monstrous encroachment on those monuments by the Germans. And of all the damage which I saw, it is very hard to state in full, because it is too much, allthe damge had traces of mutilation.
As to the shelling of the Winter Palace, I could mention that 30 shells, which I talked about before, hit the Hermitage -- 30 bombs.
That was not during one raid -- but during several raids.
In other words, in Peterhof, besides the damage which was caused to the big palace by fire, it was destroyed completely. I also saw roofs torn off Peterhof, which was guilded and silver-plated, and the Monplaisire of old building Peterhof and on the opposite side of the building. Besides this, the sheetings could no fall off on account of fire and damage -- they were torn off. In the older buildings of Peterhof, which were built by Peter, all damage had a trace of mutilation; not as a result of any catastrophe, because the Museum wasn't touched at all. But the decorated walls were absolutely torn off. All ancient stones which dated to the time of Peter the Great disappeared without any trace, and very ordinary stones were put in their place. In Tsaskoe Selo, the large palace, which was built by Rastrelli, samage certainly showed signs of mutilation, because in a whole series of halls valuable furniture was carried away before the building perished in the fire. In Argate Hall the walls were decorated by polished agates, and was turned into a munition plant, and the forge was put into the fire place, which dated to the 18th Century, and which as absolutely ruined.
In Pavlovsk, the palace of the city was also ruined by fire. A whole lot of traces -- of the fire prove the fact that valuable property, which was in the halls, was carried out beforethe hall was set on fire.
QYou mentioned just now about the Winter Palace and other monuments of culture which were enumerated by you. In other words, that Winter Palace was deliberately ruined? What particular facts do you have for this statement?
AThe deliberate shelling of the Hermitage by artillery fire during the siege, as well as for all my colleagues, was quite clear, because damage was caused not by just artillery shelling just once or twice during this methodical systematic shelling of the city, which we were witnessing for several months. The first hits were directed not at the Hermitage, not at the Winter Palace -- the shells were passing by. Of course, it was hitting into the range of the palace and after this, approximately in the same direction, with just variations from the state line.
The shells were hitting no further, one or two during one particular shelling.
Of course, it was not accidental in character,
GENERAL RAGINSKY:I have no more questions for the witness.
THE PRESIDENT:Do any of the other prosecuting counsel want to ask any questions? Do any of the defense counsel want to ask any questions?
CROSS EXAMINATION BY DR. LATERNSER (Counsel for General Staff and OKW):
QMr. Witness, you have just said something about artillery shelling and also by aerial bombs, of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, and also the Peterhof Palace. I would be very much interested as to where the buildings are located; that is, as seen from Leningrad?
AThe Winter Palace and Hermitage, which stands right next to it, are in the center of Leningrad on the shores of the River Neva on the Palace Quai, not so far from the Palace Bridge, which during all the shelling, was hit only once. On the other hand, on the other side was Neva -- next to the Winter Palace and Hermitage there was the so-called Palace Square and Halturin Street. Did I answer your question?
QI amend the question a little differently. In what part of Leningrad were these buildings -- in the south, the north, the southwest or southeast? Will you tell me something about that?
AThe Winter Palace and Hermitage are right in the center of Leningrad on the shores of the Neva, as I have already mentioned before.
QAnd where is the Peterhof?
AThe Peterhof is on the shores of the Finnish Bay, southwest of the Hermitage, if you consider the Hermitage as a starting point.
QCan you tell me whether close to the Hermitage Palace and Winter Palace there is any industry, particularly armament industry?
ASo far as I know, in the vicinity of Hermitage, there are no industrial concerns. If the question meant as to locating the building of the headquarters of the staff, then it is located on the other side of the Palace Square, and it suffered much less due to the shelling than the Winter Palace. The staff building, which is on the other side of the Palace Square, so far asI know, was hit only by two shells.
Q Witness, do you know anything about the fact whether 22nd Feb - A - O'B - 1 probably close by, close to these buildings which you mentioned, whether there was any battery or artillery?
AAround Winter Palace, around the square, there wasn't a single artillery battery, because from the very beginning steps were taken not to have any shooting or shaking from fire near the building Hermitage, so that it wouldn't suffer from earth trembling.
QDid the factories, which were in Leningrad during the siege, continue to work in armament production?
AI do not understand the question. What part are you talking about--Leningrad in general?
QArmament factories in Leningrad: had they been working during the time of the siege?
AI know that in the neighbourhood of the Hermitage building and Winter Palace, the immediate neighborhood, there weren't any factories working for war purposes.
During the blockade there were no factories at all.
But I know that in Leningrad munitions were being made, and as much as I can judge were successfully used.
DR. LATERNSER:I have no more questions.
BY DR.SERVATIUS (Counsel for the Political Leadership Corps):
QWitness, the Winter Palace is on the Neva River. How far is the next bridge across the Neva River from the Winter Palace?
AThe nearest bridge, the palace bridge, is within about 50 metres from the Palace.
But as I already said before, only one shell hit the bridge, and for exactly that reason I believe the Winter Palace was deliberately shelled.
I didn't think it possible that the bridge was the object of shelling, because only one shell hit the bridge and about thirty shells hit the Palace.
The other bridge is an exchange bridge which joins the island of Vasiliev to Petrogradskaya Storona; and with regard to that fact only during the raids only incendiary bombs were dropped on that place, which hit this bridge, and then only very few.
Q Witness, have you any knowledge of artillery--whether you 22nd Feb - A - O'B - 2 could judge Whether the target was the Palace or the bridge in the vicinity?
AI never was an artillery man, but I suppose that if German artillery was trying to hit the bridge then it couldn't possibly hit the bridge only once and hit the Palace, which is quite a ways away, thirty times.
That is what makes me think so.
QThat is your conviction as a non-artillery man. I have another question.
The Neva River was used by the fleet. How far from the Winter Palace were the ships of the Red Fleet?
AIn that part of the Neva River there were no fighting ships, and what would serve as military operations on other parts of the Neva was considerably away from the Palace.
QOne last question. During the entire siege were you in Leningrad?
AI was in Leningrad from the first day of the war until the 31st of March 1942.
Then When the German troops were driven out of the suburbs of Leningrad I had a chance to examine Peterhof.
DR. SERVATIUS:Thank you. I have no more questions.
THE PRESIDENT:General, do you want to ask any questions in re-examination?
GENERAL RAGINSKY:No further questions.
THE PRESIDENT:The witness can retire.
MAJOR GENERAL ZORYA:May it please your Honors. I want to begin to submit documentary evidence on the part of the Soviet Prosecution with regard to the employment of compulsory slave labor practised by the Hitlerites on a large scale.
With its plans for world domination, with its negation of law, ethics, mercy and humane considerations, Fascism early envisaged the enslavement of the peaceful population of the temporarily occupied territories, the deportation of millions of people to Fascist Germany, and the compulsory employment of their labor power.
Fascism and slavery--these two concepts are inseparable.
22nd Feb - A - O'B - 3 I begin, your Honors, my presentation of this document relative to the report of the Yugoslav Republic, which was already submitted to the Tribunal as USSR-36.
I refer to page 40 of your document book.
I read into the record extracts from the report of the Yugoslav Republic, which is entitled, "Forced Labor of Civilian Populations."
I quote.
The Fascist policy of the wholesale exploitation of the occupied territories has also been applied in Yugoslavia.
Immediately after the occupation the Reich Government and the OKW introduced forced labor for the population of the occupied territory.
The exploitation of the manpower in Yugoslavia has been carried out within the framework of the general German plan in this respect.
The Defendant Goering, as the leader of the German Economic Plan, issued directives to his subordinates concerning the systematic exploitation of the manpower of the occupied territories.
In a report from Berlin, which was written by the Head of the Administration Service of the German Kommandantur in Belgrade, named Ranze, instructions by Goering are communicated, according to which the economic regulations in the occupied territories do not aim at the protection of the local population, but at the maximum exploitation of the manpower of the occupied countries for the benefit of the German war economy.
Immediately after the occupation of Yugoslavia, the Germans established offices for enlisting workers for "voluntary" labor in Germany.
To their own organization the Germans immediately added the organizations which already existed in Yugoslavia for employment of the workers and labor mediation, and began to carry out through these organizations also their own plans.
Thus, for example, in Serbia they immediately incorporated into their own organization the main and central office for labor mediation, as well as the labor exchange.
Through these organizations, until the end of February 1943, and only from the territory of Serbia the Germans sent into Germany 22nd Feb - A - O'B - 4 47,500 workers to work there.
Later on this number considerably increased but, however, the data in this respect have not yet been fully examined.
These workers have been employed in agriculture and various industries of Germany, regularly performing the most difficult kinds of work.
In the report of the Yugoslav Republic it is stated that the Gestapo and special police also used pressure and force, and this went so far that these "volunteer" workers were hunted and collected through the streets and dragged into Germany by force.
Apart from these so-called "volunteer" workers the Germans sent for forced labor in Germany a large number of prisoners from various camps, as well as politically "suspicious" persons--suspicious from their point-who had to perform the most difficult kinds of work and under the worst living and working conditions.
As early as 1942 many innocent victims of the Banjica, Sajmiste, and other camps, were sent for forced labor into Germany.
The first transport of them left on April 24, 1942, and these transports continued without interruption until September 26, 1944.
Old and young, men and women, farmers, workers and intellectuals,and others were sent to Germany.
However, they were not taken only to Germany, but to other countries under German occupation as well.
According to the log books of the Banjica camp, which are far from giving an exact picture, over ten thousand prisoners were sent for forced labor from this camp alone.
The German authorities in Serbia issued a series of orders, aiming at a complete mobilization of manpower.
Among the first measures the following two laws were passed:
The law for the Compulsory Work and Restriction of the Freedom of Employment of 14 December 1941, and the law for the National Service work for the Reconstruction of Serbia, of November 5, 1941.
According to the first decree of law between 17 and 45 years of age could be called up for compulsory labor in vertain industrial undertakings and branches of economy. According to the second law, such persons could be called up for civilian service in the "National Reconstruction," which in fact meant that they had to work for the strengthening of the German economic and war effort.
The persons recruited in accordance with these two laws, admittedly remained in the country itself, but in fact they worked exclusively for the aims and benfit of the Germans' economic exploitation. They were primarily used for work in the mines (Bor, Kostolac, etc), for road building, railway line repairs, and for water transport, and so on.
On March 26, 1943, the German Commandant of Serbia, chief of armed forces, in a special order, introduced the so-called war economy measures of the Reich in the occupied territory of Serbia, and by this act imposed the general mobilization of the manpower in Serbia.
By this order, therefore, the entire population of the occupied Serbia was mobilized into the German war economy. The Germans exploited, in fact, to thegreatest possible extent the Serbian manpower.
The situation was in no way different in the other occupied areas of Yugoslavia. Without entering into numerous details of this planned exploitation, we shall quote here only one example from the occupied Slovenia. According to an official "Announcement" of the Regional German Farmers' Union in Koruska of August 10, 1944, issued in Celovec, every case of pregnancy of non-German women was to be reported to the loval administration, and in all such cases the women had to give up their children, and also were subject to committing abortions. The "Announcement" itself explains that in cases when non-German women give birth to their children, this "creates difficulties for their use in work", and besides, also, "a danger for the popultation policy". Furthermore, this "Announcement" states that it will be the duty of the Office of Work Service to influence these women to commit abortions.