Gas Experiments
The treatment of wounds caused by chemical warfare agents was of considerable interest to military medical circles of Germany. On 1 March 1944, the Fuehrer gave Karl Brandt broad powers in the field of chemical warfare. (NO-012, Pros. Ex. 270.) The decree itself is not available, but there is no dispute that Brandt’s jurisdiction extended to pharmaceutical products to treat gas wounds. So much he admits. (Tr. p. 2629.) This necessarily involved a determination of the most effective method of treatment. That the decree included medical research on gas wounds can also be concluded from the fact that copies of the decree which Brandt sent to Himmler (NO-012, Pros. Ex. 270) were forwarded to Grawitz and Sievers who had previously worked on this problem. (NO-013a, Pros. Ex. 271; NO-013b Pros. Ex. 272.)
In any event, on 31 March 1944, Sievers reported to Brandt about the research activities of Hirt. (NO-015, Pros. Ex. 275.) Hirt had been experimenting on inmates of the Natzweiler concentration camp since November 1942. (NO-098, Pros. Ex. 263.) For a detailed description of Hirt’s experiments, see the brief against Sievers (p. 318 ff). Brandt admitted that Sievers gave him the written report by Hirt, which was introduced as Prosecution Exhibit 268 (NO-099) and that this report shows on its face that experiments on human beings were performed by him. (Tr. p. 2626.) It is significant to note that the report speaks of heavy, medium, and light wounds caused by Lost. Moreover, Brandt admitted he talked to Hirt in Strasbourg in April after the meeting with Sievers. (Tr. p. 2610.) Approximately 220 inmates of Russian, Polish, Czech, and German nationality were experimented on with gas, of whom about 50 died. They did not volunteer. (Tr. pp. 1052, 1057.) Hirt continued his gas experiments at Natzweiler during the summer of 1944. (Tr. p. 1058.) His gas research was classified “urgent” by Rostock in August 1944. (NO-692, Pros. Ex. 457.)
In addition to his participation in the gas experiments of Hirt, Karl Brandt personally furthered the criminal experimentation of Otto Bickenbach. Brandt testified that the gas experiments of Bickenbach came to his attention in the fall of 1943 on the occasion of a visit to Strasbourg to see a cyclotron; that later he helped him to arrange a laboratory; that he assisted him in obtaining experimental animals; that Bickenbach did not conduct experiments on human beings; that he helped him in 1944 after he had established this laboratory. (Tr. pp. 2619, 2620.)
The Sievers’ diary for 1944 contains the following entry under 2 February:
“Met Professor Bickenbach in Karlsruhe and he advises that he has put his research work under the control of General Commissioner Professor Dr. Brandt.
“Discussion with SS Hauptsturmfuehrer Hirt: 1. Professor Dr. Bickenbach, without instructions from Hirt and Professor Stein, contacted General Commissioner Professor Dr. Brandt concerning the phosgene experiments that were [and was] in Natzweiler with him. Commission is to be withdrawn; for our part Natzweiler is to be closed.” (3546-PS, Pros. Ex. 123.)
Phosgene is a chemical warfare agent. (Tr. p. 2630.) Brandt admits he was in Natzweiler, but insists that only animal experiments were conducted. This is in direct contradiction to statements contained in an official war crimes report of the Government of the Netherlands. (NO-1063, Pros. Ex. 328.) Josef Kramer, former camp commander at Natzweiler, also stated that Bickenbach experimented on prisoners. (NO-807, Pros. Ex. 185.)
Brandt testified that he later assisted Bickenbach in establishing a laboratory in Fort Franzeky, which is near Strasbourg, and that he saw animal experiments there. (Tr. p. 2630.) Bickenbach was a professor at the University of Strasbourg with Hirt and Haagen. (Tr. p. 2631.)