EXTRACTS FROM THE CLOSING BRIEF FOR
DEFENDANT SIEVERS
In 1943 a collection of Jewish skeletons was set up in the Anatomy Department of the Reich University of Strasbourg according to plans which had been prepared in 1941 by Himmler and the Director of this Anatomy Department, Professor Dr. Hirt. The skeletons were to be obtained by selecting the required number of persons in the concentration camp at Auschwitz from among the Bolshevist commissars who had been taken prisoner in the campaign against the Soviet Union. The liquidation of the persons chosen took place in the concentration camp at Natzweiler.
Whether the liquidation entailed a death which was deserved or undeserved on the part of the persons chosen depends upon whether the “Commissar Order,” which was the basis of the liquidation, can be regarded as legal and permissible or not. A detailed examination of this question can be excluded here, since subjective grounds are of decisive significance in this connection.
Sievers did not take part personally either in the selection or in the liquidation of those persons designated for the skeleton collection. The choosing was undertaken by a certain Dr. Beger in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. (NO-087, Pros. Ex. 181.) Sievers himself was never in Auschwitz. The liquidation took place in the concentration camp at Natzweiler. The earliest date at which the liquidation could have taken place is shown by the date of the aforementioned document which is dated 21 June 1943. After 23 January 1943, Sievers was no longer in Natzweiler. Therefore, any personal participation of Sievers in the selection as well as the liquidation is out of the question.
We must now examine whether the setting up of the skeleton collection and the associated liquidation of those persons selected took place on Sievers’ orders or instructions—
The prosecution has submitted and read:
Letter of the Reichsgeschaeftsfuehrer of the Ahnenerbe to Brandt, dated 9 February 1942, with a report from Dr. Hirt in which the latter suggests a collection of skulls for the University of Strasbourg which was to be obtained from Jewish-Bolshevist Commissars. (NO-085, Pros. Ex. 175.)
Letter of Brandt to Sievers, dated 27 February 1942, with the report that the Reich Leader SS is quite interested in the work of Professor Hirt and will place at his disposal everything which he requires for his experiments. (NO-090, Pros. Ex. 176.)
Letter of the Reichsgeschaeftsfuehrer of the Ahnenerbe to Dr. Brandt, dated 2 November 1942, regarding the requisition of 150 skeletons of prisoners for certain anthropological examinations. (NO-086, Pros. Ex. 177.)