How, in the face of such insufficient evidence which is opposed by numerous cases of intervention for Jews in that period of time—I only recall the cases Warburg and Georgii—and in the face of Brack’s sworn statements about his attitude towards Jewry, can the prosecution assert that Brack participated in planning the extermination of the Jews? In this way, the prosecution closed the circle incriminating Brack, which they drew round the euthanasia of incurable mental patients, the Action 14 f 13, and the final measures to exterminate the Jews.

I wish to stress again that everything that happened after the stop in August 1941 in the way of abuse by the euthanasia institutions had nothing to do with the euthanasia of the incurably insane which was supported by Brack. An opposing view would only be suitable to make a historical record which is not supported by the weight of the judgment of the International Military Tribunal, but merely corresponds to a conjecture which in the decisive points themselves is void of every substantiated basis.

d. Evidence

Prosecution Documents
Pros. Ex.
Doc. No.No.Description of DocumentPage
NO-426160Extract from the affidavit of defendant Brack, 14 October 1946, describing administrative details and procedure of the Euthanasia Program.[842]
615-PS246Letter from Dr. Hilfrich, Bishop of Limburg, to the Reich Minister of Justice, 13 August 1941, protesting against the killing of mentally ill people.[845]
NO-429281Extract from the affidavit of defendant Hoven, 24 October 1946, concerning the transfer of concentration camp inmates to euthanasia stations for extermination.[847]
630-PS330Letter from Hitler to Karl Brandt and Bouhler, 1 September 1939, charging them with the execution of euthanasia.[848]
NO-1135334Confirmation, 30 August 1940, of the transfer of mental patients with list of transferred patients attached.[848]
1696-PS357Letter from Dr. Conti to the Mental Hospital in Kaufbeuren, 16 November 1939, requesting that questionnaires (attached) be filled out for individual patients; letter from the General Sick Transport Company to the Mental Hospital in Kaufbeuren, 12 May 1941, stating that the company would remove mental patients; report from the Provincial Association for Social Welfare in Swabia, 6 May 1941, that all transferred patients had died; letter from Gaum, 24 November 1942, to Dr. Leinisch stating that epileptics would be made available for research.[849]
3896-PS372Extract from the affidavit of Dr. Ludwig Sprauer, 23 April 1946, concerning the organization of the Euthanasia Program.[853]
NO-520374Letter from the chief of the institution for feeble-minded in Stetten to Dr. Frank, 6 September 1940, requesting that euthanasia be carried out only after legal basis was created.[854]
NO-660377Note by Sellmer, 6 December 1940, describing the method of selection for euthanasia.[855]
NO-018404Letter from Himmler to Brack, 19 December 1940, requesting that Euthanasia Station Grafeneck be discontinued and that motion pictures be shown to dispel rumors.[856]
NO-842405Letter from Brack to Dr. Schlegelberger, 18 April 1941, forwarding forms for euthanasia and suggesting that death notifications should not follow a stereotyped form.[857]
NO-158410Letter from Hirche, administrator of the Mental Institution Bernburg, to camp commandant of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, 19 March 1942, with list of inmates transferred from the concentration camp to Bernburg.[858]
NO-907412Extract from letter from Dr. Fritz Mennecke to his wife, 25 November 1941, concerning his activities as physician selecting inmates of concentration camp Buchenwald for euthanasia.[861]
NO-1007413Circular from Gluecks to concentration camp commandants, 27 April 1943, stating that in the future only insane prisoners should be used for Action “14 f 13” (euthanasia).[862]
NO-891414Directive of the Reich Minister of the Interior, 6 September 1944, ordering euthanasia extended to insane Eastern workers.[863]
1553-PS428Extract from the field interrogation of Kurt Gerstein, 26 April 1945, describing the mass gassing of Jews and other “undesirables.”[865]
NO-365507Unsigned draft letter from Dr. Wetzel to Rosenberg, 25 October 1941, dealing with Brack’s collaboration in the construction of gas chambers for the extermination of Jews.[870]
Defense Documents
Doc. No.Def. Ex. No.Description of Documents
Karl Brandt 18Karl Brandt Ex. 15Extracts from the affidavit of Dr. Werner Kirchert, 29 January 1947, stating that Karl Brandt was not involved in the Euthanasia Program.[871]
Karl Brandt 19Karl Brandt Ex. 16Affidavit of Alfred Rueggeberg, 23 January 1947, concerning radio discussions on euthanasia.[872]
Karl Brandt 23Karl Brandt Ex. 19Affidavit of Eduard Woermann, 18 January 1947, concerning discussion of Karl Brandt and Pastor Bodelschwingh on euthanasia.[873]
Pokorny 19Pokorny Ex. 27Affidavit of Dr. Helmuth Weese, 19 March 1947, concerning use of caladium seguinum for sterilization.[874]
Testimony
Page
Extracts from the testimony of prosecution witness Dr. Mennecke[875]
Extracts from the testimony of defendant Brack[876]
Extract from the testimony of prosecution witness Walter E. Schmidt[890]
Extracts from the testimony of defendant Karl Brandt[892]

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-426

PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 160

EXTRACT FROM THE AFFIDAVIT OF DEFENDANT BRACK, 14 OCTOBER 1946, DESCRIBING ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS AND PROCEDURE OF THE EUTHANASIA PROGRAM

The Euthanasia Program