He informed me that in July he had been summoned to the Fuhrer’s headquarters in East Prussia. The Fuhrer had spoken to him frankly in the following terms: He had decided to resolve the Jewish Question once and for all. The hour had arrived. He could not rely upon his successors having the necessary will or the military power which he now commanded. He was not afraid of the consequences. People presently revered the French Revolution, but who now remembered the thousands of innocents who died? Revolutionary times were governed by their own laws. When Germany had won the war, nobody would ask afterwards how we did it. Should Germany lose the mortal struggle, at least those who had hoped to profit from the defeat of National Socialism would be wiped out. It was necessary to remove the biological bases of Judaism once and for all. Otherwise the problem would erupt to plague future generations. That was the lesson of history.
Obergruppenfuhrer Heydrich stated further that the necessary powers to enable him to implement this Fuhrer Order had been granted to him by Reichsmarschall Goering on 31.7.41. These matters would be discussed at the forthcoming inter-departmental conference. In the meantime, he urged me to use whatever means I considered necessary to discover the identity of Dr Feldscher’s source. This was a matter of the highest security classification.
I thereupon suggested that, in view of the grave issues involved, it would be appropriate, from a legal point of view, to have the Fuhrer Order placed in writing. Obergruppenfuhrer Heydrich stated that such a course was impossible, due to political considerations, but that if I had any reservations I should take them up with the Fuhrer personally. Obergruppenfuhrer Heydrich concluded our meeting by remarking in a jocular manner that we should have no cause for concern on legalistic grounds, considering that I was the Reich’s chief legal draftsman and he was the Reich’s chief policeman.
I hereby swear that this is a true record of our conversation, based upon notes taken by myself that same evening.
SIGNED, Wilhelm Stuckart (attorney)
DATED 4 June 1942, Berlin
WITNESSED, Josef Buhler (attorney)
Across the city the day died. The sun dropped behind the dome of the Great Hall, gilding it like the cupola of a giant mosque. With a hum, the floodlights cut in along the Avenue of Victory and the East-West Axis. The afternoon crowds melted, dissolved, re-formed as night-time queues outside the cinemas and restaurants, while above the Tiergarten, lost in the gloom, an airship droned.
REICH MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRET STATE DOCUMENT
DISPATCH FROM GERMAN AMBASSADOR IN LONDON, HERBERT VON DIRKSEN
Account of conversations with Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, United States Ambassador to Great Britain
[Extracts; two pages, printed]
Received Berlin, 13 June 1938
Although he did not know Germany, [Ambassador Kennedy] had learned from the most varied sources that the present Government had done great things for Germany and that the Germans were satisfied and enjoyed good living conditions.
The Ambassador then touched upon the Jewish question and stated that it was naturally of great importance to German-American relations. In this connection it was not so much the fact that we wanted to get rid of the Jews that was harmful to us, but rather the loud clamour with which we accompanied this purpose. He himself understood our Jewish policy completely; he was from Boston and there, in one golf club, and in other clubs, no Jews had been admitted for the past fifty years.
Received Berlin, 18 October 1938
Today, too, as during former conversations, Kennedy mentioned that very strong anti-Semitic tendencies existed in the United States and that a large portion of the population had an understanding of the German attitude toward the Jews…From his whole personality I believe he would get on very well with the Fuhrer.
“WE can’t do this alone.”
“We must.”
“Please. Let me take them to the Embassy. They could smuggle them out through the diplomatic bag.”
“No!”
“You can’t be certain he betrayed us…”
“Who else could it be? And look at this. Do you really think American diplomats would want to touch it?”
“But if we’re caught with it… It’s a death warrant.”
“I have a plan.”
“A good one?”
“It had better be.”
CENTRAL CONSTRUCTION OFFICE, AUSCHWITZ, TO GERMAN EQUIPMENT WORKS, AUSCHWITZ, 31 MARCH 1943
Your letter of 24 March 1943 [Excerpt]
In reply to your letter, the three airtight towers are to be built in accordance with the order of 18 January 1943, for Bw 30B and 3e, in the same dimensions and in the same manner as the towers already delivered.
