Einsatzgruppen

On February 3, 1944, Eichmann's office dispatched a letter, signed by the head of the RSHA, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. The letter sought a decision regarding the handling of SS and police personnel implicated in the escape of Jewish prisoners from Sonderkommando 1005 at Fort Kauen (Kaunas in Lithuanian). Kaltenbrunner recommended that "the matter be resolved within our jurisdiction," rather than involving the SS and police court. This approach, he argued, would "avoid another group of persons gaining insight into the operation of the Sonderkommando".On February 3, 1944, Eichmann's office dispatched a letter, signed by the head of the RSHA, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. The letter sought a decision regarding the handling of SS and police personnel implicated in the escape of Jewish prisoners from Sonderkommando 1005 at Fort Kauen (Kaunas in Lithuanian). Kaltenbrunner recommended that "the matter be resolved within our jurisdiction," rather than involving the SS and police court. This approach, he argued, would "avoid another group of persons gaining insight into the operation of the Sonderkommando".

The memo dated April 5, 1943, from Adolf Windecker (Representative of the Foreign Office to the Reich Commissioner for the Eastern Territories) discusses the "treatment of Jews of foreign nationality in the Eastern Territories." It specifies that all Jews confined to ghettos cannot be deported to other countries due to "significant security police concerns." Windecker acknowledges the large-scale killings in Riga noting that "many thousands of the local and Reich German Jews in the Riga area have been shot over time." As a result, he questions the feasibility of using any Jews for exchange purposes, as he fears that doing so would "be exploited abroad as evidence of the executions carried out here."The memo dated April 5, 1943, from Adolf Windecker (Representative of the Foreign Office to the Reich Commissioner for the Eastern Territories) discusses the "treatment of Jews of foreign nationality in the Eastern Territories." It specifies that all Jews confined to ghettos cannot be deported to other countries due to "significant security police concerns." Windecker acknowledges the large-scale killings in Riga noting that "many thousands of the local and Reich German Jews in the Riga area have been shot over time." As a result, he questions the feasibility of using any Jews for exchange purposes, as he fears that doing so would "be exploited abroad as evidence of the executions carried out here."

On October 2, 1941, Office IV of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA) issued Event Report USSR No. 101 (Ereignismeldung UdSSR Nr. 101). Einsatzgruppe C reported on the massacre at the Babyn Yar (Babi Yar) near Kiev that Paul Blobel's Sonderkommando 4a "executed 33,771 Jews in Kiev on September 29 and 30, 1941". Meanwhile, Einsatzgruppe D stated that "between September 16 and 30, 22,467 Jews and Communists were executed, bringing the total to 35,782".On October 2, 1941, Office IV of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA) issued Event Report USSR No. 101 (Ereignismeldung UdSSR Nr. 101). Einsatzgruppe C reported on the massacre at the Babyn Yar (Babi Yar) near Kiev that Paul Blobel's Sonderkommando 4a "executed 33,771 Jews in Kiev on September 29 and 30, 1941". Meanwhile, Einsatzgruppe D stated that "between September 16 and 30, 22,467 Jews and Communists were executed, bringing the total to 35,782".

In this letter dated March 4, 1942, the Reichsarzt SS Ernst-Robert Grawitz describes the medical condition and recovery process of the Higher SS and Police Leader for the central zone in Russia Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, whose role in leading executions in the East left mental scars. Grawitz notes that von dem Bach suffered from "severe nervous exhaustion…from thoughts related to the executions of Jews that he himself oversaw".In this letter dated March 4, 1942, the Reichsarzt SS Ernst-Robert Grawitz describes the medical condition and recovery process of the Higher SS and Police Leader for the central zone in Russia Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, whose role in leading executions in the East left mental scars. Grawitz notes that von dem Bach suffered from "severe nervous exhaustion…from thoughts related to the executions of Jews that he himself oversaw".

On February 13, 1942, Reinhard Heydrich's adjutant, SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans-Achim Ploetz, forwarded a report from Einsatzgruppe A to the staff of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler on the "defeatist" remarks made by SS-Sturmbannführer and Oberstleutnant Arno von Kriegsheim. Among other statements, Kriegsheim expressed that "executing Jews is unworthy of a German." The report also noted that "similar statements, albeit in less severe forms, were made by almost all the officers of the Commander of the Rear Army Area North during the first months of the Eastern campaign."On February 13, 1942, Reinhard Heydrich's adjutant, SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans-Achim Ploetz, forwarded a report from Einsatzgruppe A to the staff of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler on the "defeatist" remarks made by SS-Sturmbannführer and Oberstleutnant Arno von Kriegsheim. Among other statements, Kriegsheim expressed that "executing Jews is unworthy of a German." The report also noted that "similar statements, albeit in less severe forms, were made by almost all the officers of the Commander of the Rear Army Area North during the first months of the Eastern campaign."

Paul Wurm, the Foreign Editor of the Nazi propaganda newspaper Der Stürmer and head of the so-called "Anti-Jewish World League," wrote a letter on October 23, 1941, to Franz Rademacher, the Foreign Office's expert on Jewish affairs. In this letter, Wurm mentioned a recent encounter with "an old party comrade" who was actively involved in implementing the "resolution of the Jewish Question" in the East. According to Wurm, this old party comrade disclosed that "much will be destroyed of the Jewish vermin through special measures".Paul Wurm, the Foreign Editor of the Nazi propaganda newspaper Der Stürmer and head of the so-called "Anti-Jewish World League," wrote a letter on October 23, 1941, to Franz Rademacher, the Foreign Office's expert on Jewish affairs. In this letter, Wurm mentioned a recent encounter with "an old party comrade" who was actively involved in implementing the "resolution of the Jewish Question" in the East. According to Wurm, this old party comrade disclosed that "much will be destroyed of the Jewish vermin through special measures".

On August 1, 1941, Reich Minister Alfred Rosenberg led a high-level meeting to discuss the governance of Nazi-occupied territories in Eastern Europe. Hinrich Lohse, the Reichskommissar for Ostland and Gauleiter of Schleswig-Holstein, reported that "approximately 10,000 Jews had been liquidated by the Lithuanian population". Lohse emphasized that, following Hitler’s directive, "the Jews should be completely removed from this area".On August 1, 1941, Reich Minister Alfred Rosenberg led a high-level meeting to discuss the governance of Nazi-occupied territories in Eastern Europe. Hinrich Lohse, the Reichskommissar for Ostland and Gauleiter of Schleswig-Holstein, reported that "approximately 10,000 Jews had been liquidated by the Lithuanian population". Lohse emphasized that, following Hitler’s directive, "the Jews should be completely removed from this area".

Between 20 and 29 September 1942, an Italian delegation led by Fascist Party secretary Aldo Vidussoni traveled from Milan through Litzmannstadt, Brest-Litowsk, Minsk, and Kharkov, reaching Millerovo near Rostov. Vidussoni's account, recorded in Mussolini's Secretariat documents, notes that "in Minsk, at the Opera Theater, we saw the belongings of thousands and thousands of murdered Jews piled up" and that "what struck the Italians the most was the method of killing". In mid-May 1943, the German Foreign Office learnt about the incident from a report that Wilhelm Kube, the Generalkommissar for Belarus, had shown the Italian fascist delegation in Minsk "a gas chamber where the killing of Jews was supposedly carried out." At the time, in September 1942, homicidal gas vans were actively operating near Minsk.Between 20 and 29 September 1942, an Italian delegation led by Fascist Party secretary Aldo Vidussoni traveled from Milan through Litzmannstadt, Brest-Litowsk, Minsk, and Kharkov, reaching Millerovo near Rostov. Vidussoni's account, recorded in Mussolini's Secretariat documents, notes that "in Minsk, at the Opera Theater, we saw the belongings of thousands and thousands of murdered Jews piled up" and that "what struck the Italians the most was the method of killing". In mid-May 1943, the German Foreign Office learnt about the incident from a report that Wilhelm Kube, the Generalkommissar for Belarus, had shown the Italian fascist delegation in Minsk "a gas chamber where the killing of Jews was supposedly carried out." At the time, in September 1942, homicidal gas vans were actively operating near Minsk.

On December 29, 1942, SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler delivered a report to Adolf Hitler, mentioning the execution of 363,211 Jews within only four months, between August and November of that year. Himmler’s report, known as report no. 51 to the Führer on Bandit Fighting, provides one of the clearest examples of high-level documentation of the Holocaust.On December 29, 1942, SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler delivered a report to Adolf Hitler, mentioning the execution of 363,211 Jews within only four months, between August and November of that year. Himmler’s report, known as report no. 51 to the Führer on Bandit Fighting, provides one of the clearest examples of high-level documentation of the Holocaust.