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Minsk,
July 31, 1942
The
Generalkommissar for Byelorussia
Gauleiter
/G 507/42 g
To
Reichskommissar
for Ostland
Gauleiter
Hinrich Lohse
Riga
Secret
Re:
Combating Partisans and Aktion
against Jews
in
the Generalbezirk
of Byelorussia
In
all the clashes with the partisans in Byelorussia it has
proved that Jewry, both in the formerly Polish, as well as in
the formerly Soviet parts of the District General, is the main
bearer of the partisan movement, together with the Polish
resistance movement in the East and the Red Army from Moscow.
In consequence, the treatment of Jewry in Byelorussia is a
matter of political importance owing to the danger to the
entire economy. It must therefore be solved in accordance with
political considerations and not merely economic needs.
Following exhaustive discussions with the SS Brigadefuehrer
Zenner and the exceedingly capable Leader of the SD, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer
Dr. jur. Strauch, we have liquidated about 55,000 Jews in
Byelorussia in the past 10 weeks. In the area of Minsk county
Jewry has been completely eliminated without any danger to the
manpower requirements. In the predominantly Polish area of
Lida, 16,000 Jews were liquidated, in Slonim, 8,000, etc.
Owing
to encroachment by the Army Rear Zone (Command), which has
already been reported, there was interference with the
preparations we had made for the liquidation of the Jews in
Glebokie. Without contacting me, the Army Rear Zone Command
liquidated 10,000 Jews, whose systematic elimination had in
any case been planned by us. In the city of Minsk about 10,000
Jews were liquidated on July 28 and 29. Of these 6,500 were
Russian Jews mainly old men, women and children and the rest
Jews incapable of work, who were sent to Minsk in November of
last year by order of the Fuehrer, mainly from Vienna, Bruenn,
Bremen and Berlin.
The
District of Sluzk has also been relieved of several thousand
Jews. The same applies to Nowogrodek and Wilejka. Radical
measures are planned for Baranowitschi and Hanzewitschi. In
Baranowitschi there are still another 10,000 Jews in the city
itself, of whom 9,000 will be liquidated next month.
In
the city of Minsk about 2,600 Jews from Germany have remained.
In addition all of the 6,000 Russian Jews and Jewesses
remained alive who were employed during the Aktion by
various units [of the Wehrmacht]. In future, too, Minsk will
remain the largest Jewish element owing to the concentration
of armament industries in the area and as the requirements of
the railroad make this necessary for the time being. In all
other areas the number of Jews used for work will be reduced
by the SD and myself to a maximum of 800, and, if possible,
500, so that when the remaining planned Aktionen have
been completed there will be 8,600 in Minsk and about 7,000
Jews in the 10 other districts, including the Jew-free Minsk
District. There will then be no further danger that the
partisans can still rely to any real extent on Jewry.
Naturally I and the SD would like it best if Jewry in the Generalbezirk
of Byelorussia was finally eliminated after their labor is no
longer required by the Wehrmacht. For the time being the
essential requirements of the Wehrmacht, the main employer of
Jewry, are being taken into consideration.
In
addition to this unambiguous attitude towards Jewry, the SD in
Byelorussia also has the onerous task of continually
transferring new transports of Jews from the Reich to their
destination. This causes excessive strain on the physical and
spiritual capacities of the personnel of the SD, and withdraws
them from duties within the area of Byelorussia itself.
I
should therefore be grateful if the Reichskommissar
could see his way to stopping further deportations of Jews to
Minsk at least until the danger from the partisans has been
finally overcome. I need 100 percent of the SD manpower
against the Partisans and the Polish Resistance Movement,
which together occupy the entire strength of the not
overwhelmingly strong SD units.
After
completion of the Aktion against the Jews in Minsk, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer
Dr. Strauch reported to me this night, with justified
indignation, that suddenly, without instructions from the Reichsfuehrer,
and without notification to the Generalkommissar, a
transport of 1,000 Jews from Warsaw has arrived for the
local Luftwaffe Command.
I
beg the Reichskommissar (already warned by telegram) to
prevent the dispatch of such transports, in his capacity as
supreme authority in Ostland. The Polish Jew, exactly
like the Russian Jew, is an enemy of the German nation. He
represents a politically dangerous element, a danger which far
exceeds his value as a skilled worker. Under no circumstances
should the army or the Luftwaffe import Jews into an
area under civil administration, either from the
Government-General or from elsewhere, without the approval of
the Reichskommissar, as this endangers the entire
political task here and the security of the Generalbezirk.
I am in full agreement with the Commander of the SD in
Byelorussia that we should liquidate every transport of Jews
not arranged, or announced to us, by our superior officers, to
prevent further disturbances in Byelorussia.
The
Generalkommissar
for
Byelorussia
signed
Kube
PS-3428. |
