1947-08-19, #18: Doctors' Trial Verdict — Viktor Brack

Judgment: Viktor Brack — GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS

THE PRESIDENT: Judge Crawford will continue the reading of the Judgment.

THE CASE OF THE DEFENDANT VIKTOR BRACK

JUDGE CRAWFORD: (reading)

Should you, Reichsfuehrer, decide to choose this way in the interest of the preservation of labor, then Reichsleiter [Reich Leader] Bouhler would be prepared to place all physicians and other personnel needed for this work at your disposal. Likewise he requested me to inform you, that then I would have to order the apparatus so urgently needed with the greatest speed.

Heil Hitler.

Yours /s/ Viktor Brack

Brack testified from the witness stand that at the time he wrote this letter he had every confidence that Germany would win the war.

Brack's letter was answered by Himmler on 11 August 1942. In the reply Himmler directed that sterilization by means of x-rays be tried in at least one concentration camp in a series of experiments, and that Brack place at his disposal expert physicians to conduct the operations.

Blankenburg, Brack's deputy, replied to Himmler's letter and stated that Brack had been transferred to an SS Division but that he, Blankenburg, as Brack's permanent deputy would "immediately take the necessary measures and get in touch with the chiefs of the main offices of the concentration camps."

A Polish Jew testified before the Tribunal that while confined in Auschwitz concentration camp he was marched to Birkenau and forcibly subjected to severe x-ray exposure and was castrated later in order that the effects of the x-ray could be studied.

A French physician of Jewish descent who was confined at Auschwitz from September 1943 to January 1945, testified that near Auschwitz was Birkenau camp where people were sterilized by SS doctors. About 100 male Poles who had been sterilized at Birkenau were attended by the witness after the operations. Later this group were castrated by the came physicians.

The record contains other evidence from which it is manifestly plain that sterilization by means of x-rays was attempted on groups of persons who were painfully injured thereby; and that castration followed the x-ray procedures.

Brack's part in the organization of the sterilization program with full knowledge that it would be put into execution, is conclusively known by the record.

EUTHANASIA PROGRAM:

The euthanasia program, which was put into effect by a secret decree of Hitler on the day that Germany invaded Poland, has been discussed at length in the judgment in the case against Karl Brandt.

Brack contends that he was basically opposed to this program and that, on occasion, he assisted certain of his Jewish friends to escape from its consequences. But be that as it may, the evidence is that whatever sentiments Brack may have entertained toward individual members of the race, he was perfectly willing to and did act as an important administrator in furthering the euthanasia program. After it had gotten under way, he wrote letters to various public officials, explaining to them how to keep the matter secret and to allay the public sentiment against the program.

This much is shown by Brack's own statements. As a witness on the stand he testified that while at first he did not understand the full import of the program, he decided, after a talk with Bouhler, to collaborate in carrying out the assignment and to execute Bouhler's orders.

He participated in the initial meetings called for the purpose of placing the project in operation. He was present at meetings of the experts, as well as at administrative discussions. He often acted as Bouhler's representative, frequently making decisions which called for the exercise of personal judgment and a wide latitude of discretions.

Brack admitted that such were his activities in the program, that one might well have come to the conclusion that he was the influential man in euthanasia.

As Bouhler's deputy he addressed a meeting at Munich, where he explained the purpose of Hitler's decree and mentioned the draft of a law which was being prepared to give complete legislative sanctity to euthanasia — a law, incidentally, which was never in fact enacted. He represented Bouhler in April of 1941 in a meeting attended by Nazi judges and prosecutors. He testified that the Ministry of Justice had become considerably embarrassed because of the euthanasia program, and that he was present at the meeting for the purpose of imparting information concerning the salutary features of euthanasia to those who were present.

Brack gave the Tribunal considerable information concerning the method of extermination by euthanasia; stating that the program was so designed as to render the process inconspicuous and painless. In December 1939 or January 1940 Brack, Bouhler, Conti and some other doctors were present at the administration of euthanasia, to four experimental subjects. The victims were led into a gas chamber which had been built to resemble a shower room. The patients were seated on benches and poisonous gas was let into the chamber. A few moments later the patients became drowsy and finally lapsed into a death sleep, without even knowing they were being executed. On the basis of this execution "Hitler decided that only carbon monoxide was to be used for killing the patients." According to Brack these persons were not Jews because as Bouhler had explained to him "the philanthropic action of euthanasia should be extended only to Germans."

The evidence is plain that the euthanasia program explained by the defendant, gradually merged into the "Action 14 F 13"; which, briefly stated, amounted to an extermination of concentration camp inmates by methods and agencies used in euthanasia. One of the prime motives behind the program was to eliminate "useless eaters" from the scene, in order to conserve food, hospital facilities, doctors and nurses for the more important use of the German armed forces.

Many nationals of countries other than Germany were killed.

Brack's direct connection with and participation in the execution of euthanasia is conclusively proven by the evidence in the record.

MEMBERSHIP IN A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION:

Under Count Four of the Indictment the defendant Brack is charged with being a member of the organization declared criminal by the Judgment of the International Military Tribunal, namely, the SS. The evidence slows that Brack became a member of the SS in 1929 and voluntarily remained in that organization until the end of the war. As a member of the SS he was criminally implicated in the commission for war crimes and crimes against humanity, as charged under Counts Two and Three of the Indictment.

CONCLUSION

Military Tribunal I finds and adjudges the defendant Viktor Brack guilty under Counts Two, Three and Four of the Indictment.