Initial Cross Examination and Witness Mr Mieczyslaw Pemper

Chairman: The accused has stated that in Plaszow only 6-8 persons have been hung, and besides of this he has not heard anything about hanging. Could the accused name the incidents, which are known to him, about executions in Plaszow?

Accused: The surnames I do not know but there were two women who escaped. In that case they were arrested by police, before their escape was known in the camp. The police established that they had contacts with underground bands, and ordered execution.

Chairman: And other cases?

Accused: Two further cases of Krautwirth and Haubenstock

Chairman: For what reason?

Accused: For incitement of Ukrainian troops to revolt

Chairman: And other cases?

Accused: Some additional 2-3, I cannot remember, but that was all.

Judge Dobromeski: Whose dogs were there?

Accused: I owned my own dog kennels

Judge: For what reason was there a kennel maintained in the camp, and for what reason was there such a large number of dogs?

Accused: Only for reasons of breeding.

Judge: Were these dogs trained, and who was the trainer?

Accused: They were not trained. They could even go for walks with my household

Judge: Were the kennels fenced off from the remainder of the camp. Was there some security there?

Accused: The dogs were partly at home, and partly in a special enclosure, from where they could not escape.

Judge: What was the breed?

Accused: Dogi. Before the special enclosure was built, the dogs were on chains in their huts.

Judge: Were women taken to the camp with their children?

Accused: With their children, but this happened without our knowledge. The women were taking children into the camp, and they would be found there.

Judge: In such cases the children were kept together, or were they in some separate barrack for children?

Accused: At first the children were with their mothers, later a separate barrack for children was set up.

Judge: Why has the accused, stated a moment before, that there was no such children’s barrack?

Accused: It was arranged later, at the beginning it was not there

Judge: Did the children have access to the place where the dogs were being kept?

Accused: No they had no access there.

Judge: Was there any incident of a child being savaged by dogs?

Accused: Impossible, there was none. Only in my house were the dogs very menacing.

Judge Zembaty: Has the accused deprived someone of his life?

Accused: Yes.

Judge: What were such cases, how many and for what reason?

Accused: In that case, if they did not obey the established rules, if a prisoner was found in possession of explosives. 

Judge: Did the accused kill with his own hands?

Accused: Yes, several people.  

Judge: In how many cases have you ordered for someone to be deprived of his life?

Accused: Also in several cases, but this I do not remember, I cannot say.

Judge: For what reason? 

Accused: For the same reasons as I have stated earlier. 

Judge: Has any member of the camp guards without your knowledge killed any prisoner?

Accused: No, I do believe that was so. In any event I am not aware of such a case. If there were such cases, they were reported to the chief of the police.   

Judge: Were the prisoners tortured in the camp, if so, by what means?

Accused: None were used.   

Judge: Maybe without your knowledge, by the guards on their own?

Accused: Likewise no.    

Read more here:  http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/trials/goeth2.html

The Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team

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Copyright Carmelo Lisciotto H.E.A.R.T 2010