Ulm Trial Testamony Transcript: 3 July 1941

Translated by Dr. Ulrich Baumann

 

On the third of July in the morning Boehme, Hersmann and their Gestapo and SD-assistants, of a strength of 30 to 40, came to Jurburg; there, the accused Carsten, and the Gestapo-members from Smaleninken subordinated to him, were already there, among them Kriminalassistent Schlegel and Hof. From the Tilsit Gestapo there were, among others, Kommmisar Gerke (witness) and Krumbach (witness) and from the SD the motorist Ju. (witness) and Pap. (witness).

In the courtyard of the building of the Lithuanian "order service", the accused Carsten reported to the accused Boehme about his preparations. He also informed about the number of arrested and about the reasons for the arrests, based on the list of names written in German language. Beside a few communists, the prisoners were male Jews. Among the arrested communists were two women, among them a telephonist.

Now, between the accused Boehme and Carten began a severe dispute, because the accused Boehme complained that the preparations were not sufficient (...copy is not readable, UB)....

Because of that, small groups of Gestapo and SD members, among them witnesses Krumbach and Gerke, were formed and ordered, together with Lithuanian police assistants, to remove the Jewish men from their homes where they had been held in detention. Through this action, at least 60 additional Jewish men were arrested. Three women with their children followed them.

During the arrest, the Lithuanian doctor turned to the accused Carsten, and asked that the Jewish doctor be freed. He explained that the Jewish doctor was a surgeon and the citizens needed him urgently. The accused Carsten told him he should address himself to the accused Boehme. After very urgently conveying his request to Boehme, the Lithuanian doctor was beaten by Boehme. His case fell to the ground, and he had to go without result.

The accused Hersmann in the meantime was looking for the execution commando of the police battalion, because it had not been at place in spite of the agreement with the adjutant of the battalion. After finally having reached the adjutant, the adjutant told him that the commander had not allowed the execution of those arrested by members of his battalion. The accused Boehme and Hersmann were very angry about that because of the additional arrests, that the number of arrested had increased to 300.

The prisoners were marched by foot through the town to the Jewish cemetery. There, they were forced to turn over all of their valuable things and also to remove their top clothing.

The accused Boehme had been driving, together with the accused Carsten, to execution site on the Jewish cemetery and had meanwhile ordered the digging of an additional mass grave by the Jewish prisoners, since the already excavated grave was not sufficient because of the additional people arrested. With the help of the accused Carten, he ordered the necessary additional equipment.

After the prisoners arrived at the cemetery, the accused Carsten tried successfully to convince Boehme to release his two former agents who were arrested in the additional action as well.

The arrested Jews were then forced to dig the second mass grave. During that time two Jews were beating each other with spades in the presence of the Gestapo member Wiechert, probably as a result of his order.

Then, the victims were led by the Gestapo and SD-members from the nearby assembly site to the execution site, partially urged on by loud shouting and beatings with sticks. The outcries of the victims filled the air. They had to stand in front of the holes, facing their own graves. Some were ordered to kneel. They were shot in the neck. In the same time, they received a push, so that they fell into their graves. Since the victims were constantly led to the execution site, the next ones had to witness the murder of their fellow sufferers. Inhabitants from two neighboring farmhouses watched the killings, which was observed by Carstens. He directed the attention of the accused Boehme to this and the ordered accused Carsten to prohibit the inhabitants from watching. The accused Carsten followed the order.

During the execution, several incidents occurred, which were also observed by officers of the police battalion, who had come to this place after finishing their exercise, driven by curiosity. A Jewish customs agent who had fought in World War I and had been awarded the Iron Cross, Class A, for excellent fighting, attacked Boehme and hit him. A deadly shot stopped him.

One or two prisoners attacked Kriminalkommissar Krumbach and were shot. When several Jews tried to escape, the accused Boehme and Hersmann each shot one escapee. At these turbulent episodes a SD-man was inadvertent shot in his leg. In his place, the SD-motorist Pap. (witness) came to replace him, and he killed three prisoners by shots into their necks. The police battalion reported about these incidents and the bad organization to higher authorities. This had the consequence that the accused Boehme and Hersmann had to accept the responsibility for these actions to the RSHA. However this brought no disgrace to them .

In this action, 322 Jews were killed, among them were 5 women and some children who did not want to be separated from their parents.

The accused Boehme and Hersmann reported, as they did in every instance, the number of those executed and the place of the execution to the leader of the Einsatzgruppe A, Dr. Stahlecker, and to the RSHA, which reported itself in the Incidents Report SSSR Nr. 19 of 11.July 1941 (source 9i, page 1): "Together with SD-district Tilsit, the Gestapo Tilsit carried out another "Grossaktionen" (larger actions). In Georgenburg (Yurburg), 322 persons, among them 5 women, were shot on July 3rd."

After finishing the execution, a joint meal was held, a so called "Sakuska," which had been ordered by the accused Carsten by order of the accused Boehme. This meal was paid by the witness Gerke by order of the accused Boehme, with the money that was taken from the Jews before their execution.

Directly after he came back to Georgenburg, the accused Carsten told his good friend Os. (witness) on the same evening, without any emotions about that execution. He introduced the discussion with the words: "This morning we have bumped off the Jews of Georgenburg."

After the killings of all the Jewish women and children, a sign was posted at the entrance of George nburg with the inscription: "This Place is without Jews. (Judenrein)."


ULM TRIAL SENTENCES

Translated by Dr. Ulrich Baumann

Sentences from Schwurgericht (Jury) Ulm August 29, 1958:

Boehme: Crime of a joint of offense of accesory to the murder in 3907 cases: penitentiary 15 years, loss of citizen's honor rights 10 years.

Hersmann: crime of a joint of offense of accesory to the murder in 1656 cases, in account of the sentence of jury court of Traunstein (Bavaria) of 21. Sept. 1950 which was 8 years penitentiary and 5 years loss of citizen's honor rights, which are substracted, to a total punishment of 15 years penitentiary, loss of citizen's honor rights 10 years.

Carsten: crime of a joint of offense of accesory to the murder in 423 cases: penitentiary 4 years, loss of citizen's honor rights 3 years.


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