The City of Lida, its Civil Administration

1) The city of Lida

The city of Lida, located in Belarus

a) On the main road to Vilnius, Grodno and Belizy,
b) On the Bialistok – Minsk railway line running east (between Volkovisk and Moledetschno)
And
c) on the north-south railway line between Vilnius and Baranovichi doc vol VIII p 670

The Grodno-Brest Litowsk line then became the German-Russian demarcation line of 17 September 1939, the German-Soviet agreement of 28 September 1939, and finally part of the boundaries set at the Crimean Conference of 11 February 1945.  From Lida to the demarcation line of September 1939 west of it, the boundary today between Russia and Poland,  is a distance of about 80 km.

With the defeat of Poland in September 1939, Russia immediately occupied and began to administer the territory ceded it.  Lida was now part of the Byelorussian SSR.

Already on 28 or 29 June 1941, thus a few days after the beginning of the Russian campaign (22 June 1941), Lida was occupied by German troops.  [Lida was] extensively destroyed, in part by German Luftwaffe bombardments.  In the course of battle, the German troops pressed further east and soon occupied Baranovichi, about 100 km southeast of Lida, and Minsk, about 180 km east of Lida, the  capital of Belarus.  Vol 1 p 162, 171 ff, vol 21 p 2884

The city of Lida and the rayons making up the district of the same name, Ivje, Juraciski, Radun, Shchuchin, Voronovo (Werenow), Vasiliski and Zoludek, then came under military rule.  (Field and Town East Command).  Vol 17 p 2351

On 31 August 1941, Belarus – except for the eastern part – was transferred from the rearguard military district 102.  Doc vol VIII p 631

The region was placed under the civil administration of general commissar Kube as general commissariat Belarus.  The Local Commands remained in existence, their action limited to purely military matters.  Verdict ./. Remmers & Zenner, 9 Ks 1/61 LG Koblenz p 27, doc vol VIII, p 631

In the ensuing period (September 1941) the civil administration in the regions like Lida, Baranovichi, Slonim, and Glebokie, which were part of the general commissariat Belarus, were built up stepwise.  The civil administration in the region of interest here came to an end early in July 1944 with the advance of Russian troops.  Vol 2 p 327 (Dubis), vol 5 p 876, 880, vol 17 p 2433 f, doc vol IX p 745, 759, 764

The city of Lida had 24,870 inhabitants in 1937.  Reliable determinations of the population during the German occupation cannot be made.   The numbers given in the testimony of witnesses range form 15,000 to 30,000.  Doc vol VIII p 671

As a result of the confusion of war and its sequelae, the population after September 1939 fluctuated markedly.  Thus, in the wake of German advances in Poland, Polish Jews in particular fled to the part of East Poland ceded to the Soviet Union.  From fall 1939 to June 1941, there were resettlements of Jews to Eastern parts of the Soviet Union, on the other hand, Jewish refugees also returned to Poland.  Vol 1 p 172 f (Geller)

In the early days of the Russian campaign, Jews in particular began to flee east, later Jews fled before the –particularly in the area bounding Lida to the north (Lithuania) - ravening Einsatzgruppen, and finally in the further course of the Russian campaign, Russian refugees from Russian territory further east also came to Lida.  Vol 2 p 437

According to data from the German witness Zipper, who came from Lida, Lida had about 25,000 inhabitants at the outbreak of the Russian campaign.  Of them about 1/3 (thus about 8,000) were Jews.  For the period of the German occupation, one can also assume a population of 20,000 to 25,000 people, of them about 7,200 to 7,500 Jews. Vol 1 p 83, 90, vol 17 p 2356 (Schlieter), vol 17 p 2438 (Windisch), vol 19 p 2618 (Lefkowitz)

The Jewish population consisted of a layer of intelligentsia (physicians, attorneys, engineers, teachers), as well as businessmen, merchants and particularly skilled artisans, and finally a broad lowest layer of extremely poor Jews.  Vol 17 p 2439 (Windisch)

Business and industry were predominantly in Jewish hands, as well as practically all the skilled labor.

The city had, in addition to a Gymnasium, various institutions vital to the war effort like barracks, electric plants, mail and telephone offices, a railway station, air port and hospitals.

Industrial concerns in Lida included the largest galoshes factory in Poland, “Ardal”, which was not in production during the German occupation, two factories for mechanical equipment, a nail factory, saw mill, oil presses, a soap factory, a city abbatoir, as well as two breweries, one of which was destroyed during the war.  Doc vol VIII p 670, vol 2 p 327 f (Dubis), vol 13 p 1807 ff (Lochbihler)

2) The regional commissariat Lida

As already introduced on pages 114, 125, Lida was, from August/September 1941, seat of the regional commissariat responsible for both the city and region of Lida.

The region of Lida consisted of 8 districts about the size of normal Prussian districts, and – in addition to Lida – the rayons Ivje (about 4500 – 5000 inhabitants), Juracishki, Radun, Shchuchin (2000 – 3000 inhabitants), Vasiliski (about 3500 – 5000 inhabitants) Voronovo and Zoludek (1700 inhabitants) doc vol VIII p 680

As can be seen in the maps
a) “Administrative map of Belarus and Smolensk,” scale 1:1,000,000 (1 October 1942 edition)
And
b) “Eastern Territories – administrative map” scale 1:1,500,00 (situation as of 1 March 1943)
the northern boundary of the RC Lida was the RC Vilnius.  In the east and southeast were the neighboring RCs Novogrudko and Vilejka.  In the south it bordered on the RC Slonim and in the west the special administrative district Bialystok.

The RC Lida had approximately 283,000 inhabitants.  The composition of the population is described in the Situation Report of the RC Lida of 8 April 1943, [prepared for] the conference of RCs in Minsk.  Vol 3 p 436 ff, vol 4 p 659 a doc vol I p 51 ff and vol VIII p 680

According to it, in Lida there lived
192,474 Poles
 66,657 Belarussians
and a remainder of
   4,419 Jews
(the Jews shot during the Aktionen of 8 to 12 May 1942 are not counted)
  2,963 Lithuanians
     531 Tatars
       76 Germans
    268 people of miscellaneous nationality
267, 613

The RC Lida had 40 staff members in 1942.  In addition there were about 40 agricultural supervisors, distributed about the towns in the Lida region.

The office of the RC in Lida consisted of the following divisions:
I.    Politics, race, and nationality
II.   Economics and industry
III.  Labor
IV.  Administration, credit union, and taxes
V.   Forestry and wood
VI. Agriculture vol 1 p 80 ff, vol 17 p 2442

RC of Lida was Hermann Hanweg (born 25 August 1907), missing in action since August 1944.  According to DC and WAST documents, Hanweg was member of the NSDAP since 1928.  In 1936 he attended the Ordensburg Vogelsang and was later Cameradie Leader [Kameradschaftsfuehrer] at Ordensburg Kroessinsee.  In 1940, Hanweg was Gefreiter in an infantry regiement.  Doc vol X p 835, DC & WAST documents relating to Hanweg

In spring 1944,  Hanweg was relieved of the office of RC, presumably because of his open love affair with his then-secretary, Liselotte Meier – the now-married witness Lerm – and called up into the Wehrmacht.  His marriage was dissolved by  divorce verdict of the LG Stargard i. P. of 29 Jun 1944, on account of adultery with the previously mentioned witness Lerm.   According to the testimony of the witness Zietlow, div. Hanweg, her husband was in the fall of 1944 at the Standard Bearer School in Metz.  Vol 4 p 763 f, vol 5 p 864 , 871 ff, vol 9 p 1303, vol 16 p 2292

His last letter was dated August 1944, from Nancy.  Since then he’s been missing.  Presumably he fell in the fighting around Metz.  WAST wrt Hanweg.

The accused Windisch was from  August/September 1941 to about spring 1943 assistant RC, Staff Chief and Director of the Politics, Race, and Nationalities Division, and thereby also Judenreferent.   His interpreter and assistant was Wasiukiewicz, previously mentioned often, who, according to witness testimony, was deported to Poland in 1948 or 1949 and tried in Warsaw for his activities in Lida.  Vol 1 p 80, 100 ff, 129, vol 2 p 301, 433, vol 5 p 846, 853, vol 7 p 1011 ff, 1015 ff, 1087, vol 12 p 1679, vol 17 p 2440, vol 18 p 2443 ff, 2453, 2494

The secretary to the accused Windisch was the witness Dellmann, nee Niemz.  Vol 8 p 1134 ff

The accused Werner was from August/September 1941 to about fall 1942, Director of the Economy and Industry Division, with rank Verwaltungsobersekretaer [Senior Administrative Secretary].  His secretary was presumably Kaethe Herbst, about whom no further information was found.  The Jewish witness Cyla Sawicki was employed in the division of the accused Werner from spring 1942.  Saschek, often mentioned in the documents, but about whom no further information could be found, worked in the office of the accused Werner from January 1942.  Vol 1 p 81, 103, 126 f, vol 1 p  422, vol 5 p 789, vol 7 p 1089, vol 21 p 2863

Director of the Work Office in Lida was the witness Cordes.   The witness came to Lida as Army Administration Inspector for the Army Economics Command in Minsk and first created the work office.  On 1 March 1942 he was discharged from the Wehrmacht and ordered to work as Director of the Work Office at the RC Lida.  Vol 5 p 788, vol 16 p 2320 f

On 31 July 1942 the witness was recalled to the Wehrmacht,  His successor was Wittig, about whom no further information could be found.  Vol 2 p 421

Director of the Forestry and Wood Division was from 25 September 1941 to 2 July 1944 the witness Kahler.   The witness came – like the witness Cordes – to Lida first as Army Administration Inspector of the Administrative Command Minsk, and as forester, was administratively part of the RC Lida from 15 February 1942 on.  Employed in his division, were, among others, the witnesses Ripper, Eduard and Valentin Kuczynski.  The secretary to the witness Kahler was the Pole Sophie Zakrczewska.  In addition, the Gymnasium Professor Kleindienst of Lida, about whom no further information could be found, also worked in the Forestry and Wood Division.  Vol 1 p 89, vol 2 p 62 ff, vol 5 p 58 ff, vol 9 p 1301 ff

Director of the Agriculture Division in 1943 was the Regional Agriculturalist Edgar Germer, who fell during the war.  Under him were District Agriculturalists [Kreislandwirte] stationed in the various towns, and the Agriculture Directors installed there, among them the Ag. Dir. Kipper and Weber, about whom no further information was found. Vol 2 p 423, vol 17 p 2357

In all remaining divisions of the RC, various people were employed during the period of interest here; in part no information could be found on them, they were killed during the war, or died in the meantime.  Among these, in addition to some local secretaries, repeatedly mentioned in the documents, were Paul Dietze (Tax Divion), von Hagemeister, Vonjahr and Hohmann (Credit Union Division) Winheim (Main Chamber of Commerce), Nie_mann (Interpreter) [the _ represents a character that’s illegible], Becker and Grote.

The truck driver for the RC was Adolf Knirsch, about whom no further information was found.  Before this, he was truck driver at the Landratsamt Hohenstadt/March (Sudetengau), where the accused Werner had also been stationed.  Vol 1 p 135

Finally, from January 1942, the so-called “Polozk Staff” was assigned to the RC Lida for on-the-job training.  Vol 7 p 1123 ff, vol 14 p 1946 f, vol 16 p 2280 f.

This consisted of  5 persons, who were to be the founding personnel for the RC Polozk, which had not yet been formed.  Members were the witness & then SA-Standartenfuehrer Borrmann, slated to be RC of Polozk, the “Ordensjunker” [graduate of a Nazi school] and witness Selzener, slated to be Chief of Staff for Polozk, was well as Frohwein, Saschek, and the interpreter Beiermann, about which last 3 no further information was found.  The above mentioned were to prepare themselves for their future duties in the RC Polozk, which was never set up.  They were employed in the activities of the RC Lida, but had no offical positions there themselves.

The members of the RC Lida – as all members of the civil administration in the occupied Eastern territories – wore brown uniforms with swastika armbands.  They were called “golden pheasants” by soldiers and other Germans stationed in the occupied Eastern territories.

The uniform significantly resembled that of “Ordensjunker” and was, in its shade of brown, nearly the same as that of the political leaders.

Fundamentally, members of the RC wore no insignia of rank or epaulettes, but merely a cord on the lapel, or a visored hat with a signal of rank and a gold cord.  According to the position, they did have on the left sleeve insignia with a horseshoe border.  Transparency case no. 59, 61, doc vol VIII p 653 ff.

The accused Windisch wore epaulettes.  Vol 21 p 2946, BA LG Wien, 17 d Vr 5058/64 p 20 (Jaeger)

The RC Lida used the former Gymnasium building in Lida.  The apartments [for the employees] were in buildings in the vicinity of the Gymnasium.

The trip to Lida was generally by way of the NSDAP – Ordensburg Kroessinsee in Pomerania, where the “Ordensjunker” were uniformed, vaccinated, and prepared for their future positions by instruction and courses.  The headquarters for directing the personnel called up as civilian administrators  by the Reichsministry for the occupied Eastern territories  was in Kroessinsee.

The relationship between the accused Windisch and RC Hanweg was tense.  According to information of numerous domestic and foreign witnesses, Hanweg was fundamentally a soft person, who was rather apathetic about his professional duties, and who actually here and there allowed Jews supplementary provisions.  Jews spoke of Hanweg in part as of a father figure.  Vol  2 p 369, vol 11 p 1469, 1571, vol 17 p 2352, vol 19 p 1676, vol 20 p 2807, vol 21 p 2863, 2865, 2886

In contrast, the accused Windisch was described as an “aggressive, needing validation, conceited” and “extraordinarily arrogant superman” [in the Nazi sense, that is, not to be confused with the American Superman!] who was a “fanatical Nazi”,  seemed “abrasive”, “sniffed around” everywhere, was easily excited and had poor self-control and would have liked to have been RC.  He had practically no contact with any other German in Lida and, as “Ordensjunker”, consciously distanced himself from the other members of the RC.  Vol 5 p 783, 789, 795, 806, 847, 858, vol 7 p 1088, 1125, vol 12 p 1679, vol 14 p 1954, 1956

It is the opinion of the accused Windisch that his demeanor in Lida had nothing to do with arrogance.  It had been the “content of the leadership principles necessitated by the situation in Lida”, given that he viewed his position as Chief of Staff as “requiring the maintenance of military-like order”.  Vol 17 p 2443, vol 20 p 2730

In late summer of 1942, the accused attempted to have Hanweg removed as RC, in order to attain that position himself.  Vol 8 p 1135, vol 20 p 2729 ff, doc vol VI, p 834 ff

He went to general commissar Kube in Minsk, and later to the Reichs commissar for the Easter territories, and file serious complaints against RC Hanweg, whom he described, in part, as a “failure”, who in his leadership was “too soft and too lax”.

On the basis of these criticisms, there was a clarifying meeting in Lida in fall 1942, which was attended, in part, by the witness Rein as personal representative of the general commissariat Minsk, Hauptcommissar Fenz from Baranovichi, as well as Hanweg and Windisch.  The accused is supposed to have been, through repetition of his “unsupported” criticisms of Hanweg so unmoving and so subjective, that Hauptcommissar Fenz “squelched” the accused Windisch.  Vol 20 p 2730

Windisch’s “stink” was also the subject of a report of general commissar Kube to the personal Referent of the Reichsministry for the occupied Eastern territories in Berlin.  Dov vol VI p 834 ff

In his relationship with other German officials, Windisch is, however, said to have been “polite and correct”.  Vol 17 p 2356 (Kiefer)

As Director of the Politics Division, Windisch had power, in part, over cultural and religious matters, as well as propaganda (public relations).   He once held a lecture for the German railway workers on the historical development and the meaning of Belarus.  Vol 5 p 783

The accused Windisch is described as blatantly antisemitic, did not view Jews as human and called them “vemin” and “syphilitc pack”. Vol 1 p 175, vol 2 p 344, 406, vol 3 p 628 f, vol 5 p 789, 806, vol 23 p 3158

The witness Jacob Druck was seriously beaten by Windisch either with a stick or a whip for daring to smoke while cleaning bricks, in the late summer 1942.   Windisch beat the witness so long, he collapsed unconscious.  The witness suffered a broken left collar bone and was in bed for about 2 weeks.  Vol 11 p 1596 f, 1601

The fellow accused Werner also alleges that Windisch beat and kicked Jews.  Vol 7 p 1099.

Various letters written by the accused Windsich during his imprisonment also confirm his antisemitic attitudes.  Letter folder

As Judenreferent the accused acted on all matters that affected Jews, on his own authority.  Vol 1 p 129, vol 2 p 330, 336, vol 5 p 783, 789, vol 7 p 1125, vol 17 p 2453 f

In his dealings with the Judenrat, as the representative organization for the Jews, Windisch is said to have been very fixed, tolerating no objections, but he is said to have gotten along well with the Judenrat president Altmann, often mentioned in the documents.

The duties of the accused Werner, as director of the Division of Economy and Industry were, alongside the aquisition and administration of the apartment and office buildings for the RC, the securing of materiel and equipment, the administration of the physical plant of the rubber factory, as well as the securing of Jewish assets of all kinds, including the clothing of executed Jews.  In addition, the accused was in part responsible for the needs of the RC personnel, for which, in part, a garden and gardeners were under him.  Finally, he was responsible for purchase orders for food, etc.  vol 1 p 81, 103, 126 f, vol 5 p 789, vol 7 ; 1089

In general, Werner is described as “the great organizer”, who could get you practically anything, and who himself  “liked to eat and party”.  Vol 8 p 1137

According to the testimony of the witness Borrmann, Werner, just before a home leave, demanded food from the local mayors while threatening them with his pistol.  Vol 7 p 1133.

Werner is consistently described by witnesses as “a rough soldier type”, “crass barracks personality”, “peasant type”, or “rowdy”, who generally carried a riding whip and played “the wild man” in Lida. Vol 5 p 789, 807, 859, 867, vol 7 p 1125

Among Jews, whom he in part kicked and beat, he distinguished himself for his special brutality.  Numerous domestic and foreign witnesses testify that the accused Werner took particular pleasure in setting his aggressive shepherd dog on Jews, during which he stood with his legs spread, grinning maliciously.  A Jew is alleged to have died of bites from the accused’s dog.  He whipped Jews working on the streets in winter, particularly during sleigh rides.

The accused overreaching [in his actions against] Jews and in obtaining food are said to have been the reasons for his transfer to Minsk.  Vol 7 p 1133

3) Other Offices in Lida

Immediately on the occupation of Lida, Feld- und Ortskommandatur [the Field & Town Command] Lida was formed.  Ortskomandant was Hptm. Laudien, about whom no further information is known, his adjutant was the witness and then Obtln. Willenberg.  Personnel of the Ortskommandatur Lida amounted to 4 Field gendarmes and a paymaster, with an average of 25 soldiers.  The Senior fieldgendarme was the witness and then Stabsfeldwebel Frost.  Vol 17 p 2351, 2355, vol 18 p 2550 Erk. Mark Verf. D. Ortsk. Lida

The Ortskommandatur was initially in the Lida Post Office, adjacent to the Gymnasium later in several buildings near the railway station.

The Ortskommandatur was part of the military administration.  Along with pure military tasks, it executed the first steps toward creation of a civil administration.  So Gemeinderate were appointed, new identity papers issued, various buildings, particularly barracks, reconstructed with the assistance of local labor, or built from scratch, businesses and materiel left behind by the Russian army seized, the workers fed and paid, etc.   vol 17 p 2351 f, 2355, 2358

In addition, there was a train depot officer (Bahnhofskommandant) in Lida.  Bahnhofsoffizier to spring 1942 was the witness Knaur, who was then transferred to the same office in Orscha.  His assistant was the 2nd Bahnhofsoffizier, the witness Wessel.  He was transferred as Foreign Commissar to Orscha in October 1942.  It is not known who was Bahnhofsoffizier in Lida from spring 1942 to October 1942.  Vol 5 p 782 (Schulze-Allen) vol 18 p 2540, vol 19 p 2633

Bahnhofvorsteher [depot president] in Lida was, from the occupation of Lida to October 1942, the witness Schulze-Allen, Director of the Railway Ministry in Lida from mid-July 1941 to February 1944 was the witness Wilke.  Vol 5 p 782 (Schulze-Allen), vol 14 p 1954 (Wilke), vol 18 p 2540 f, vol 19 p 2653

About the mid-August 1941, parts of the III Battalion of the JR 727 were transferred to Lida and vicinity for security.  The Battalion Staff with Btl. Krd. Hauptmann Mayer (died 1 March 1961) was in Lida itself, as the Kp. Staff and 1 Squad of the 9th Company with witness and then Kp. Chef Hauptmann Kuenstle.  Ordnance Officer in the battalion was the witness Koeber.  Vol 8 p 1163 (Schild), p 1169 (Kiefer), vp 1186 (Baumann), vol 9 p 1299 (Kuenstle), vol 14 p 1933 b (Stein), vol 23 p 3157 (Koeber)  LG Linz Vg Vr 1555/53, p 58

The Battalion was headquartered in the Lida Gymnasium, which was later utilized by the civil administration.

The 10th Company (Chef Obtln. Amberg) was stationed in Ivje with the Co. Staff and 2 squads.  Vol 8 p 1176 (Amberg)

The 12th Company, whose Chief, Obltn. Kiefer, was interim assistant Btl. Kdr. in Lida, was stationed initially with the Co. Staff and 2 squads, later with the entire company, in Shchuchin.  Kiefer was simultaneously Ortskommandant in Shchuchin.  Vol 8 p 1169 f, (Kiefer), p 1177 (Lehner), vol 10 p 1354 ff, 1357ff, (Heilgemeier)

The prosecutor’s office Munich I conducted an inquiry into the shootings of Jews in Shchuchin in Fall 1941 by members of the 12th Company under number 113 Js 32/65.

Additional parts of the III Btl. of the JR 727 were stationed in places outside the RC Lida, so for example the 11th Company in Grodno.  Vol 8 p 1169 (Kiefer).

On 13 March 1942. The III Btl. of JR 727 was transferred further east into the Bobriusk area and relieved by a part of the Security Brigade 2.  Vol 14 p 1933 b (Stein), vol 18 p 2484

About summer 1942 – at any rate after the mass executions of May 1942 in the RC Lida – the III Battalion of the Reserve Infanry Regiment 217 under Hauptmann  Huhn was transferred to Lida.  Early in 1943 this battalion was moved off to Mitau.  Also, from September/ early October 1942, to the end of December 1942,  the Field Reserve Division 23 of the JR 23 was stationed in a barracks in Lida for training recruits.  Vl 12 p 1795 (Wenkel)

A Field Construction Office of the Luftwaffe was at the Lida airfield, a few kilometers outside Lida.  The witness Wilms was employed there as engineer.  He had, at times, 50 or more Jews under him as forced labor.  Vol 1 p 20 Rs (Jaeger), vol 14 p 1954b (Wilms)

As already explained on pp 113 and 125 of this indictment, Lida was headquarters of the Police/Gendarmie regional commander, in charge of all [types of] police in the Lida region.  Vol 14 p 2007 (Heuser) vol 16 p 2228 (Schlegel), vol 16 p 2237 (Riedel), vol 18 p 2560 (Ueck)

The Police/Gendarmie regional command, with only a few employees, was in the former Lida Gymnasium building, along with the regional commissariat vol 16 p 2235 (Riedel), vol 16 p 2292 (Techow)

The first Police/Gendarmie commander in Lida was the witness Bez. Ltn. of Gendarmie Albert Wester, from October 1941 to March 1942.  Vol 4 p 688 f (Bockhaber), vol 23 p 3138/47 doc vol C p 848, 850

The post of police regional leader was held by Gendarmiemeister Walter Hamburg, who died 4 May 1956 in Giessen, to the end of April 1942.  After that, presumably the later Lieutenant of Gendarmie von der Heide was entrusted with the position. Vol 2 p 312, 314, 322 vol 4 p 770 (WAST) vol 4 p 773 (Riedel), vol 12 p 1821 (Buettner)

From about end of May/early June 1942,  the witness and then Bez. Oblt. of Gendarmie Ueck was police regional leader in Lida.  His assistant was the above-mentioned von er Heide.  End of 1943, Ueck was relieved of the position of police regional leader, but remained in Lida as assistant police regional leader.  Vol 18 p 2559 (Ueck) WAST vol 10 p 1399 f (Ueck)

The Gendarmie district of Lida was divided into the Gendarmie posts, in part begun only after the mass executions, Lida, Ivje, Juraciski, Radun, Shchuchin, Vasiliski, Voronovo, and Zoludek.  There were outposts and substations under German command in hamlets, important estates, settlements, and militarily important sites.  The individual Gendarmie posts and outposts were reinforced by local auxiliary (police). Doc vol II p 152, doc vol X p 851

Announcements and reports by the Gendarmie posts outside Lida did not go to the police regional leader, but directly to the RC of Lida.  Vol 18 p 2560 (Ueck)

The witness and then Gendarmiemeister Riedel  was Gendarmie Post Leader in Lida from the founding of the Lida post about October 1941 to the year 1944.  Members of the Lida post were, among others, the witnesses Raimann and Buettner, the latter was simultaneously Administrator of the jail in Lida assigned to the RC.  Raimann often conducted investigations in the jail.  Vol 1 p 3, vol 4 p 773 f, vol 16 p 2234 (Riedel), vol 10 pf 1345 (Raimann) vol 8 [sic] p 1821 (Buettner), vol 16 p 2235 (Riedel), vol 17 p 2377 (Buettner)

The witness and then Polizeimeister (later Bez. Ltn. of Gendarmie) Lengen was Gendarmie Post Leader in Voronovo from fall 1941 to spring 1943. Vol 5 p 794 ff, vol 7 p 1081 ff,  vol 14 p 1951 ff (Lengen)

The witness Draga was a member of the Voronovo Gendarmie Post.  Vol 12 p 1657 f (Draga)

Gendarmie Post Leader in Vasiliski from fall 1941 to summer 1942 was Meister of Schupo Wallmann, presumed killed, about whom nothing further was found, his assistant was the witness and then Hauptwachtmeister of Schupo Ross.  The city Shchuchin was part of the area patrolled by the Vasiliski Gendarmie Post;  Shchuchin did not have its own post until after the mass executions in May 1942.  Vol 9 p 1312 f (Ross), WAST documents

Leader of the Ivje Gendarmie Post, founded fall 1941, was Bauer, about whom no further information was found.  Mentioned often in the documents, was Butik (phonetically), a member of this post – presumably this is the same as Butzek, about whom nothing further was found.   Vol 1 p 159, 190 f, vol 2 p 237, 239, vol 3 p 609, 611, vol 320 p 2768, vol 21 p 2894

Leader of the Gendarmie Post Radun, was, according to testimony of the witness Ueck, Meister of Gendarmie Liesack (phon.), about whom nothing further is known.  Leader of the new post in Shchuchin, first founded in summer 1942, was Meister of Schupo Rose, about whom nothing further is known.  Vol 10 p 1400 (Ueck_, vol 12 p 1675

The leaders of the Gendarmie Posts Zoludek and Juraciski, only founded later, are not known.

Gendarmie offcials wore gray-green uniforms with brown sleeve trim.  In total, over 200 German Gendarmie officers were deployed in Lida during the German occupation.  The majority of these Gendarmie officers, whose names are unknown, were only deployed to secure the harvest in spring 1943.  Vol 4 p 686, transparency file, nos. 93, 94.

Individual Gendarmie posts were, on the average, stafffed with 5 – 15 German offciers and 15 – 80 local “volunteers” [Hilfswillige or Schutzmaenner) who were under the command of the post leader.  At substations, the staff was correspondingly smaller.  Vol 4 p 773, vol 5 p 795 (Lengen), vol 9 p 1312 (Ross), vol 10 p 1345 (Raimann), vol 12 p 1675 (Draga), vol 16 p 2236 (Riedel), vol 2 p 314 (Verdict ./. Hamburg).

The local “volunteers”, also called “Hiwis” were an auxiliary police of local inhabitants, trained by German Gendarmes, in part taken over from the military administration, and consisting mainly of Belarussans, Ukrainians, Poles, and a lesser number of Lithuanians and Latvians.  Vol 4 p 670 ff, p 89 (Bockhacker), doc vol X p 850.

In the beginning, these auxiliary policemen only wore a white armband.  In the course of time they received the old black SS-uniforms with black kepi and brown collar and sleeve appliques.  Doc vol X p 850, doc vol II p 148 ff, 155

Presumably in April 1942, Gendarmie motorized squad 13 under the leadership of Oberleutnant Richter, who fell in Lida on 6 August 1942, was transferred to Lida, with responsibility extending outside the city limits.  A member of this squad was the witness Kleinhans.   The unit was equipped with a jeep and BMW motorcycles, one with a side car.  It was intended primarily for securing the outlying estates and for protective escort.  In September 1942 Obltn. Salecker took over Gend. Mot. Squad 13 in Lida.  Vol 1 p 53, vol 2 p 250, 351, WAST (Richter), vol 5 p 797, 868, vol 19 p 2677, doc vol X p 845, vol 2 p 250, vol 5 p 73, vol 19 p 2678

In addition, stationed in Lida until March 1942 was a Lithuanian Battalion,  with German key personnel, under the command of the Btl, Komm. of the III/JR 727 for security jobs.  vol 1 p 53, vol 4 p 675 ff, vol 10 p 1403 (Ueck).

Later Lida had 2 such Lithuanian Battalions (Schutzmannschafts = Schuma-Btl.) vol 17 p 2392, (Stein), BA LG. Linz p 59

These Schuma units were not under command of the Gendarmerie regional leader.  They were apparently – as was Gend. Mot. Squad 13 – intended for non-local function and were therefore probably directly under the SS-and Polizeifuehrer in Minsk.  Vol 5 p 867 (Gieschen), doc vol X p 851 f

Furthermore, there was in Lida a substation of the Zentralen Handelsgesellschaft Ost (ZHG) [Central Trade Company East].  The ZHG posts were charged with economic exploitation of the occupied Eastern territories and were divided into several divisions in the economic and agricultural sector.  Vol 1 p1 106 (Windisch)

As soon as the actual buildup of the civil administration began, as also in all Belarus, Sonderfuehrer [special commanders] of the Wehrmacht [Kriegsverwaltungsinspektoren = War Administration Inspectors], were stationed in Lida.   The special commanders  were supposed to reconstruct local industry and economy, restart production and labor, regulate production and supervise it.  They were members of the Army Administrative Command Minsk and wore field gray uniforms.  Sonderfuehrer stationed in Lida were, in part, the witnesses Dubis (technical director of various industrial concerns), Cordes (dir. of the labor office) and Kahler (Dir. of the div. of forestry and wood).  The witnesses Cordes and Kahler were – as previously described – under command of the RC Lida – in spring 1942 (15 February and 1 March 1942), as were the Landwirtschaftsfuehrer (LA. Fuehrer = Ag. Leaders) who came later.  Vol 1 p 307, 327 f, 362, vol 5 p 788, 805, 858.

Finally, Lida had, in addition to a unit of Organization Todt (OT) about which nothing further is known, another outpost of the Armament Command Minsk, consisting of three soldiers, among them the witness Gerlach.  They were a liaison to the civil administration in Lida, the Wehrmacht offices and the local businesses engaged on Wehrmacht orders.  Vol 19 p 1371, vol 16 p 2245 (Gerlach), doc vol IV, p 293, 297 ff, 300, 302, 313, 316
 
 

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