| Drawing 1311(r) |
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| Bauleitung drawing 1311 |
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The first drawing, 1311 (r), [Russian] comes from the "October Revolution" Central State Archives in Moscow.
The second drawing, 1311(p) [Polish] comes from the PMO Archives, file BW 30/11, neg. no. 20922/5
Entwurf für das Krematorium / Project for the crematorium
Deckblatt zum Grundriß vam Untergeschoß / Correction sheet to basement plan
Krematorium: Scale 1:100
[Krematorium II of Birkenau POW camp, BW 30]
Drawn on 14/5/42 by SS Sergeant Ulmer,
checked [not dated] by SS Second Lieutenant Dejaco and SS Sergeant Ertl,
and approved on 23/5/42 by SS Captain Bischoff |
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Translation of inscriptions
(left to right and top to bottom) |
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Leichenkeller 2 |
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Betonboden / Concrete floor |
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Leichenkeller 3 |
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Gang / Corridor |
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Büro / Office |
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Tres[s]orraum / Strongroom |
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Vorpl[atz] / Antechamber |
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Siphon/ Siphon |
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Vorraum/ Vcstibule |
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Leichenkeller 1 |
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Goldarb[eit] / Gold working |
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Ofen / Stove [or gold smelting furnace?] |
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Entlüftungsschächte / air extraction shaft |
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Drawing 1311 is a correction sheet modifying drawings 932 and 1301, mainly as regards Leichenkeller 3. About two thirds of the area of this room was reorganized as follows (reading from left to right): a “Goldarb[eit” ] goldworking] room for the recuperation of gold teeth, no doubt, in view of the “furnace” in the corner for melting them down into rough ingots); an antechamber giving onto the goldworking room and an office where records of the gold operations were kept and where there was a strongroom for storing the records and the booty before its shipment to the Reich. The remaining third of the area retained the designation “Leichenkeller 3”.
The designation “goldworking” was considered in 1945 47 by the Soviet and Polish Commissions to be important incriminating evidence against the SS concerning the extermination of the Jews, but in fact on its own it proves nothing, as the recovery of gold from corpses is current practice, even though it may he considered repugnant. The term “Goldarbeit”, this time spelled out in full, is also found on drawing 2003, showing the final version of the rearrangement of Leichenkeller 3, but the room so designated was never actually used for that purpose. However, according to the testimony of former Sonderkommando men [see sketch by David Olère] there was a primitive gold recovery and smelting shop on the ground floor of Krematorium III. On Bauleitung drawing 2136, this room is designated “Labor[atorium] / Laboratory”. |
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