It's now official

[Scott Smith]

Already in 1946 in Nuremberg Höss made it clear in notes he wrote for Martin Gilbert that the Auschwitz death toll is "1.5 million at the most, for the period from the beginning of 1941 to the end of 1944" in his opinion.

Aren't you thinking of G.M. Gilbert, Nuremberg psychologist instead?

[Hans]

....namely the French Jewish lobby allied with the Communist Party.

.... corrupted by the influence of Jewish immigrants

Yes, of course, the Jews and the Communists again. How could it be else!

So we can rule out that this law was passed as measure against right wing extremists by the main stream parties on their own will, but it was certainly the "result of the imposition of the will of a 'few loudmouths'"? Why?

[Hans]

Already in 1946 in Nuremberg Höss made it clear in notes he wrote for Martin Gilbert that the Auschwitz death toll is "1.5 million at the most, for the period from the beginning of 1941 to the end of 1944" in his opinion.

Aren't you thinking of G.M. Gilbert, Nuremberg psychologist instead?

Mhm...I'm not sure what you mean, but this statement was made by Höss on 24th April 1946 in Nuremberg responding to Gilbert's question "Goering wants to know how it was at all possible, from a technical point of view, to destroy two and a half million people in the course of three and a half years." (Gilbert's translation as produced by him at the Eichmann trial):

"[...description of the extermination procedure...]

On the basis of the figure of 2.5 million, which is the number of people who - according to Eichmann - were brought to Auschwitz for extermination, it may be said that, on the average, two transports arrived daily, with a combined total of 4,000 persons, of whom twenty- five per cent were fit for work, the balance of 3,000 were to be exterminated. The intervals in the various operations can be computed together at nine months. Thus there remain 27 months, with 90,000 people each month - a total of 2,430,000 people. This is a calculation of the technical potential. I have to keep to the figure mentioned by Eichmann, for he was the only SS officer who was allowed to keep records concerning these liquidation operations, according to the orders of the Reichsfuehrer-SS.

All other units which took part in any way had to destroy all records immediately. Eichmann mentioned this number in my presence when he was called upon, in April 1945, to present a report to the Reichsfuehrer-SS. I had no records whatsoever. But, to the best of my knowledge, this number appears to me much too high. If I calculate the total of the mass operations which I still remember, and still make allowance for a certain percentage of error, I arrive, in my calculation, at a total of 1.5 million at the most, for the period from the beginning of 1941 to the end of 1944. But these are my computations which I cannot verify.

Nuremberg, 24 April 1946 [signature] Rudolf Höss

[at the bottom]
Hungary - 400,000; Slovakia - 90,000; Greece - 65,000; Holland - 90,000; France - 110,000; Belgium - 20,000; the region of the Generalgouvernement and Upper Silesia - 250,000; Germany and Terezin - 100,000. Total - 1,125,000."

[Roberto]

Roberto wrote:

My French is not the best, but if the encyclopedia is stating that Alain Resnais spoke of nine million dead at Auschwitz,...

You're correct...

...they obviously didn't see Nuit et brouillard, otherwise they would know that Resnais gave this figure for all Nazi concentration and extermination camps together, not for Auschwitz-Birkenau alone.

...and I take your word for good (I didn't see the film).

If you compute the total for all the camps described one has a total of 3,4 million deaths. Is this number in line with your quote (3,8 million deaths)?

I don't have Sofsky's breakdown of the concentration and extermination camps considered, only the total figure which is cited in a source referring to Sofsky.

Maybe Hans can provide that breakdown.

I know that Sofsky's book has received a very good critic and is also available in English:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... eader-link

[viriato]

Roberto my question relates to the fact that the list published by Quid doesn't mention all the camps that the national-socialist regime implemented either inside Germany or in occupied territory. I was supposing that perhaps the difference between both numbers came from those non-quoted camps (some 500 thousand deaths than?).

[Scott Smith]

Already in 1946 in Nuremberg Höss made it clear in notes he wrote for Martin Gilbert that the Auschwitz death toll is "1.5 million at the most, for the period from the beginning of 1941 to the end of 1944" in his opinion.

Aren't you thinking of G.M. Gilbert, Nuremberg psychologist instead?

Mhm...I'm not sure what you mean,

Dr. G. M. (Gustave Mark) Gilbert (born 1911) was the Nuremberg psychologist who interviewed Nazis and wrote books about them, including on their intelligence. I'm certain that he interviewed Höß.

Dr. Martin Gilbert (born 1936) is a Professor of History in England who has written numerous Holocaust books.

I think you mean the former not the latter.

Both are Jewish, btw, if that's important.

[Hans]

I've removed some typical one-line posts by Scott & Roberto.

Scott,

yes, you are right of course. I meant the other Gilbert.