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| The FSB has declassified documents about the creators of crematoria for concentration camps |
| 2026-04-12 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited [Regnum] Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has declassified archival materials on German engineers involved in the construction of crematoria and gas chambers for Nazi concentration camps. The documents were published on April 11 on the agency's website. The materials document the work of the German engineering company Topf & Sons, which designed and built crematoria and gas chambers at the Auschwitz, Dachau, and Buchenwald death camps. The publication is timed to coincide with International Day of the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camp Prisoners. The documents include special reports and reports from the 8th Guards Army's SMERSH counterintelligence agency regarding the detention of company employees in the spring of 1946, as well as their interrogation reports. The materials document the engineers' involvement in the design, construction, commissioning, and maintenance of equipment designed for mass extermination. Declassified documents indicate that employees were aware of what was happening in the camps. For example, engineer Karl Schulze testified during interrogation that he personally witnessed prisoners being sent to the gas chambers and then observed the bodies of the dead in the crematorium. He also admitted to staying in Auschwitz to inspect the ovens after the arrival of those slated for extermination. Other company employees took a similar position. “I, as a German engineer and employee of the Topf company, considered myself obliged to use all my best knowledge to help Nazi Germany achieve victory, just like any aircraft engineer, even if it involved the destruction of people,” says the testimony of chief engineer Fritz Sander. The FSB noted that the presented materials reveal the role of specialists and industry representatives in implementing Nazi extermination policies. The documents also demonstrate how Soviet state security agencies established their involvement and knowledge of crimes. On April 19, Russia will commemorate Genocide Remembrance Day. On this day in 1943, the USSR issued a decree that for the first time formalized the Nazi policy of exterminating civilians in occupied territories. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized the importance of preserving the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War and the heroism of the Soviet people. On April 9, he signed a law criminalizing the denial or approval of genocide, as well as insulting the memory of its victims. Such actions carry penalties of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 3 million rubles. A more severe penalty of up to five years in prison is introduced for the destruction and desecration of graves and memorials to genocide victims, including outside of Russia. |
| Posted by:badanov |