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SOBIBÓR - Holocaust Handbooks

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290 J. GRAF, T. KUES, C. MATTOGNO, <strong>SOBIBÓR</strong><br />

In fact, Himmler did not propose “to designate this camp a concentration<br />

camp” but ordered the camp to be “converted into a concentration<br />

camp” – the difference is not irrelevant. Furthermore, it is wrong to<br />

say that “Pohl rejected this change of name,” because Pohl replied<br />

merely that setting up “at Sobibór an installation for the defusing of<br />

enemy munitions, can be realized without such a conversion.”<br />

Hence, it was not a question of designation or of name, but one of<br />

organization, as Hilberg himself explained in a different context: 880<br />

“A special enterprise was ordered by Himmler for Sobibór. This<br />

camp was set aside for the disassembly of captured ammunition in<br />

order to salvage the metals and explosives. The enterprise was not<br />

going to be incorporated into the WVHA industry network, inasmuch<br />

as it was designated to work for the SS-Führungshauptamt exclusively.”<br />

(Emph. added)<br />

These manipulations show Hilberg’s obvious embarrassment. How<br />

can anyone believe that Himmler and Pohl would have used an alleged<br />

“coded language” even in top secret documents? The most reasonable<br />

explanation, therefore, continues to be that the “myth of Ostwanderung”<br />

was, in fact, not a “myth” at all.<br />

The very document used by Hilberg when he speaks of “eastern migration”<br />

(Ostwanderung) bears this out irrefutably.<br />

9.2. The Ostwanderung<br />

On 15 September 1942 a meeting took place between Reichsminister<br />

Albert Speer and SS-Obergruppenführer Oswald Pohl, head of SS-<br />

WVHA. The following day Pohl wrote a detailed report for Himmler.<br />

The discussion had involved four main topics, the first of which was<br />

“Enlargement of barrack camp Auschwitz as a consequence of eastern<br />

migration.” On this point, Pohl wrote: 881<br />

“In this manner Reichsminister Prof. Speer wants to guarantee<br />

the deployment at short notice of approximately 50,000 Jews fit for<br />

work in existing enclosed factories which have existing possibilities<br />

880 Ibid., p. 986; but, as we have explained in the preceding chapter, the camp was built as<br />

part of the chain of command linking Amtsgruppe C-Bauwesen of WVHA and the Bauleitung<br />

at Zamo��.<br />

881 Pohl Report to Himmler of 16 September 1942 on the subject: a) Armament work. b)<br />

Bomb damage. BAK, NS 19/14, pp. 131-133.

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