Albert Widmann

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Albert Widmann (born June 8, 1912 in Stuttgart ; † December 24, 1986 in Stuttgart - Stammheim ) was a German chemist. He was an employee of the Forensic Institute of the Security Police (KTI), at the time of National Socialism SS-Sturmbannführer and head of the chemistry and biology department in the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA). He developed the gasification with CO gas for the T4 campaign and in 1941 tried out the killing of people with explosives and gas for the Einsatzgruppen of the Security Police and the SD in Belarus .

Origin and studies

The son of a locomotive driver studied chemistry at the Technical University of Stuttgart and joined the Stuttgart Wingolf as a student in 1931 . After completing his studies, he then worked at the TH Stuttgart as a scientific assistant in the organic-pharmaceutical institute. In September 1938 Widmann received his doctorate in engineering.

Widmann joined the National Socialist Motor Corps as a student . In May 1937 he became a member of the NSDAP (membership number 5.454.700).

In the Forensic Institute

The head of the Forensic Institute of the Security Police (KTI) in the Reich Criminal Police Office (RKPA), Walter Heeß , brought Widmann to Berlin to investigate an explosives accident. Heeß had also studied at the Technical University of Stuttgart, was still associated with the Organic Pharmaceutical Institute and was Widmann's liaison brother in Wingolf in Stuttgart. He therefore knew Widmann and, after his probation, hired him from September 1, 1938 as a research assistant for the chemistry department at the CTI. After taking office there, Widmann was accepted into the SS with the rank of SS-Untersturmführer . A year later, the Reich Criminal Police Office together with the KTI was integrated into the Reich Security Main Office in September 1939 . As Amt V, the KTI became an office of the Main Security Office. Most recently, Widmann was Head of Unit VD 2 (Chemistry and Biology) at the CTI.

With the T4

According to his own statement, Widmann was commissioned by the head of the Reich Criminal Police Office , Arthur Nebe , to procure poison for Operation T4 and to work with the Fuehrer's office , which led and controlled the operation internally.

In the judgment of the Stuttgart Regional Court it says:

“As early as the planning stage, Nebe […] informed the accused that the euthanasia was a done deal and that the CTI had to take on an advisory role in this regard. Nebe dismissed the defendant's questions as to whether humans or animals should be killed, pointing out that neither humans nor animals, but 'animals in human form' would be killed. When asked by the defendant, Nebe pointed out that he (the defendant) was not responsible and that the whole thing would be legalized by law. Shortly thereafter, the defendant was ordered to the Fuehrer's office and there he was met by Brack [Oberdienstleiter Viktor Brack , Head of Main Office II of the Fuehrer's Office], probably in the presence of Dr. Hefelmann , von Hegener and Nebe , was initiated into the euthanasia program and approached for his advice as a chemist with regard to the drugs in question and their lethal dose. The debate included a. Morphine , scopolamine , hydrocyanic acid and CO gas. Since the defendant had previously dealt in detail with a case of CO poisoning with regard to its effects and verifiability and had written a report about it that was to be sent to all forensic institutes in the Reich, he finally suggested - possibly after corresponding tests on animals at the CTI - Brack proposed the use of pure CO gas to kill the intended insane . For practical purposes, he advised that the gas be introduced into the sick wards at night and thus put the mentally ill concerned to sleep. At a further meeting with Brack in the Führer’s office, the defendant, as Nebe had already indicated to him, was instructed to take over the procurement and delivery of the CO gas cylinders by the CTI for reasons of camouflage, since such orders without arousing suspicion are not from a party office, in particular not from the Fuehrer's office. "

"Trial gasification" in the Brandenburg prison

Widmann was also involved in the first "test gassing" of sick people in January 1940 in the old Brandenburg penitentiary, in which, among others, Hitler's "euthanasia" commissioners , Karl Brandt and Philipp Bouhler , and Leonardo Conti , the State Secretary of the Reich Ministry responsible for health issues Inside, participated. Widmann gave the instructions for the doctors intended to carry out the work. The effect and duration of the gasification process could be observed through a peephole in the door to the gas chamber.

The chemist August Becker was assigned to the Führer’s office by the CTI . In a statement in the proceedings against Werner Heyde , the medical director of Aktion T4, Becker described the "test gasification":

“Brack ordered me to start the first euthanasia experiment in the Brandenburg sanatorium near Berlin. It was in the first half of January 1940 when I drove to the hospital. The mental institution's buildings had been specially prepared for this purpose. A room, similar to a shower room and laid out with panels, about three by five meters and three meters high. There were benches all around and on the floor, about 10 cm high, a water pipe about 1 ″ Ø ran along the wall. There were small holes in this tube from which the carbon dioxide gas flowed. The gas bottles were outside the room and were already connected to the supply pipe. The installation of the system was carried out by a fitter from the SS main office in Berlin ... At the entrance door, which was constructed similar to an air raid door, there was a rectangular peephole through which the behavior of the delinquents could be observed.

The first gassing was carried out by the Dr. Widmann carried out personally. He operated the throttle and regulated the amount of gas. At the same time he taught the prison doctor Dr. Eberl and Dr. Baumhart [sic!], Who later took over the destruction in Grafeneck and Hadamar [...]

During this first gassing, about 18-20 people were led into this 'shower room' by the nursing staff. These men had to undress in an anteroom so that they were completely naked. The door was locked behind them. These people walked calmly into the room and showed no signs of agitation. Dr. Widmann operates the gas system, through the peephole I could see that after about a minute people fell over and were lying on benches. There were no scenes or tumults. After a further five minutes, the room was vented. SS men specially designated for this purpose took the dead out of the room on special stretchers and brought them to the incinerators.

When I say special stretchers, I mean stretchers specially designed for this purpose. These could be placed directly on the front of the cremation ovens and the corpses could be mechanically transported into the ovens by means of a device without the carrier coming into contact with the corpse. These ovens and stretchers were also constructed in the Brack office. But I cannot say who was responsible for it. The second attempt and the further destruction measures were then carried out by Dr. Eberl carried out alone and on his own responsibility.

Following this successful attempt, Viktor Brack, who of course was also present and whom I forgot earlier, spoke a few words. He was satisfied with the experiment and emphasized again that this action should only be carried out by the doctors, according to the motto that the syringe belongs in the doctor's hand. Then Professor Dr. Brandt and also emphasized that only doctors should perform these gassings. So the start in Brandenburg could be described as successful. [...] "

After this "successful" attempt, Widmann had to ensure the supplies of the necessary carbon monoxide gas for the killing centers. He obtained the gas from the IG Farben plant in Ludwigshafen .

Albert Widmann was also in demand as a specialist in the technical operation of the killing centers. When 5 m high flames came out of the chimney of the Sonnenstein T4 facility in Pirna , he stated: “As for the chimney of the crematorium, I said that the high flames were due to too many corpses being cremated at once . "

Widmann was also involved in recycling the gold teeth that had broken out of the victims in the T4 killing centers: he had it melted down, delivered to DEGUSSA and the equivalent value sent to the T4 organization.

Technical support for the task forces of the security police and the SD

For the tasks of the Einsatzgruppen of the Security Police and the SD for " special treatment " of potential opponents; d. H. the liquidation of the "elements hostile to the Reich" and all "racially inferior", the help of the CTI was also sought. Reich Leader SS Heinrich Himmler commissioned after at a shooting of 100 people in personally Minsk had participated to kill Arthur Nebe with finding "better" ways people in large numbers, without it for the executors to psychological stress would that increasingly impaired the efficiency of their order. During the subsequent tour of an insane asylum, Himmler suggested that the inmates should not be shot but rather killed with explosives . To do this, he had Widmann come to Minsk with explosives and two metal hoses. After consulting with the head of the CTI, Walter Heeß, Widmann went to Russia with 400 kg of explosives . The metal hoses were intended to provide the alternative option of killing the victims using car exhaust if necessary, since transporting the carbon monoxide gas cylinders used for Action T4 to Russia was ruled out as impractical.

In a testimony before examining magistrate I at the Düsseldorf Regional Court on January 11, 1960, Dr. Widmann on this:

“When Nebe was in Russia at the beginning of the Russian campaign , he called Berlin one day. He must have spoken to his representative Werner. Werner asked me to come over and informed me of the call from Nebes. He told me to come to Russia immediately on Nebes orders. Nebe did not know what to do with the insane who were in his area. He couldn't ask his people to shoot these incurably mentally ill. Nebe spoke of killing the mentally ill with explosives and gas.

Since it was not possible to transport gas cylinders to Russia, it was discussed with Heeß that the killing of the mentally ill should be done with exhaust gases. Two metal hoses were then bought, which I also took with me on my trip. [...]

We first drove to Minsk in accordance with the orders. We got there in the evening and I remember meeting Nebe that same evening. Nebe informed me briefly that the plan was to blow up incurably insane Russian people in a bunker near Minsk. I cannot say who was present at this meeting.

The next day Nebe took me to an asylum in Minsk. […] In the insane asylum we went through two or three halls, but can't remember seeing sick people there. I mean the halls were empty.

This visit to the institution took place one morning. In the afternoon of that day we drove with Nebe to a forest near Minsk. There was a vacant space with two shelters. These shelters must have been built by the Russians. The shelters were estimated to be 3 × 6 m each. When we came the shelters were still empty. We then attached the explosive charges, which were in boxes, and the cables. The boxes with the explosive charges were in the shelters themselves. Nebe, myself, Schmidt, the drivers and some people Nebe had brought along were all involved. There were two or three Nebe cars left. I myself took care, on orders from Nebe, that everything was done conscientiously, that especially the lines and detonators were in order.

I have no memory of the transport of the mentally ill. I noticed that we had only placed explosive charges in one of the two shelters. I don't know whether the sick were already in the other bunker at this point in time.

When the explosive charges were attached and the cables laid, I and Schmidt went a little off the beaten track towards the forest. Nebe sent us away. I assume that Nebe then arranged for the sick to be taken to the dugout with explosives. I didn't see it happen myself. Therefore I cannot say how many sick there were. I don't think it could have been over ten, but that's a guess.

When everything was ready to be blown up, Nebe had his people cordoned off and then ordered the blasting machine to be connected. I don't remember who did that. I have no more memory of whether I checked that the blasting machine was properly connected. I can't say who then operated the blasting machine. I didn't use it myself.

The roof of the shelter was only slightly raised by the explosion and then fell down. The clouds of smoke had been able to escape because there was a recess all around below the roof.

I did not see any corpses or body parts. I cannot say whether and what Nebe arranged for the removal of the corpses or body parts.

The next morning I was in an asylum with Nebe in Mogilev . We were there in a treatment room where there was a Russian doctor and two Russian women doctors. Nebe had obviously already spoken to them that the mentally ill should be killed. It was just a matter of choosing the room where this was to be done.

It was found that a laboratory room that was in the same building as the treatment room was most suitable for this. […] Nebe then had the window walled up in the afternoon of that day and left out two openings for the gas pipes. […] The next morning the action was carried out. Nebe was present and was accompanied by a police general and a few SS officers ranging from the Untersturmführer to Hauptsturmführer . There were also a few people in the rank of squad leaders or crews and a few police officers.

When I am asked whether the leader of the local task force, Dr. Bradfisch was present, I declare: I don't know. The name doesn't mean anything to me.

When we arrived, one of the hoses that had been in my car was connected first. The connection was made to a car. Now I don't know whether it was one of the cars Schmidt and I brought with us. In the holes in the wall there were pieces of pipe to which the hoses could easily be attached.

After the patients were in the laboratory, the engine of the car to which the hose was connected was left on by order of Nebe. Nebe went into the building, where you could see into the laboratory through a glass window in the door. After five minutes, Nebe came out and said there was no effect. Even after eight minutes he had not noticed any effect and asked what should happen next. Nebe and I came to the conclusion that the car was too weak. As a result, Nebe had the second hose connected to a police force truck . Then it only took a few minutes for people to pass out. The two cars were then left running for about ten minutes. [...] "

In the judgment of September 15, 1967, the Stuttgart Regional Court partly came to a different assessment and assessment of Widmann's participation in the events described.

Development of poisoned ammunition

In the spring of 1944, Widmann began developing poison bullets. An attempt planned in April at the CTI in Sensengasse to test poisoned ammunition on criminal Bruno Lüdtke, for which Widmann had traveled with the SS group leader and head of the Reich Criminal Police Office, Arthur Nebe , failed because he had previously died as a result of another experiment came. Otto Skorzeny's Office Group VI S (sabotage and commando operations), newly formed in 1943, showed great interest in the development of poison bullets . In a note dated April 11, 1944 about a conversation with SS-Hauptsturmführer Faulhaber and the handover of 30 of the projectiles prohibited under Art. 23 of the Hague Land Warfare Regulations , Widmann described the effect as follows: “When the projectile hits the target, it bursts, large ones crack Wounds and injuries very likely a large number of blood vessels. "

The KTI had a branch in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp to conduct human experiments on prisoners . Together with Joachim Mrugowsky , the chief hygienist at the Reichsarzt SS , Widmann was involved in a human experiment with the poisoned bullets on five men sentenced to death. Three of the victims died after two hours of torture.

The effectiveness of Widmann's development could be reported by the new head of the RSHA, Ernst Kaltenbrunner , Himmler on May 18, 1944 with the remark: "Experiments with the bullet have shown that a person dies even if slightly wounded."

After the war

After the end of the war , Widmann was interned by the American occupation forces for a few days and then took up employment in a paint factory. Since he had concealed essential parts of his role during the Nazi era, he was classified as a follower by the Leonberg Chamber of Justice in July 1947 in the course of denazification and as such sentenced to an atonement of only 100 RM . He had already worked his way up to chief chemist when he was finally arrested in January 1959. He was charged with the production of poisonous ammunition and the conduct of human experiments in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp before the Düsseldorf Regional Court . In a judgment of May 1961, Widmann was sentenced to five years in prison for aiding and abetting murder . After a decision on appeal by the Federal Court of Justice , the Düsseldorf Regional Court sentenced Widmann to three years and six months in prison on October 10, 1962 after a new trial. The judgment became final.

In the same year, the Stuttgart public prosecutor brought charges against Widmann's involvement in the "euthanasia" murders and the murders of the sick in Mogilew and Minsk in August 1944. Widmann was therefore sentenced to six years and six months in prison by the Stuttgart Regional Court on September 15, 1967 sentenced. By offsetting the previous prison sentence and the pre-trial detention, the serving of the sentence was suspended against payment of 4,000 DM to an institution for the disabled.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bundesarchiv Koblenz, SS officer file Albert Widmann, see literature: Wildt, p. 325.
  2. ↑ Judgment of the Stuttgart Regional Court of September 15, 1967, Ks. 19/62, see web link and literature: Klee “Euthanasia” in the Nazi state. Pp. 84/85.
  3. ↑ Heyde files p. 293 ff., Public Prosecutor General Frankfurt a. M. Ks 2/63, quoted from literature: Klee “Euthanasia” in the Nazi state. Pp. 110/111.
  4. ↑ Widmann's statement on January 11, 1960 before the examining magistrate of the Düsseldorf Regional Court, UR I 13/59, quoted from Klee “Euthanasia” in the Nazi state. P. 150.
  5. ↑ Landgericht Düsseldorf, UR I 113/59, quoted from literature: Klee documents on "Euthanasia". P. 265 ff.
  6. ^ Judgment of the Stuttgart jury court of September 15, 1967 Ks 19/62 against Dr. Albert Widmann, see web link.
  7. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-10-039310-4 , p. 328.
  8. ↑ Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 58/1060, sheet 18, quoted from see literature: Wildt, p. 333.
  9. ↑ Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 58/1060, sheet 22, quoted from see literature: Wildt, p. 333/334.
  10. ^ Spruchkammer proceedings file Albert Widmann in the State Archives Ludwigsburg holdings EL 902/14 Bü 9999
personal data
SURNAME Widmann, Albert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German SS-Sturmbannführer and head of division in the Reich Security Main Office
DATE OF BIRTH June 8, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Stuttgart
DATE OF DEATH December 24, 1986
Place of death Stuttgart-Stammheim