TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 078-PS Source: Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Vol. III. USGPO, Washington, 1946, pp.123-126[Heydrich Directive Concerning Handling of USSR Prisoners of War] COPY OFFICE IV Berlin 28 June 1941 SECRET STATE MATTER! Directives for the Chiefs of Security Police and Secret Service Teams Assigned to PW Camps These
teams are assigned after agreement has been reached between the chiefs
of the Security Police, secret service and the Supreme Command of the
Army and * * * (see annex). The Commands work upon the special
authorization and according to the general directives in the Camp
regulations which was given to them and is independently in close
harmony with the AO. The duty of the Commands is the political
screening of prisoners and the segregation and further handling of
undesirable elements among them with regard to political, criminal or
similar respects. Resources cannot be placed at the disposal of
the Commands for the fulfillment of their missions. The "German penal
code" [Fahndungsbuch], the "Temporary permit of Leave List"
[Aufenthaltsermittlungsliste], and" Special Penal Code USSR" will prove
to be of little value; the Special Penal Code USSR therefore does not
suffice as only a small part therein is dangerous to the designated
Soviet Russians. The Commands will therefore have to rely on
their own specialty and ingenuity upon establishment and self-producing
knowledge. Therefore they will only then be able to begin with the
fulfillment of their mission when they have gathered an appropriate
amount of material. For their work, the Commands are to make as
much use of the experiences of the Camp Commanders as possible, who in
the meantime have profited by the observation and examination of
prisoners. Further, the Commands will have to take pains from the
beginning to search among the prisoners for seemingly trustworthy
elements, may they be communists or not, in order to make them useful
for their intelligence purposes. Through the establishment of
such trusted personnel [V-Personen] and through the use of all other
present possibilities among the prisoners, it must succeed to screen
all elements. In every case the Commands are to provide
themselves with definite clarity over the encountered measures through
the examination and eventual questioning of prisoners. Above all it is important to find out: 1. all outstanding functionaries of the State and of the Party, especially 2. professional revolutionists, 3. the functionaries of the Comintern, 4.
all leading Party functionaries of the Russian Secret Police [KPdSU]
and their associated organizations in the Central, district, and
-county Committees, 5. all the Peoples' Commissars and their Assistants, 6. all the former Polit-Commissars in the Red Army, 7. all leading personalities of the Central and Middle Offices among the State authorities, 8. the leading economic personalities, 9. the Soviet Russian Intelligence agents, 10. all Jews, 11. all persons who are established as being instigators or fanatical communists.
Just
as important is the finding of persons who are devoted to the
reconstruction, the administration, and management of the conquered
Russian provinces. Finally, such persons must be secured who can
be used to transact further discoveries, whether of the Police or
similar work, and for the clarification of universal interesting
questions. In this category fall all the higher State and Party
functionaries who are in the camp on the basis of their position and
knowledge and who can give information on the measures and working
methods of the Soviet State, the Communistic Party or the Cominterns. In
view of the pending decisions, considerations must also be given to the
peoples' membership. At the end of the screening, measures, to be
decided later, as to the transfer of prisoners from one command to
another, will follow. The Camp Commanders are directed by the Supreme Command of the Army to report such proposals. Executions
will not be carried out in the camps or immediate vicinity. Should the
camps in the General Government be situated in the immediate vicinity
of the border, then the prisoners for special handling are to be taken
care of in former Soviet Russian Provinces. The Commands are to keep records of the fulfillment of special handlings ; which must include : Serial number Family and Surname Date of birth and place Military rank Profession Last residence Reason for special handling Day and place of special handling
Office IV
[No Date Available] SECRET STATE MATTER Supplement to the Directives for the Commands of the Security Police and Security Service assigned to P. W. camps 1.
In the directives of the 17th July 1941, I have repeatedly pointed to
the fact that it is the duty of the Special Purpose Command of the
Security Police and Security Service to find not only the untrustworthy
but also those trustworthy elements in general which can come into
consideration for the reconstruction of the Eastern provinces. I reemphasize that one duty is as important as the other. In
order to obtain a most extensive view of the co-activity of the Special
Purpose Command, I order that the numeral 4 (number of those persons
found to be trustworthy) will be especially heeded in the weekly
reports. The war prisoners who are found to be trustworthy and
who were formerly in leading positions in the Soviet Russian economic
circles, are to be listed, if possible, according to branch their last
employment, and by name. 2. I reemphasize again the fact that in
view of the pending decisions, consideration must especially be given
to the peoples' citizenship. Ukranians, White Russians,
Aserbeidschanians, Armenians, North Caucasians, Georgians, Turks are
only to be designated as definitely untrustworthy and dealt with
according to the directive when they are definitely proven to be
Bolshevists, Polit-Commissars, or other dangerous functionaries. One
must be careful, in as much as the Turkish people frequently have a
Jewish appearance and the circumcision alone does not denote a Jewish
descent (for example, Mohammedans). 3. The conception "highbrow"[ Intelligenzler] should not be interpreted along European viewpoints. The
simplest, most primitive Soviet-Russian illiterate can, in his
political fanaticism, be more dangerous than, for instance, the
Soviet-Russian engineer, who due to his ability, went to High School,
even though, he only outwardly appeared to be in accord with the
Bolshevistic system. In this respect the highbrow are mainly the professional revolutionists, writers, editors, and persons in the Comintern. 4.
Those Soviet Russians who are definitely found to be untrustworthy are
to be forthwith reported as designated in the directives of the 17th
July 1941. Following the introduction of the execution authorization,
further fulfillment of the designated measures are to begin without further delay. A further custody in the camps in question are to be avoided for various reasons. Finally
I reemphasize that under no circumstances are the executions to be
carried out either in the Camp or in the near vicinity. It is self-understood that these executions are not public. It is a matter of principle not to admit spectators. 5.
I again charge the leaders and members of the Special Service Staff
with the following: exemplary behavior during and after duty hours, top
cooperation with camp commanders and careful checking of work. signed : Heydrich (S) Verified : signed : Wolfert, Member of the Chancellory |