The Holocaust Historiography Project

Translation of document 088

Waischenfeld/Ofr., 5.9.44.

The Reichsfuehrer-SS
Personal Staff
Department A

To
SS-Standartenfuehrer Ministerialrat Dr. Brandt
Personal Staff of the Reichsfuehrer-SS

Berlin

[Marginal notes in shorthand]

Re: Collection of Jewish Skeletons.

According to the proposal of 9/2/42 and your approval of 23/2/42 AR/493/37, Prof. Dr. Hirt has assembled the skeleton collection which was previously non-existent. Because of the vast amount of scientific research connected therewith, the job of reducing the corpses to skeletons has not yet been completed. Since it might require some time, Hirt requested 80 copies of the directives pertaining to the treatment of the collection stored in the morgue of the Anatomical Institute, in case Strassburg should be endangered.

The Collection can be de-fleshed and thereby rendered unidentifiable. This however, would mean that at least part of the whole work had been done for nothing and that this singular collection would be lost to science, since it would be impossible to make plaster casts afterwards. The skeleton collection as such is inconspicuous. The flesh parts could be declared as having been left by the French at the time we took over the Anatomical Institute and would be turned over for cremating. Please advise me which of the following three proposals is to be carried out:

  1. The collection as a whole is to be preserved.
  2. The collection is to be dissolved in part.
  3. The collection is to be completely dissolved.

[Signed] Sievers,
SS-Standartenfuehrer.

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