"On August 29, 1941, Johann Paul Kremer, a medical doctor who had joined the Wehrmacht (German) army on May 20, 1941, was ordered to Concentration Camp Auschwitz to replace another surgeon. Kremer kept a diary of many of his daily activities throughout the war."
https://www-tc.pbs.org/auschwitz/learni ... ing2.3.pdf
"September 2, 1942 Was present for the first time at a special actionv at 3 a.m. By comparison Dante’s inferno seems almost a comedy.viAuschwitz is justly called an extermination camp!"
His diary entries were confirmed when he was interviewed about what happened;
"In the official record of the interrogation of August 18, 1947, in Cracow, Kremer stated as follows: “By September 2, 1942, at 3 a.m. I had already been assigned to take part in the action of gassing people. These mass murders took place in small cottages situated outside the Birkenau camp in a wood. The cottages were called ‘bukers’ [Bunker] in the SS-men’s slang."
"“An SS physician was always present at such gassings. The physicians took turns in being on duty. Among the physicians of the period when I was in the camp I remember the following names: Thilo, Kitt, Uhlenbrock, Wirths, Meyer, Entress. The special actions mentioned in my diary were only part of the actions, which were taking place during the time covered by my diary. There were, of course, many more, only other physicians participated in these.”
Further diary entries here;
http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org ... diary.html
"9 September 1942
This morning I received most welcome news from my solicitor Professor Hallermann in Munster, that I was divorced from my wife from the 1st of the month. Later was present as physician at the flogging of 8 camp inmates and at one execution by shooting with a small calibre gun. Got soap flakes and 2 cakes of soap. At noon a civilian jumped out of the blue at my bicycle, just like an assassin, ran alongside and begged me to tell him whether I was State Councillor Heuner from Wroclaw (Breslau). He fought in World War 1 side by side with that gentleman. How many doubles have I then, running about in this world. In the evening present at a special action (4th time).Notes: 1,000 Jewish men, women and children arrive from Drancy in the twenty-ninth RSHA transport from France. 689 people are killed in the gas chambers."
That is 689 split between the four gas chambers. The 1000 refers to the size of transport that arrived at the camp.
"10 September 1942
In the morning was present at a special action (5th time). Notes: 1,000 Jews arrive from the Malines Camp with the eight RSHA transport from Belgium. After a first selection was carried out in Cosel, 715 people were taken to the gas chambers."
"7 October 1942
Present at the 9th special action (new arrivals and women “Moslems”) Wirths finally back. Am acting for Entress in men’s camp (introducing doctors etc). Notes: 2012 Jewish men, women and children arrive from Westerbork in an RSHA transport from Holland. 1414 deportees as well as female prisoners selected from the camp are killed in the gas chambers."
"18 October 1942
In wet and cold weather was on this Sunday morning present at the 11th special action (from Holland). Terrible scenes when 3 women begged to have their bare lives spared. Notes: 1710 Jewish men, women and children arrive from Holland. 1594 deportees are gassed immediately.
Kremer under investigation in Krakow on the 18 July 1947 added to this entry: “Three women from Holland didn’t want to go to the gas chamber and begged for their lives. They were young and healthy women and yet their pleas weren’t heard, instead the SS men participating in the operation shot them right on the spot."
"8 November 1942
Took part this night in 2 special actions in rainy and murky weather (12th and 13th). In the morning I welcomed Hauptscharfuhrer Kitt, a pupil of mine from Essen to the hospital. Another special action in the afternoon, the 14th in which I had participated so far. In the evening a cosy gathering to which I was invited by Hstuf Wirths, now present in camp. We had Bulgarian red wine, plum brandy from Croatia.
Notes: 1,000 Jews arrive on a RSHA transport from the ghettos in the so-called Administrative District of Zichenau. All of this transport were gassed immediately. 1,000 Jewish men, women and children arrive from Drancy on the forty-second RSHA transport from France. 773 deportees are killed in the gas chambers. 1,000 Jewish men, women and children arrive on a RSHA transport from the ghetto in the Bialystok District.
Kremer kept a diary during his time at the camp and then confirmed what he saw after the war. He was sent to prison for 10 years after his trial and died aged 81 in 1965.
