Judgment at Nuremberg Page #7

He built the Autobahn.

He gave more people work.

We won't say

he didn't do some good things.

But the other things...

the things they say he did to the Jews

and the rest...

we knew nothing about that.

Very few Germans did.

And if we did know...

what could we do?

But Mrs. Halbestadt said you didn't know.

Mrs. Bertholt. How did she react to all this?

Madame Bertholt is a very fine woman,

Your Honor.

I'm sure she is. What about her husband?

He was in the army.

What happened to him?

He was one of the defendants

in the Malmedy Case.

General Bertholt. Karl Bertholt.

He was executed, Your Honor.

Yes, I know that.

The document then states that

the photographer, Rudolf Lenz...

is requested to present himself

within two weeks...

at one the hospitals mentioned below...

for medical treatment.

Next, prosecution presents

affidavit document no. ...

which concerns the seamstress,

Anni Meunch.

Document reads as follows:

"District Court, Frankfurt am Main,

has decided the following:

"The seamstress, Anni Meunch,

daughter of Wilhelm Meunch...

"is to be sterilized.

"She is therefore requested

to present herself within two weeks...

"at one of the hospitals mentioned below.

"If she does not take herself voluntarily...

"she will be taken by force."

Next, document no. ...

interrogatories in the German

and English text...

concerning the farmer's helper,

Meyer Eichinger.

Your Honor...

defense objects to introduction

of these repetitive documents.

According to the ruling

of the first tribunal...

such documents are not even admissible...

unless supported by independent evidence

of their authenticity.

Objection sustained.

Your Honor,

may I ask the defense a question?

Yes.

Would evidence on sterilization

be admissible if there were a witness?

- Yes.

- Thank you.

Prosecution calls the witness,

Rudolph Petersen.

Will you raise your right hand?

I swear by God,

the Almighty and Omniscient...

that I will speak the pure truth

and withhold and add nothing.

I do.

Will you please tell the court your full name

and place of residence?

Rudolph Petersen.

Frankfurt am Main, Gratweg Nummer .

When were you born, Mr. Petersen?

May .

And what is your occupation?

I'm a baker's helper.

Are your parents living?

No.

What were the causes of their deaths?

Mr. Petersen, did they die of natural causes?

Yeah, natural.

What political party

did your father belong to?

The Communist Party.

Now think back.

Do you remember anything unusual...

that happened to you and your family

in ...

before the Nazis came to power?

I mean, anything of a violent nature.

Yeah.

How old were you at the time?

Nineteen.

Would you please tell the court

what happened?

Some SA men broke into our house...

and they broke the windows and the door...

and they called us traitors...

and they tried to beat up my father.

What happened then?

My brothers and I, we went to help him.

And there was a fight...

and finally we got them outside

in the street...

and we beat them up...

and turned them over to the police.

Did the police do anything about it?

- No.

- Why not?

It was then...

at the time of the national elections.

You mean the time the National Socialists

came to power?

Yeah.

What happened after ...

after the Nazis came to power?

I got a job on a farm...

but for the work,

to drive a truck was necessary.

I went to the city building

to apply for a license.

And what happened there?

They took me to an official.

Did you ever have any dealings

with this official before?

He was one of the men...

who broke into our house that night.

What did he say to your application?

He said an examination

there would have to be.

Where was the examination to take place?

In the district court of Stuttgart.

Who was the presiding justice in the court?

Justice Hoffstetter.

What happened in the courtroom?

They asked me my full name...

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