“…a ‘Delousing Van’…”: Euphemism for Murder

http://www.holocaust-history.org/19420411-turner-wolff/

This letter was written from SS-Major General Dr. Harald Turner, privy-councilor and chief of the German Administration in Serbia, to Karl Wolff, chief of Himmler‘s personal staff, on April 11, 1942.

The letter first addresses a matter which Turner and Wolff had previously corresponded about, concerning the German Armed Forces (the Wehrmacht), which is not of any particular importance.

In the fifth paragraph, Dr. Turner describes the “delousing van” – and the word, “Entlausungswagen,” is placed in quote marks indicating its significance as a euphemism – which will be used in the “definitive clearing out” of his camp of Jewish women and children. This is taking place some time after killing all the Jewish men:

Already some months ago, I shot dead all the Jews I could get my hands on in this area, concentrated all the Jewish women and children in a camp and with the help of the SD got my hands on a “delousing van,” that in about 14 days to 4 weeks will have brought about the definitive clearing out of the camp, which in any event since the arrival of Meyssner and the turning over of this camp to him, was continued by him. Then the time is come in which the Jewish officers to be found in prisoner of war camps under the Geneva Convention find out against our will about their no longer existing kinfolk and that could easily lead to complications.

This is noteworthy because it establishes with certainty that the euphemisms for the mass gassings of Jews included the same language used for more ordinary tasks, such as delousing gassings. Holocaust-deniers often claim that delousing was all the Nazis ever did for the Jews with their supplies of poison gas. But they cannot explain the quotation marks around this word: “Entlausungswagen.”

Translation:

Dear Comrade Wolff!

Now that the decision has been taken in my favor, I would be remiss – since I am convinced that this is singularly and only thanks to your influence and your tireless activity – if I did not transmit to you my most comradely and heartfelt thanks.

I can also again today, the more so since you know me well enough, only again repeat, that the matter did not have to do with my person – the person concerned could have just as easily had another name – but rather with a necessary battle that had to be fought against one-sided Wehrmacht interests, by which in the final unspoken result the SS Leaders, and therewith also the SS and further also the civil servants would have been affected.

The best proof for this is, on the one hand, a remark woven into an official document from WB Southeast “the appointment of the Higher SS and Police Leader, which did not take place according to the proposal here” or words to that effect, and on the other hand, the comment of the Chief of the General Staff WB Southeast after receipt of the decision in my favor “herewith the Wehrmacht has lost a battle”.

In any event, there reigns here in all circles, even the Wehrmacht who have in any way followed this struggle, only joy over this victory and this joy you have alone, as I see it, afforded these people. My thanks for that.

May I use this occasion to send you as an attachment a copy of a letter from me to the Reichsführer of January 15, 1942 to which I have yet to receive an answer. I am not complaining because as I know, such things take time and I don’t feel it is right for me to press the Reichsführer for the settlement of an affair. I know that for such matters you have an interest and the reason I now draw your attention to it is only because this question is now more than critical. Already some months ago, I shot dead all the Jews I could get my hands on in this area, concentrated all the Jewish women and children in a camp and with the help of the SD got my hands on a “delousing van,” that in about 14 days to 4 weeks will have brought about the definitive clearing out of the camp, which in any event since the arrival of Meyssner and the turning over of this camp to him, was continued by him. Then the time is come in which the Jewish officers to be found in prisoner of war camps under the Geneva Convention find out against our will about their no longer existing kinfolk and that could easily lead to complications.

Were the affected persons now to be freed, they would in the minute of the arrival have their ultimate freedom, but like their racial comrades not for very long, and then this entire question should be resolved once and for all. Any consideration could have counter-effects on our prisoners in Canada, if it comes out that the freed persons do not move around freely here… I personally do not agree with this consideration.

With best wishes for your personal well being, heartiest greetings and

Heil Hitler!

I am as always

your loyal

Turner

Transcription:

Lieber Kamerad Wolff !

Der beste Beweis hierfür ist einmal in einem offiziellen Schreiben von WB Südost die hineingewobene Bemerkung “die Einsetzung des Höheren SS-und Polizeiführers,die nicht auf hiesigen Antrag erfolgt ist” oder so ähnlich im Wortlaut, zum anderen die Bemarkung des Chefs des Generalstabes WB Südost nach dem Eingang der für mich günstigen Entscheidung “damit hätte die Wehrmacht eine Schlacht verloren.”

Jedenfalls herrscht hier in allen Kreisen selbst der Wehrmacht,die diesen Kampf irgendwie verfolgt haben, eitel Freude über diesen Sieg und diese Freude haben Sie allein, wie ich glaube,allen diesen Menschen bereitet . Dafür meinen Dank!

Darf ich diese Gelegenheit benutzen, um Ihnen anliegend die Abschrift eines Briefes von mir an den Reichsführer vom 15.Januar 1942 zu übersenden, auf den ich bis heute ohne Antwort geblieben bin. Ich möchte nicht erinnern, weil solche Dinge wie ich weiss Zeit brauchen und ich mich nicht für berechtigt halte, den Reichsführer an die Erledigung einer Sache zu erinnern. Immerhin weiss ich,dass Sie für diese Dinge Interesse haben und warum ich Sie jetzt darauf aufmerksam mache, hat einfach seinen Grund darin, dass demnächst diese Frage mehr als akut wird . Schon vor Monaten habe ich alles an Juden im hiesigen Lande griefbare erschiessen und sämtliche Judenfrauen und -Kinder in einem Lager konzentrieren lassen und zugleich mit Hilfe des SD einen “Entlausungswagen” angeschafft, der nun in etwa 14 Tagen bis 4 Wochen auch die Räumung des Lagers endgültig durchgeführt haben wird, was allerdings seit Eintreffen von Meyssner und Uebergabe dieser Lagerdinge an ihn, von ihm weitergefuehrt worden ist. Dann ist der Augenblick gekommen, in dem die unter der Genfer Konvention im Kriegsgefangenenlager befordlichen jüdischen Offiziere nolens volens hinter die nicht mehr vorhandenen Angehörigen kommen und das dürfte immerhin leicht zu Komplikationen führen.

Werden nun die Betreffenden entlassen,so werden sie im Augenblick der Ankunft ihre endgültige Freiheit haben, aber wie ihre Rassegenossen nicht allzulange und damit dürfte dann diese ganze Frage endgültig erledigt sein . Das einzigste Bedenken könnten Rückwirkungen auf unsere Gefangenen in Canada sein, falls herauskommt,dass die Freigelassenen hier nicht frei herumlaufen… ich persönlich teile diese Bedenken nicht.

Mit den besten Wünschen für Ihr persönliches Wohlergehen, besten Grüssen und

Heil Hitler!

bin ich wie stets

Ihr getreuer

Turner

Source: Friedlander, Henry, and Sybil Milton, Eds., Archives of the Holocaust, Vol. 11, Part 2, 1992, pp. 284-286.

The translation is by Gord McFee, who notes that Turner’s German leaves something to be desired. Thanks to John Zimmerman for research.