Evil Men and Evil Words

These are testimonies of two men, one a low-ranking SS Infantry soldier, the other a member of the Hlinka Guard. The most disturbing aspect of the testimonies is not the description of the crimes committed, but the casual way of describing them.

Hans Friedrich was a member of the 1st Infantry Brigade. He claimed not to recall exactly the actions in which he took part in June 1941 in the Soviet Union, but he did admit that he participated in the killing of Jews.

“Hans Friedrich: Try to imagine there is a ditch, with people on one side, and behind them soldiers. That was us and we were shooting. And those who were hit fell down into the ditch…

They were so utterly shocked and frightened, you could do with them what you wanted.

Interviewer: Could you tell me what you were thinking and feeling when you were shooting?

Hans Friedrich: Nothing. I only thought, ‘Aim carefully’ so that you hit properly. That was my thought.

Interviewer: This was your only thought? During all that time you had no feelings for the people, the Jewish civilians that you shot?

Hans Friedrich: No.

Interviewer: And why not?

Hans Friedrich: Because my hatred towards the Jews is too great. … And I admit my thinking on this point is unjust, I admit this. But what I experienced from my earliest youth when I was living on a farm, what the Jews were doing to us—well that will never change. That is my unshakeable conviction.

Interviewer: What in God’s name did the people you shot have to do with those people who supposedly treated you badly at home? They simply belonged to the same group! What else? What else did they have to do with it?

Hans Friedrich: Nothing, but to us they were Jews!”

Slovakia signed an agreement with Nazi Germany in March 1942. Between March and October of that year, approximately 60,000 Slovakian Jews were sent to their deaths

The Slovakian Jews were under the control of the Hlinka Guard, Slovakia’s pro-Nazi militia. Michal Kabác belonged to this unit.

“Michal Kabác: A Jew would never go to work. None of them work; they only wanted to have an easy life. Our people were happy to receive their stores. We called it aryan-ising them. And that’s how they become rich…

Later when the Jews were coming to the camps, we used to take their belongings and clothes.

The deputy commander came and said to us to go and choose from the clothes. I took some clothes, others did as well. Then I took 3 pairs of shoes. Everyone took what he could. I wrapped it all with a rope and brought it back home.

We, the guards, were doing quite well.

Interviewer: How could you personally participate in the deportation knowing those people were certainly going to die?

Michal Kabác: What could I have done? I was thinking both ways. I thought it will be peace and quiet here, you deserved it. But on the other hand, there were innocent people among them as well.

I was thinking both ways.”

Both men were interviewed in 2005

source

https://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/40-45/victims/index.html

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