Berleburg, 22 January 1946.

Department of Public Prosecution
S i e g e n / Westph[alia]

On the basis of Law No. 10 issued by the Allied Control Council on 24.12.45, we, the undersigned, August Andres, Berleburg, Lause, and his wife, Emilie Schade, of the same place, herewith file the complaint concerning

the persons listed below:

1.) Regional authority head [Otto] Marloh, Berleburg[,] currently in political detention,
2.) Mayor Dr [Theodor] Günther, Berleburg, currently imprisoned,
3.) Inspector [Hermann] Fischer, Berleburg,
4.) Inspector Karl-Heinz Sauer, Berleburg,
5.) District senior secretary [?] Markovsky, Berleburg,
6.) District physician Dr [Robert] Goedecke, Berleburg, currently in political detention,
7.) District head [Norbert] Roters, in political detention,
8.) Dentist Dr Otto Nölke, Berleburg, currently in political detention,
9.) Gendarme leader [Wilhelm] Gollombiewsk[i], Berleburg, currently in a political camp,
10.) Teacher [Gustav] Hoffmann, Berleburg,
11.) Teacher [Ernst] Graf, Raumland, currently in a political camp,

pertaining to the violation of Paragraph 3 of the aforementioned law
‘crimes against humanity’.

The aforementioned persons are guilty of the operation launched against Sinti and Roma that reached its climax on 9.3.1943 with the arrest and transfer of all so-called ‘Gypsies’ in the Wittgenstein district to the concentration camps. The persons detained were hauled out of their beds by a large detachment of SA and police during the night of 8–9 March 1943, on the pretence that they were to be resettled to the East, herded together at a factory site in Berleburg, loaded into goods wagons and in the main sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Some 135 persons were killed there or in other camps; only 9 persons have survived the awful torments and tribulations and returned.

While the operation against the Sinti and Roma may have been ordered by the Reich authorities, the whole affair was undoubtedly started by the local authorities and party offices of the Wittgenstein district, particularly in Berleburg. These offices are solely responsible for what happened because they furnished the cause for all that took place later and laid the foundations.

Almost immediately after the takeover of power and in connection with the race laws, the named offices referred in both speech and writing to the ‘Gypsy settlements’ in the district and made a problem out of the matter that they claimed needed to be eradicated at any price. Lause was spoken of as a blight on the Wittgenstein district and the then mayor Dr Günther in particular repeatedly put up the district’s alleged ‘Gypsy problem’ for debate in racial science essays published in the Reich’s most renowned journals and drew the attention of ever-wider circles. So-called race researchers, called in by the aforementioned offices, did the rest, so that gradually the success matured that was intended, namely the operation launched on 9.3.1943 mentioned above.

Even before this, the so-called ‘Gypsies’ were degraded in public and they were made aware in every way possible that they had less rights.

Just a few examples as proof:
The Party and district authority offices in Berleburg imposed the so-called lockout ban. Restricted shopping hours were imposed on Lause residents, this was followed by a travel ban, a ban on going to inns and cinemas, the cutting off of any special allotment of food rations and the like. The Reich Railways were instructed to introduce a special carriage on the line between Berleburg and Erndtebrück, the ‘Gypsy carriage’, and so forth. It was at the instigation of the local responsible authorities, who continually dragged things into the public eye, that the male persons drafted into the German Army during the war were then excluded from serving, bringing dishonour and shame. Brick by brick was laid for what was then achieved as the final goal on 9.3.43 with the rounding up and deportation ordered on this day.

The persons listed in the complaint have in word and deed, whereby they took part in the operation, actively contributed to the extermination and horrific obliteration of the so-called ‘Gypsies’. If at first it was the mayor, Dr Günther, through his publications on race policy, later it was himself and the others through imposing decrees and draconian measures. Occasionally Inspector Fischer declared: ‘The pile has to be eradicated’, another time he said: ‘That lot won’t be reappearing again’ (referring to those allegedly permitted to resettle in the East). Those taking part in a decisive meeting at the local district office, during which the selection was made as to which persons were to be deported, were:

1.) Regional authority head Marloh,
2.) Inspector Fischer,
3.) Deputy Mayor C.H. Schneider,
4.) District physician Dr Goedecke,
5.) School principal Fuchs,
6.) Teacher Graf,
7.) Sister Emma [Rittershaus].

It was Inspector Carl-Heinz Sauer who, displaying a brutal ruthlessness, then seized the possessions, in particular the personal and household effects of the deportees, during the operation. Hoffmann, the teacher, travelled repeatedly to Berlin to get the Reich Criminal Police to undertake the deportation. All of them are, some more, some less, guilty for the terrible mass killing that cost around 135 persons their lives.

The following persons are named as witnesses:

a) the 9 who returned [from the concentration camps]:
1.) Anton Rebstock,
2.) A [anonymised],
3.) August Wick,
4.) L [anonymised],
5.) M [anonymised],
6.) K [anonymised],
7.) Ernst Janson,
8.) W [anonymised],
9.) H [anonymised],
all resident in Berleburg,

b) the following persons:
1.) Mrs Frieda Hess, of here, Haspelstraße,
2.) Mrs Erna Brück, of here, Trufterhainstr. 6,
3.) Paul Schade, of here, Trufterhainstr. 10,
4.) Frau Elisabeth Hunstein, of here, Lause 15,
5.) August Trapp, of here, Lause,
6.) Reverend Schiffer, Sommerseil [bei] Steinheim,
7.) School principal Fuchs, Berleburg,
8.) Businessman C.H. Schneider, Berleburg,
9.) Gendarme Lieutenant [Wilhelm] Köster, Berleburg,
10.) Wilhelm Mettbach, of here, Trufterhainstr. 11,
11.) Konrad Mettbach, of here, Trufterhainstr. 13,
12.) K [anonymised], of here, Lause 14,
13.) Karl Rebstock, Berleburg, Lause.

It also needs to be pointed out, in order to characterise the cruelty and brutality of the measures adequately, that the purported ‘Gypsies’ have lived for some 200 years in the local district on their own piece of turf, in other words they were long settled and had absolutely nothing in common with vagabonding ‘Gypsies’, that they earned their livelihoods on their own farms or worked for others, in other words they were socially irreproachable in their behaviour, that despite all the proof they mustered that they were only to a small per cent of mixed blood or indeed were even pure Aryan, no mercy was shown by their destroyers, and that ultimately in the main it was small innocent children who were abandoned to destruction.

Emilie Schade née Rebstock
August Andres

Berleburg, 22. Januar 1946 berš.

Themeski advokatura
S i e g e n / Westfalija

Upral o fundo kotar o kanuni Nr. 10 kerdino kotar o Kethanutno Kontrolako Konsilo ko 24. 12. 45, amen e tele skrinisarde August Andres, Berleburg, Lause, thaj leski rromni Emilie Schade, das po

K r i s

e tele leparde manušen :

1.) Themesko šerutno [Otto] Marloh, Berleburg[,] akana ko politikano phanglipe,
2.) Forosko šerutno Dr [Theodor] Günther, Berleburg, akana phanglo,
3.) Forosko Inspektori [Hermann] Fischer, Berleburg,
4.) Forosko Inspektori Karl-Heinz Sauer, Berleburg,
5.) Thanesko upruno sekretari [?] Markovsky, Berleburg,
6.) Thanesko sastjari Dr [Robert] Goedecke, Berleburg, akana ko politikano phanglipe,
7.) Thanesko šorutno [Norbert] Roters, ko politikano phanglipe,
8.) Dandengo sastjari Dr Otto Nölke, Berleburg, akana ko politikano phanglipe,
9.) Žandarmerijako šorutno [Wilhelm] Gollombiewsk[i], Berleburg, akana ko politikano Lager,
10.) Sićari [Gustav] Hoffmann, Berleburg,
11.) Sićari [Ernst] Graf, Raumland, akana ko politikano Lager,

Sebet kodo kaj phagle o paragrafo 3, kotar o kanuni so sas upre lepardo sar
»kerdi džung po manušnipe«.

E upre leparde manuša si došale vaš e akcija so sas kerdi mamuj e Sintora thaj e Rroma ko than Wittgenstein savi so reslas pesko hornipe ko 9. 3. 1943 kana sas savore phangle thaj transferime ando Koncentracijako Lager e manuša anavne sar »Zigeuner«. Vakarindos kaj ka oven pe aver than ingarde, pe dizjorig te bešen, akala phangle manuša sas andar e patura sovibastar vazdine kotar e SA thaj policija pe raći maškar 8. thaj 9. Marto 1943 berš, thaj si kedine ki fabrikaki avlin ko Berleburg, čhute olen ande vagonura thaj bičhalde ando Koncentracijako Lager Auschwitz. Olendar 135 manuša sas mudarde odori vaj ande avera Lagerja; numa 9 manuša olendar ačhile dživde kotar e daravni džung thaj e xoli, kola so šaj irindepe palpale.

Vaš kodi operacija mamuj e Sintora thaj e Rroma šaj kaj e komanda avilas kotar o Rajho, numa i sasti buti kerde e lokalutne šerutne thaj e partijake institucije ando Wittgenstein than, specijalno ando Berleburg. Kadala institucije legarde i doš pe peste vaš kodo so avilaspe dureder, kaj olendar avilas kodi mudarimaski ideja thaj von dije i funda vaš kodo so kerdilaspe dureder.

Kana kadala institucije lije i zor upral peste thaj džandos pala e rasake kanunija, von vi alavenca vi hramondes lije bilačhi sama pe »Zigeuner - mahale « ando kodo than thaj kodolestar kerde problemo savo so musaj sas te šulavdol. Vaš o than Lause vakardolas sar katar o ladžavno than ko Wittgenstein thaj majbut e forosko Šerutno o Dr Güntherin delas sama upral e rasaki tema ande tekstura save sas publicirime ande Rajhoske pindžarde žurnalura, thaj o Zigeuner-problemo lelas ki debata thaj avere thanen crdelas te len sama pe kodo. Thaj e anavne Rasikane sićara, so akhardine sas katar e upre leparde kancelarije, lokhes resle pesko resin thaj šaj kerilaspe i opreacija ko 9. 3. 1943 berš, upre lepardi ando teksto.

Vi angleder, e anavne »Zigeuner« sas kotar o them teljarde thaj pe sa riga an lengo džanipe si sikavde kaj si len majtikne hakaja.

Numa nekobor misala so mothaven kado:
E Partijake themutne kancelarije ando Berleburg ande kanuno vaš kodo kana šaj e manuša andar o than avri te džan. E manušenge so trajinas ando Lause dende si restriktovime kinibaske časura, pala kodo si kerdi restrikcija pala o dromaripe, o džape ende kafane, o džape ando kino, čhindo si o bilovengo xamasko lendipe thaj aver. E Rajhoske trenoske sas phendo te keren jekh specijalno vagoni ko treno so nakhelas maškar o Berleburg thaj Erndtebrück, bušindos oles sar »Zigeuner vagoni«, thaj gasave te kerdon vi majbut. Sebet o prasape katar e lokalutne institucije thaj ande manušenge jakha kaj dopherenas i džung, e murša saven sas berša te džan ande Armija sas ladžakerde thaj paldime. Lokheste, phundro pala phundro kethanes avilas kodo so sas o majdurino resin, dži ko 9. 3. 43 sas kerdi deportacijaki akcija, pe kodo dives sas dendi komanda vaš olate.

E manuša kaske anava si pe lista thaj save so lije than ande kodi akcija, aktivno sas hamime ando mudaripe upral kadala saven so akharenas sar »Zigeuner«.Te sas kado majanglunes o Dr. Günther trujal leske ikaldine publikacije vaš i rasaki politika, pala leste thaj kethanes olesa vi avera kerde dekretura thaj džungale bilačhe buća. Butivar o inspektoro Fischer vakardas: »Kodo brego trubuj te xasavol«, aver drom palem, phenelas: »Kodola manuša ni ka aven palpale ko trajo jekhvar nikana « (gindos vaš kadala so sas bičhaldine, baj te bešen pe dizjorig). Ko jekh bešipe ko lokalutni thaneski institucija, save so kerde kadi buti vaš e manušengi deportacija, lije than:

1.) Themesko šorutno Marloh,
2.) Inspektori Fischer,
3.) Forosko telišerutno C.H. Schneider,
4.) Thanesko sićari Dr Goedecke,
5.) Rektori Fuchs,
6.) Sićari Graf,
7.) Khangiraki phen Emma [Rittershaus].

O inspektori Carl-Heinz Sauer sas kodo manuš savo so sikavdas baro brutaliteto thaj savo so lijas sa e manušengo mangin. O sićari Hoffmann, nakhlas butivar ando Berlino te rodel kotar e Rajhoski kriminalutni Policija te šaj kerel kodi deportacija. Savore von, vareko buteder, vareko majcera, si došale vaš o džungalo masovno murdaripe, savo 135 manušengo trajo xasardas.

Kadala manuša si mujalne so sa dikhle kodo:

a) e 9 manuša so irandepe [andar o Koncentracijako Lager]:
1.) Anton Rebstock,
2.) Alfons Rebstock,
3.) August Wick,
4.) Lonie Wick,
5.) Martha Janson,
6.) Karl Dickel,
7.) Ernst Janson,
8.) Walter Janson,
9.) Hugo Heckler,
Savore ando foro Berleburg,

b) Kadala manuša:
1.) Rani Frieda Hess, akatar, Haspelstraße,
2.) Rai Erna Brück, akatar, Trufterhainstr. 6,
3.) Paul Schade, akatar, Trufterhainstr. 10,
4.) Rai Elisabeth Hunstein, akatar, Lause 15,
5.) August Trapp, akatar, Lause,
6.) Khangirutno Schiffer, Sommerseil [ko] Steinheim,
7.) Rektor Fuchs, Berleburg,
8.) Biznismeno C.H. Schneider, Berleburg,
9.) Džandarmengo upruno oficiro [Wilhelm] Köster, Berleburg,
10.) Wilhelm Mettbach, akatar, Trufterhainstr. 11,
11.) Konrad Mettbach, akatar, Trufterhainstr. 13,
12.) Karl Janson, Lause 14,
13.) Karl Rebstock, Berleburg, Lause.

Trubuj vi te vakarelpe, te šaj dikhlolpe o džungalipe thaj o brutaliteto katar e buća so kerdine sas, kaj e kadija anavne »Zigeuner« perdal 200 berš trajinas ande kodo than an pengo than, von sas bešutne kote thaj naj sas olen khanči kethano ke phirutne »Zigeuner«, von kerenas korkore penge love kerindos buti ande pengo bustanaripe, ja palem ke aver buća lenas pengo maro, socijalnes uže trajonas, vi kodo so šaj jekh tikno procento kotar hamimo rat, vaj sas čače Arijavutne, kotar olenge dušmanura naj sas sikavdo varesavo lačhipe, thaj ko agor kodo sas numa cikne bidošale čhavore, so bičhalde si ando džungalipe thaj mudaripe.

Emilie Schade bijandi Rebstock
August Andres