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Dr. -BEST makes no mention of Kohzentrationslager (Concentration
Camps),.
In the- autumn of 1941, there existed in the Reichsfahrtrag SS
•(SS Supreme Command) the office of Insbelct.eur der Konzentrationslager
(Inspector of Concentration Camps), headed by SS-Gm:ovar
(Generalltutnant der Waffen SS Richard (LACKS. This
office bad charge of the Totenkoof VerblInde (Death' s Head
Formations) and internal administration of concentration camps,
but it is only one phase in the development of concentration camp
administration.
At approximately the same time, dUe probably to the labour
shortage imposed by the outbreak of war, it was realised that the
concentration camp inmates represented a labour force of great
possibilities. Gradually more and more use was made of this
slave labour, and. now some inmates are even kept 'for G-Fertigung.
This is probably work on V weapons or other similar types of work
from which there will be no release until the end of the war, if
the workers are not killed first. In the beginning, inmates were
employed only in the construction of barracks, maintenance, fitting
"and equipping within their awn camOs. Later, factories or
Purely commercial workshops were established within the confines
of the camps to exploit this slave labour, but no information is
on hand concerning the organisation and control of this labour
force at its inception. We do know, however, that from he time
the Verwalt 's- undWirtschaftstamt, of which BEST talks,
was organised, Amt I HauaifErwas in charge of the allocation
and control 'of labour, was in charge of actual
building and construction work and Amt III (Wirtschaftsunternehm(ung)
controlled economic enterprises.
Each of the above Imter maintained a representative at every
concentration camp, but the relationship between the Camp
Commandants and these officials was not always friendly, Camp
Commandants probably feeling that their office should have a
greater control of the inmates. Thus, to alleviate the situation
of so many offices in charge of administration, the department 1/5
of-AmtHaushalt, which was responsible for Arbeitseinsatz
(allocation of labour), was transferred as a unit on 29 Sep 1941,
to the office of the Insoekteur der Konzentrationsl er, and its
chief, SS Hauptsturmfahrer BURBOCK became Beauftragte• far den
Arbeitseinsatz helm Insoekteur der Konzentrationslager (Representative
for the allocation of labour at the office of the Inspector of
Concentration Camps). The representatives of Amt Haushalt
were immediately recalled from all concentration camps and. the new
office of Schutzhaftlagerfahrer E (Camp Commandant for the
allocation of labour) was put in charge of Arbeitseinsatz in the
concentration camps. Cooperation between thiS new official and
the Camp Commandants was ordered.
Despite this new organisation, the problem of 'split'
authority was not settled. An order of 30 Sep 1914 statea that
fortnightly reports of the allocation of prison labour should
continue to go to:
Chef des Hauptamtes Haus t u. Bauten - SS-GP POHL
Cher des Amtes I - S- LOWER
Chef des Verwaltungsamtes SS-BP FRANK