Download PDF for 519cd81c993294098d516579 - CIA FOIA

Blockschreiber, who is comparable to A dompany Clerk, and the
Stubentlteste (Room Wardens), who are- prisoners in 'charge of rooms.
. In general, it may . be . said that all persons . holding the title
of Fahrer are SS men and all the Iltesten are inmates. Like the
foremen, the Altesten are frequently habitualdriminals, and seem
to be free of all other damp duties.
:Political inmates, generally, are separated from habitual and
other criminals. In the case of men, the Separation may be
limited anlr to living quarters; during work hburs, inmates are
organised only according to their trade qualifications. In the
Case of women, separation of politiCal.prisoners.from other is
adhered to at all times; even dUring work hours.
,Ordinarily, there are two doctors in each camp, one attending
to the SS personnel and the other to the inmates. The nurses or
medical assistants are largely recruited from the inmates.
It is noteworthy that many clerical positions within the camps
are held by inmates, some reports telling of a comparatively high
degree of prisoner self-administration. . According to one report,
an attempt was made to ran the camps with .SSPersonnel exclusively,
but the plan failed because there was 'tootudh graft, bribery and
pilfering.
.Employment of camp inmates for office work, which .very few of
the SS man could deal With efficiently, -pravides the camp officials
with opportunity to l"play" the inmates against one another and
to,make them the scapegoats for thefts. and Other petty crimes
committed by' the SS men.
17. Methods of Identification of Prisoners
Inmates in most las wear colour patches, indicating the
reason for their detention; these are usually an the right breast,
but may also appear on the trouser leg. Since all camps do not
have the same types of inmates, these patches very accordingly.
Local conditions and orders of indvidiaul commandants are also
responsible for variations in the size, shape or colour of the
patches.
The follawing list shows the patches which were used at the
camp at NATZWEILER, and which appear to be in general use at most.
laJs. Wherever other types ha ys been reported, they have been
noted in Annexe A, Part Two under the caMp in question.
(1) Red Politische Verbrecher (Political
Criminals)
(2) Pink Homosexuellé (Homosexuals)
Green
Berufaverbrecher (Habitual Criminals)
(41-) Green (triangle Sexualverbreoher (Sex Criminals)
Colloquially "175'er"
pointing up)
(5) Red (triangle
pointing up)
SonderaktionWehrmacht (Special Action,
Armed Forces)
(6) Purple Bibelforscher und Ftzifisten (Religious
Criminals and Pacifists; those opposed
for religious reasons to Nazism, e.g.
Jehovah' s Witnesses)