THE RUDOLF REPORT

7. ZYKLON B FOR THE KILLING OF HUMAN BEINGSAssuming an execution time approximately corresponding to thosein US execution gas chambers (ten minutes and more at 3,200 ppmHCN, see chapter 7.1.), a concentration of at least 3,000 ppm (3.6g/m 3 )would have had to have reached even the remotest corner of the chamberafter only half this time (five minutes). With a free volume of 430m 3 in morgue 1 of crematoria II and III, 466 this corresponds to a quantityof hydrogen cyanide of approximately 1.5 kg released and spreadout after five minutes. Since the carrier material only releases approximately10% of its hydrogen cyanide content after five minutes(see chapter 7.2.), at least ten times that amount would have been requiredin order to kill in only a few minutes, i.e., this would mean theutilization of at least 15 kg of Zyklon B. 467 This, of course, only applieson the condition that the hydrogen cyanide released reached thevictims immediately, which cannot be expected in large, overcrowded(screaming victims for 10-15 minutes); F. Müller, ibid., p. 463 (8-10 min.); E. Pyš, ibid., p.748 (ventilators switched on after only a few minutes); K. Lill, ibid., p. 750 (a scream a fewseconds after the introduction of Zyklon B, pall of thick smoke exiting the chimney a fewminutes later); transcript of the expert opinion of Prof. Dr. G. Jagschitz, 3 rd -5 th hearing days ofcriminal proceedings against Gerd Honsik, April 4., April 30, May 4, 1992, ref. 20e Vr 14184and Hv 5720/90, District Court Vienna, p. 443 (2-3 min); Dokument 3868-PS, IMT volume33, pp. 275ff., quoted according to L. Rosenthal, “Endlösung der Judenfrage”, Massenmordoder “Gaskammerlüge”?, Verlag Darmstädter Blätter, Darmstadt 1979 (2 to 15 minutes inexceptional cases); R. Höß, op. cit. (note 295: 30 minutes for the entire procedure, includingventilation); Hans Münch, in G. Rudolf, “Auschwitz-Kronzeuge Dr. Hans Münch im Gespräch”,VffG, 1(3) (1997), pp. 139-190 (2 to 5 min. in winter) (online:www.vho.org/VffG/1997/3/RudMue3.html); Salmen Lewenthal, Hefte von Auschwitz, Sonderheft1, Handschriften von Mitgliedern des Sonderkommandos, Verlag Staatliches MuseumAuschwitz, 1972, p. 155 (sudden silence); Dov Paisikovic, in: Léon Poliakov, Auschwitz,René Julliard, 1964, pp. 159ff. (3-4 minute), Franke-Gricksch Report, in: J.-C. Pressac, op. cit.(note 67), p. 238 (one minute to kill the victims, another until the doors were opened); RudolfVrba alias Walter Rosenberg, Alfred Wetzler, ref. M 20/153, Yad Vashem (acc. to War RefugeeBoard, “German Extermination Camps—Auschwitz and Birkenau”, in David S. Wyman(ed.), America and the Holocaust, volume 12, Garland, New York/London 1990, p. 20 (everyonein the room was dead after three minutes); Jerzy Tabeau, in: The Extermination Campsof Auschwitz (Oswiecim) and Birkenau in Upper Silesia (10 minutes, quoted according to EnriqueAynat, Los protocolos de Auschwitz. i Una fuente historica? Verlag Garcia Hispan, Alicante1990); André Lettich, Trente-quatre mois dans les Camps de Concentration, ImprimerieUnion Coopérative, Tours, 1946 (a few moments). Janda Weiss, in David E. Hackett, (ed.),The Buchenwald Report, Beck, Munich 1997, p. 394 (3 min.). If longer killing times appear inthe eyewitness testimonies, they refer, not to crematoria II and III, but, rather, to crematoriaIV/V, bunkers 1-2, or crematorium I in the Main Camp. The killings in crematoria II and IIIare therefore alleged to have been committed very quickly.466 504 m 3 empty volume of the cellar minus 75 m 3 occupied by 1,000 persons.467 At least because the initial evaporation of the hydrogen cyanide would have led to an immediatecondensation of the environmental humidity onto the carrier, more or less interrupting thefurther evaporation of hydrogen cyanide; see also chapter 7.2.209