THE RUDOLF REPORT

5. AUSCHWITZfumigation chambers was being completed in Building BW160 of theMain Camp (Admissions building). Another paragraph of the aboveletter states that the garrison physician of Kattowitz had provided theloan of two mobile boiler installations.On April 18, 1943, Wirths reports to the Commandant, with warningreference to the sewer system in Birkenau, and concludes that “[…]great danger of epidemics is inevitable.” 145On May 7, 1943, in a discussion with the chief of Amtsgruppe C,SS Brigadier General and Major General of the Waffen-SS engineerDr. Kammler, and others, the garrison physician set out in chapter “II.Bauten in Zuständigkeit des Standortarztes” (II. Buildings Under theCharge of the Garrison Physician): 146“[…] that the continued health of the inmates for the major tasks isnot guaranteed, due to the poor toilet conditions, an inadequate sewersystem, the lack of hospital barracks, and separate latrines for the sick,and the lack of washing, bathing, and disinfestation facilities.”Dr. Wirths clearly pointed out the inadequacies and also how torectify them.At this point we must warn the reader, who may perhaps not besufficiently aware of the historical context, not to jump to false conclusions.The reader may well lack an understanding of all the problemsthat were involved in obtaining materials as well as all the other necessitiesrequired to build these facilities in wartime. Figuratively speaking,a written permission was required to purchase every brick.We must also point out that, in those days in eastern Europe, asewer system of any kind at all was exemplary to start with, and thatthis is all the more true for sewage treatment facilities, which werebuilt for both camps at great expenditure in resources and according tohigh technical standards.The above quoted document continues:“The Brigadier General acknowledges the foremost urgency of thesematters and promises to do everything possible to ensure rectification ofthe shortcomings. He is somewhat surprised, however, that the medicalside presents him with reports giving a very favorable account of thesanitary and hygienic conditions on the one hand; while he is then immediatelyconfronted with reports to the exact opposite effect on the145 TCIDK 502-1-332-219146 TCIDK 502-1-233-33/3871