"Himmler chose certain camps and, together with Kaltenbrunner and Mueller, ordered the commandants of these camps to carry out the extermination program. This was done in the chain of command as I have just told you. I emphasize that it was Himmler to Kaltenbrunner to Mueller to Gluecks, who was also one of my subordinate generals, to the individual concentration camp commandants, who had been selected by Himmler to perform the exterminations. Otherwise, Himmler would have had to give the orders to me because I was technically in charge of the concentration camps. What I am trying to bring out is that although I am responsible for the camps, and the extermination program took place within these camps, I am not responsible for the extermination program itself, because these orders did not go through me, but went through the chain of individuals I have just mentioned."
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Executed peoplePeople indicted for war crimesPeople of Nazi GermanyMilitary leaders from GermanyMilitary leaders of World War II
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Oswald Pohl
Oswald Ludwig Pohl (June 30, 1892 – June 7, 1951) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era. As the head of the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office and the head administrator of the Nazi concentration camps, he was a key figure in the Final Solution, the extermination of Jews. After the war he went into hiding. Pohl was apprehended in 1946. He stood trial in 1947, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity, repeatedly appealed his case, and was executed by hanging in 19
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