“Majdanek-Prozess” in Düsseldorf

To the German court, about the so-called “gas chambers” that visitors may see today in Majdanek (near Lublin)

Résumé: If a German court has no German expert’s report about the so-called “gas chambers” in Majdanek, no German judge can say that, 35 years ago, there were German “gas chambers” in Majdanek and that groups of human beings have been destroyed by this way for the first and the last time in history. For such an extraordinary crime (at a scientific and historical point of view) and for such an extraordinary arm [weapon] (that no German judge has ever seen working), we really need that the arm of the crime gets an expert’s report. The arm of this crime even needs an expert’s report of an exceptional quality (at a scientific and historical point of view because no German judge has ever seen such an arm working).

Details: If a German court were willing to proceed with a “judicial visit of the place” (un “transport de justice sur les lieux”), to examine the so-called “gas chambers”, it would be a good beginning. In this case, no German judge, after the visit, could say: “We have seen gas chambers.” A judge could only say: “We have seen some premises called ‘gas chambers’.” Yet, even this is not correct. To be quite correct, he should say: “We have seen some premises which were referred to as former ‘gas chambers’.”

The judge would have to consider that this was asserted by a “court of inquiry” composed only of people who were at war with Germany (Doc. Nurnberg 325-PS: 25.09.1944/237g). This commission was in fact composed of Polish and Soviet magistrates. It would be indispensable to procure the conclusions this commission came to, and all the documents it relied upon.

No German judge has ever seen, I suppose, a “gas chamber” (expressly made to destroy groups of human beings), either working or disused. To a German judge, a “gas chamber” may be something as a “flying saucer”. Let us now suppose that a man says to a judge: “Come and I’ll show you a ‘flying saucer’.” The judge would come. At the bottom of a sort of bunker he would notice a pitiful scrap-heap. I’ll bet that the judge would not, after that, go and say: “I’ve seen a ‘flying saucer’.” He would ask for an expert’s report.

For the Majdanek “gas chambers”, an expert’s report must be made by archaeologists, chemists, physicists, architects, physicians, historians, documentalists, and specialists of engineering. To conclude, the inquiry should be conducted with the same rigour as for Katyn. We might even say more scientifically than for Katyn, as the alleged massacres in the so-called “gas chambers” were the result of a more sophisticated process.

As no expert’s report is forthcoming, no German judge can come to the conclusion that there were “gas chambers” in Majdanek.

Herewith: 18 photos. “Visit in 1946”, “Visit in 1975”: completely changed.

May 1978