*Note: While "The Korherr Report" having been compiled after the vast majority of European Jews had already been murdered, H.E.A.R.T has selected to place this article in the Prelude section as a conclusion to many of the events leading to the genocidal intent and actions detailed herein, perpetrated by the Nazi's and their collaborators. [Some photos added to enhance the text]
Richard Korherr (circa 1978)
On the 18 January 1943 Heinrich Himmler the Reichsfuhrer SS ordered Richard Korherr who was “Inspekteur fur Statiskik” of the SS to produce a report on the Final Solution of the “Jewish Question in Europe.” up to the period of the 31 December 1942.
Richard Korrher undertook this work and on the 23 March 1943 sent a sixteen page report to SS- Obersturmbannfuhrer Dr. Rudolf Brandt, who was on the personal staff of the RF-SS Heinrich Himmler.
On the 9 April 1943 Heinrich Himmler wrote to Ernst Kaltenbrunner the Chief of the SIPO and SD that he found Korherr’s report to be excellent because it could later serve as camouflage, but for the moment he forbade circulation. Himmler wanted in the future to receive short monthly reports concerning the number of Jews evacuated and how many remained.
The next day the 10 April 1943 Rudolf Brandt informed Korherr that his report had been received by Himmler who wished that “nowhere it be spoken of the ‘special action applied to the Jews.’ In the meantime Himmler ordered Korherr to draft a summary of his report “to be presented to Hitler.”
The result was a summary report of six and one half pages addressed to Dr Brandt on the 19 April 1943, which covered the period up to the 31 March 1943
The report produced by Korherr is one of the most damming documents of the whole Nazi period and their brutal policy in pursuit of the destruction of the Jews of Europe. Of particular noteworthy consideration is the figure of 1274166 for the number of Jews passing through the camps in the General Government.
This is the figure quoted by Hans Hofle, the Chief of Staff for Aktion Reinhard controlled by Odilo Globocnik in Lublin. The message sent to SS- Obersturmbannfuhrer Heim, of the BdS office in Krakow dated 11 January 1943 was intercepted by British Intelligence using the replica enigma machine, supplied by the Poles, at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.
Korherr was employed by the West German Ministry of Finance but was dismissed from this post in 1961 following the publicity generated by the book written by Gerald Reitlinger, the “Final Solution” which heavily covered the wartime report drawn up by Korherr.
-The Inspector of Statistics for the Reichsfuhrer SS
Cover page of the Korherr Report
The Final Solution of the European Jewish Problem
Statistical Report
Contents
l Preface
ll. Jewish Statistics for Germany
III. The Weakness of the Jewish Race
IV. Jewish Emigration from Germany
V. The Evacuation of the Jews
VI. The Jews in the Ghetto
VII. The Jews in the Concentration Camps
VIII. The Jews in Penal Institutions
IX. The Jews involved in Work Projects
X. European Jewish Statistics
I. Preface
The numerical recording of Jewry and its development are necessary for setting up a statistic representation of the results on the way to the solution of the Jewish problem. The contradictions in Jewish figures make preliminary remarks necessary to the effect that the numerical data of Jewry are always to be accepted only with reservations and that lack of knowledge about the origin and source of these data can lead to false conclusions.
Page 1 of the Korherr Report
(in German -click text to enlarge)
The sources of error are above all to be found in the nature of Jewry and its historical development, the many thousands of years of restless wandering, the numerous conversions to and from Judaism, the efforts of the Jews to integrate, the interbreeding with the native populations, the efforts of the Jews to avoid registration and lastly in erroneous or falsely interpreted statistics of Jewry.
However, up to now, partly due to the large degree of overlap between the Jewish religion and the Jewish race, ignorance of racial theory, and partly due to being caught up in the religious thought of the times, Jewish statistics have never been compiled on the basis of race but rather on the basis of religion.
The classification of the race pre-supposes many years of training and knowledge of genealogy. It was also difficult, particularly in southern and eastern countries, despite this overlap, to isolate a homogeneous Jewish race statistically. The avowal of Mosaic or Jewish faith is also no foolproof evidence, because as a result of the former Jewish missionary movement with its conversion of masses of heathens and Christians, also because of changes of faith in modern times via mixed marriages and conversions, there are more than a few people of Jewish faith who are not racially Jewish.
On the other hand compulsory Christianity in the last century and the increase in baptised Jews and non-practising Jews have reduced their number. Thus in 1893 Leroy- Beulieu estimated the loss of Judaism to Christianity to be between four and ten times as great as the present number of adherents to the Jewish religion.
Page 2 of the Korherr Report
According to Maurice Fishberg and Mathias Mieses, three times the present Jewish population have been absorbed by Aryan Europe. Even Hans Gunther estimates the Jewish population of Germany at double the number of Jews of mosaic faith with German nationality. Finally, the Lithuanian Jew Brutzkus goes so far as to classify the Berlin Jews on the basis of their blood composition as being purer Europeans than the Germans in Berlin.
According to these opinions the number of racial Jews in Europe including half-breeds was assumed to be three times as great as the number of religious Jews (in Eastern Europe twice as great, in Middle Europe four times as great and in the rest of Europe as much as eight times as great) and approximately 6% of Jewish blood was calculated to be in the European population.
In contrast Burgdorfer estimates the Jewish population of Germany in 1933 at 850,000 full, half and quarter Jews (based on 502,000 religious Jews) and the Jewish population of Austria in 1934 as between 300,000 and 400,000 (based on 191,481 religious Jews). The German census of the racial Jews in 1939 lists the only slightly higher of 330, 892 full and 72, 738 half and 42,811 quarter Jews with the figure 307,614 religious Jews. These figures cannot be regarded as trustworthy, particularly in the case of the half and quarter Jews.
These figures can only be considered to represent minimums. They originated as answers to a question appearing on a card to be filled out for the German census of 1939, “Was, or is one of your grandparents Jewish?” This question was to be answered yes or no for each grandparent. Since these cards were to be handed in, in a sealed envelope and could not be examined on the spot, they were filled out poorly. In many cases instead of an answer there were only marks made in the corresponding boxes.
Page 3 The Korherr Report
The first official attempt to classify Jews by race was immediately sabotaged by the Jews. It occurred during the Austrian census of March 7 1923. Vice Chancellor Dr Frank (Greater German People’s Party) signed a decree shortly before the census, according to which question 7 (language) of the census form was also to be answered by listing “ethnic origin and race.” Since the census forms had already been printed this was only indicated on a red page without any explanation, instructions or examples. The Austrian Jews sabotaged this question in the Jewish Marxist press, shortly before the census by calling on its readers to answer the questions about race with “white.”
The result was that the “white race in Austria was about as widespread as the influence of the Jewish Marxist press and parties.” Only in Karnten and Burgenland were the data analysed with dubious results, whereas in the remaining states, particularly in Vienna the project was abandoned as pointless.
II. Jewish Statistics in Germany
The following material on the number and development of Jews in Germany is based on the official census figures, on similar statistical investigations of the Reich and on statistical calculations and estimates. The material is however, mainly provided by the Reich Jewish Union in Germany and the Jewish Religious Centres in Vienna and Prague which deal with census forms and figures, population movement and extrapolation in addition to calculations and estimates.
These Jewish offices work under the supervision and for the purposes of the Main Reich Security Office. Aside from the questionable initial statistics on Jews the Reich Jewish Union of Germany seems to do reliable work. On the basis of statistics prepared by this office and checked by the Main Reich Security Office the following figures can be established for the development of Jewry in Germany from the seizure of power (January 30 1933 in Altreich, March 1938 in Austria, March 1939 in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia) up to January 1 1943.
1. Jewish Population of Altreich with Sudetengau and Danzig
Jewish population of Altreich without Sudetengau and Danzig on Jan 30 1933
Approx 561,000
Decrease from January 30 1933 to January 1 1943 due to :-
Excess deaths (in Altreich)
- 61,193
Emigration
- 352, 534
Evacuation
- 100,516
- 514,243
Increase from 1 December 1933 to January 1 1943 due to the annexation of the Sudetenland.
Other changes (Danzig, movements within the area, officially sanctioned conversions, recognition as a first class half-breed , new registrations , cleaning up of files
+ 2,649 *
+ 1,921
+ 4570
Jewish population of the Altreich with Sudetengau and Danzig on January 1 1943
51, 327
* This figure of 2,649 Jews in the Sudetenland was arrived at in the census of 1939. Before the annexation of the Sudetenland into the Reich the Jewish population was approximately 30,000, who rapidly moved to the Protectorate, without crossing a national border and without loss of property.
The newly acquired Eastern Territories (except for Danzig) are not included in the statistics. These figures cannot be calculated. There are, however, various estimates of the Jewish population at the time of the annexation into the Reich which indicates a figure of approximately 630,000.
Page 4 of the Korherr Report
In addition there are approximately 160,000 Jews in the district of Bialystok and there were approximately 1.3 million Jews in the General Government when it was set up (without the district of Lemberg with a Jewish population of approximately 700,000).
That would give us a total Jewish population of about 2.5 million for the entire Greater German Territory (without the occupied Eastern Territories), the greater part of which are in the new East.
On January 1 1943 the Jewish population of the Reich without the new Eastern Territories, without the Ghetto for the Aged in Theresienstadt and without the Jews working in the programs of the Schmelt organisation is only 74,979. Of these 51,327 in Altreich, 8102 in Ostmark and 15,550 in the Protectorate. In the Altreich with the Sudetenland only 9.2% of the Jewish population at the time of seizure of power now remain. On January 30 1943 the Jewish population was only 48, 242 or 8.6%. On February 22 1943 only 44,589 or 7.9%
Berlin which comprised 1/8 of the Jewish population of Germany in 1880, over 1/4 in 1910 and almost 1/3 in 1933, had not less than 32,999 Jews on January 1 1943 or 64.3% of the total Jewish of the Altreich on January 30 1943 only 30,121 and on February 28 1943 only 27,281. In Ostmark it is only Vienna that accounts for any Jewish population at all.
Of the 51,327 Jews of the Altreich 23,197 are men and 28,130 women. 40,351 are religious Jews, 10,976 non-practicing Jews. 16,760 live in mixed marriages, in Ostmark 4,803 (of 8102), in the Protectorate 6,211 (of 15,550).