INTERROGATION OF ALBERT SPEER, FORMER REICH MINISTER OF ARMAMENTS AND WAR PRODUCTION 7TH SESSION - JUNE 1,1945 - 10:15 TO 12:30 HRS. PART I

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05892361
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 11, 2022
• Case Number: F-2021-00625
• Publication Date: June 18, 1945

Approved for Release: 2022/06/16 005892361
stbiat
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-E7allAttiO4 Report -53(f)
18 ,Iune 1945
COVIBi= n\ITELLI6ENCE OBJECTIVES SUB -COMMITTEE
� INTERROGATION OF AIBERT SPEER., FORMER
REICIt,MINISTER OF ARMAIVENTS AND WAR
PRODUCTION
,Target: -No, :28/5 ',di -
7th Session Julie 1, ,::1W4,5'';--101::15',.-tb. 12i3fli hrs.
PART I
-
1, . SPEER volunteered the following additions to topics discussed in aarlle in4Ww
rOgations.:
�61), The organization of post-raidLneasUres7.after-the,attack on the MAYBACH Plent
was in the hands of a Herr 001EL, of theORMSTEIN & KOPPEL firm, who should be as
good source. on this and similar oPeratiPfla'
,
b), The incorporation -of economic consideratione in military strategy, and matame.
ie Warfare policy in gerieraIovatIthei responsibility of, the Wehrtachtsfuehrungsstabe
and not the Generalstab des.Heeres.,
TEES,� IN,IEDUSTRY
SPEER was asked to describe the industrial :activities of the S.S. He stated thst
the S.S.i_over a number of years, had been Attempting to build up an industrial eon.
- bine (Industriekonzern)1 of its own, In SETER's view, :their main motive originally
quired,industrial firms indiscriminately and dt first on a fairly small Yohl;;HER-
ually by taking over Jewish-owned-and Other expropriated firms. One of the 5.5.
interests was in the soft drinks industry, SPEER was amused by the sliggestion.
quoted to him as having come from another source (OHIENDORFF) that this interest
was due to HIMER's concern dyer extessive alcohol consumption in the S.S., in his
view the profit-motive was decisive hers; too. The first great coup, by the S.S,.
was the acquisition of the MANFRED WEISS Works in BUDAPEST. which SPEER thought had
occurred in early 1944. The incident occurred shortly after the Hungarian Govern-
ment had confiscated Jewish-owned factories, including the WEISS plants. RIMER,
possibly through an intermediary not known to SPEER0-'made a deal with the Jewish
owners of WEISS who signed over their works to him against permission to proceed to
SWITZERLAND. SPEER heard of this when the German ambassador in BUDAPEST telephoned
him to report that he had been placed in an impossible position by HINNIER, as the
WEISS works were technically the property of the Hungarian State. SPEER immediately
intervened with HITLER, not only.t0:11014; the anabeSsador, but also because he expected
that the SS would manage the WEISS works ineffi6iently0. The Whole question Was to
be discussed at ,a Berghof-Conference between the Germans and the Hungarian prime
Minister. HIMMLER, however, contacted the Prima Minister before the discussion had
formally been opened, and by means not known to SPEER persuaded him to acquiesce�In
the SS expropriation.
As part of their campaign, the SS attempted to Make it a condition in allocat-- -
ing labor from concentration camps that Plants receiving such labor should pass underss management, and that their profits should go to the 55. , SPEER opposedthis scheme
because he fearedthe inefficiency that would result from technical management passing
into the hands of the $S.. Finally a compromiae was arrived at whereby the SPEER
Ministry was to retain c�nt4r�1 as regards technical management, while the 58 would'
be in charge of labor management and conditions of work. No labor other than from
concentration camps was to be employed in Such plants.. SPEER thought there were -
quite a number of factories run on this basis, including BMW-ALIACH and the MITTEL,-
WERK. The head of SPEER's ANTSGRUPPE ARBEZTSEINSATZ, Herr-SCHNEIDER, was in charge'
of the negotiations with the SS and RMOWS the details.
Approved for Release: 2022/06/16 005862361
Approved for Release: 2022/06/16 C05892361
.� SECRET
. Pfrtei7:-oi the to .ox�geniliei indics tiiikl,'ProblUctionT, , the . eoncentrat�n
te sltes a:.;SeheMe Which '',$T0E1a "resisterl,''bedairsa�hei',�-feared that; ft
.14.4)4.,ati..ori-of,machk-ne; tbors.�,. 'Which were .qbaree e.nstr,'4a-P :4t
WoU2. take these' plants a .4.41*.:to.0?ecoinevge*td4ally
.9rigantie JO:et:tacit with the :6i1St,P.FFIVE/10,
friistrOted.:' ,IplantS:iiree' snOt �-neeesSarily',fOr the WaA
SS 1izil'faCt i most cass the yprodu.,Citse were sold o the4IgereOfiaffenanit,-,,:,
an: agreement 6etwen tle 'as aud 4rmy1 toads, raw rzaei,.it5.14 avail$144'.1tO!,,' the "s$ .,plaitS�
iI944 when d4n4rai:._.T.OB.,17,:rfNER...;had.15P0oraa thief ilia':�.317$0.tihiss6acr.: and,
taXen: ovGr d1sbribwb1on of equpmnt, this problem Was simplified in any. :case, , He
thought that in in,Ost :attaes.- the 'concentration' camp ' plants �ManufadtUred
itemsi j a typialdinPt.gn.oe of ,*0 Ways, of the -AS in PrOduc Ion me.
teteb uotetsC.ise NORM-W.15EN built p,hder
watiftfloehlrogramm, wherathe 35 was on Iti:nd".3.