I accept responsibility for the camps, but as far as measures against the Jews, I had nothing to do with them. Those orders came from the RSHA. Himmler sent orders to Kaltenbrunner, who transmitted them to Mueller of the Gestapo, and the latter had the entire extermination program under him. That was the way all of Himmler's orders went. I did not participate in the murder of the Jews.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Responsibility is claimed for management while denial is asserted regarding genocidal orders.
- In plain terms
- He ran camps but says he did not order the killing of Jews.
- What can you take from it?
- Bureaucratic systems allow officials to claim operational control while denying moral crimes.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where does responsibility end in a hierarchy?
- How do you know if someone is lying?
Another view
Claiming ignorance of orders is often a legal strategy to avoid direct liability.
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