in The Independent today.

King_Zog · 05-13-11, 01:59 PM

I did a bit of google searching and found this website containing a translation of an SS circular which seems to be where the 'blanket and socks' accusation stems from.

http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/camps/dac...e-of-hair.html

Amtsgruppe D - Concentration Camps
D II 288 Ma./Ha. Tgb. 112 geh.

SECRET!
Copy 13

Re: Use of hair cuttings
To the Commandants of the Concentration Camps Arb., Au., Bu., Da., Flo., Gr.Ro., Lu., Maut/Gu., Na., Nie., Neu., Rav., Sahs., Stutth., Mor., SS SL Hinzert.
SS Obergruppen fuhrer Pohl, Chief of the SS Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt has ordered that the hair of concentration camp prisoners is to be put to use. Hair is to be made into industrial felt or spun into yarn. Woman's hair is to be used in the manufacture of hair-yarn socks for 'U'-boat crews and hair-felt foot-wear for the Reichs-railway.
It is therefore ordered that the hair of female prisoners be disinfected and stored. Men's hair can only be put to use if it is longer than 20 mm. SS Obergruppen fuhrer Pohl therefore agrees for an intial trial period to the growing of the prisoners hair to a length of 20 mm before it is cut. Long hair could facillitate escape and to avoid this the camp commandants may have a middle parting shaved in the prisoners' hair as a distinguishing mark, if they think it is necessary.
It is planned to set up a hair processing workshop in one of the concentration camps. Further details as to the delivery of the accumulated hair will follow.
The total monthly amount of male and female hair is to be reported to this office on the 5th of every month beginning from September 5, 1942.

signed: Glucks
SS-Brigadefuhrer und
Generalmajor der Waffen-SS

(Translation of a report from IMT, Band XX, Nurnberg 1947, taken from Concentration Camp Dachau 1933-1945, ISBN 3-87490-528-4, p. 137; Plate 282 with translation.)

However there is no further evidence to prove that these plans were successful and if the hair was actually used in the production of socks for U-Boat crews. It may well have just become packing material, or the project could well have been abandoned.

A transcription from the Nuremburg Trials refers to photographs from Auschwitz used as evidence during the proceedings:

"7 tons of hair which was taken from dead women, packed for shipment to Germany"

The Nuremburg tribunal go on to state that the hair was used for 'Industrial Applications'. Full transcript here:

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/02-19-46.asp

Hitman · 05-14-11, 04:09 AM

Quote:

My only observation would be that this properly belongs in General Topics, not Silent Hunter.

Agree, moving it

kranz · 05-14-11, 04:50 AM

I saw blankets and bags/pouches made of hair in the Auschwitz museum so the fact that it was used by the German industry is kinda confirmed.(in the museum there even documents showing how much they got paid for a certain amount of hair but I forgot the price). There was a discussion on one of the Polish submarine forums about socks made of hair. Cannot recall the outcome, I would have to search for the links and check it.

flag4 · 05-16-11, 07:22 AM

..thanks all for the responce. i have read the threads. i cant believe it - womans hair for socks.
timmy41 says 'massive amounts of it are needed to do anything since the lengths vary so much'
but they, the nazis, would have had massive amounts. the amount of people they slaughtered in camps is hardly disputable - though numbers vary, it doesnt make any difference. the fact that they would use hair for this purpose, from the dead - or soon to be dead is unbeleivable.
any way, its no point carping on about how brutal they were. i was just shocked to discover this. and thanks again for your links King_Zog

kranz · 05-16-11, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flag4

the fact that they would use hair for this purpose, from the dead - or soon to be dead is unbeleivable.

hair for "fibres" and human fat for soaps(also exhibited in the Auschwitz museum)

05-16-11, 07:22 AM	#4
flag4 Watch Officer Join Date: May 2007 Location: as far away as possible Posts: 1,625 Downloads: 147 Uploads: 0	..thanks all for the responce. i have read the threads. i cant believe it - womans hair for socks. timmy41 says 'massive amounts of it are needed to do anything since the lengths vary so much' but they, the nazis, would have had massive amounts. the amount of people they slaughtered in camps is hardly disputable - though numbers vary, it doesnt make any difference. the fact that they would use hair for this purpose, from the dead - or soon to be dead is unbeleivable. any way, its no point carping on about how brutal they were. i was just shocked to discover this. and thanks again for your links King_Zog __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] ' We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different.' Kurt Vonnegut

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05-13-11, 01:59 PM	#1
King_Zog Soundman Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: London Posts: 143 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	I did a bit of google searching and found this website containing a translation of an SS circular which seems to be where the 'blanket and socks' accusation stems from. http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/camps/dac...e-of-hair.html Amtsgruppe D - Concentration Camps D II 288 Ma./Ha. Tgb. 112 geh. SECRET! Copy 13 Re: Use of hair cuttings To the Commandants of the Concentration Camps Arb., Au., Bu., Da., Flo., Gr.Ro., Lu., Maut/Gu., Na., Nie., Neu., Rav., Sahs., Stutth., Mor., SS SL Hinzert. SS Obergruppen fuhrer Pohl, Chief of the SS Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt has ordered that the hair of concentration camp prisoners is to be put to use. Hair is to be made into industrial felt or spun into yarn. Woman's hair is to be used in the manufacture of hair-yarn socks for 'U'-boat crews and hair-felt foot-wear for the Reichs-railway. It is therefore ordered that the hair of female prisoners be disinfected and stored. Men's hair can only be put to use if it is longer than 20 mm. SS Obergruppen fuhrer Pohl therefore agrees for an intial trial period to the growing of the prisoners hair to a length of 20 mm before it is cut. Long hair could facillitate escape and to avoid this the camp commandants may have a middle parting shaved in the prisoners' hair as a distinguishing mark, if they think it is necessary. It is planned to set up a hair processing workshop in one of the concentration camps. Further details as to the delivery of the accumulated hair will follow. The total monthly amount of male and female hair is to be reported to this office on the 5th of every month beginning from September 5, 1942. signed: Glucks SS-Brigadefuhrer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS (Translation of a report from IMT, Band XX, Nurnberg 1947, taken from Concentration Camp Dachau 1933-1945, ISBN 3-87490-528-4, p. 137; Plate 282 with translation.) However there is no further evidence to prove that these plans were successful and if the hair was actually used in the production of socks for U-Boat crews. It may well have just become packing material, or the project could well have been abandoned. A transcription from the Nuremburg Trials refers to photographs from Auschwitz used as evidence during the proceedings: "7 tons of hair which was taken from dead women, packed for shipment to Germany" The Nuremburg tribunal go on to state that the hair was used for 'Industrial Applications'. Full transcript here: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/02-19-46.asp

05-14-11, 04:50 AM	#3
kranz The Old Man Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Poland Posts: 1,430 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	I saw blankets and bags/pouches made of hair in the Auschwitz museum so the fact that it was used by the German industry is kinda confirmed.(in the museum there even documents showing how much they got paid for a certain amount of hair but I forgot the price). There was a discussion on one of the Polish submarine forums about socks made of hair. Cannot recall the outcome, I would have to search for the links and check it.