Language:
German
Year of publication:
1994
Titel der Quelle:
Tel Aviver Jahrbuch für Deutsche Geschichte
Angaben zur Quelle:
23 (1994) 301-324
Keywords:
Riegner, Gerhart
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
National socialism
Abstract:
In August 1942 Gerhart Riegner, representative of the World Jewish Congress in Geneva, received information on the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe and transmitted it in telegrams to Stephen Wise in the U.S. and to S.S. Silverman in London. Although the original source, the German industrialist Eduard Schulte, had given concrete details, including the building of a huge concentration camp and crematorium, Riegner, perhaps to avoid the accusation of spreading atrocity stories, left most of these out and also noted that the information was unconfirmed. The State Department warned Wise not to publish the information until its reliability was proven. In the following months Riegner transmitted further reports, including two from refugees from Lithuania and Poland. Finally the information was made public (though details were suppressed), and the Allies issued a condemnation. However, nothing further was done. Riegner's trust in the influence of Wise, and in the effect of his revelation on Allied strategy, turned out to have been naive.
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