Why the Nazis refused rabbits in Auschwitz

It happened immediately after the war, in 1945. Military reporter of the popular American newspaper "Chicago Tribune" Sigrid Schulz was on the villa of the thunderstorms of the SS, Henry Henrich Himmler in Tegernsee. Of course, Schulz such an opportunity to miss could not and stipped the house to bricks. She was looking for something with Hitler’s autobiography, whether the evidence of the actions of the Nazis against humanity. And found a chubby album of handmade with a piece of rabbit wool on the cover, signs of the differences SS and the inscription "Angora".

There were rabbits in the album. More precisely, their photos – 150 pieces. The fastened animals affectionately kept the hands of merry Aryan women, gestapovts and disgraced people in striped robes. There are huge carrots flying a huge carrot, there – with pleasure posing, standing on the rear legs. On one of the pages above the photographs of the slender series of spacious rabbit cells, the inscription was concerned: Buchenwald, Zakshenhausen, Dakhau, Auschwitz and ten more three items of death camps.

But that’s not all. There were descriptions in the album. Little rabbit, more, very big. Under each digit: 6500, 13 000, 25 000. This means that in 1941, rabbits living in concentration camps were 6,500, in 1942 – their livestock increased to 13,000, and in 1943 to 25,000. On another page – plans to provide the German army clothes from Angora. Sweaters – 12 100 pieces, pants – 13 100, socks – 52,500. It was a mysterious project of Himmler called "Angora".

Henry Himmler, a former agronom, lovers loved at all (in October 1943, in one of his speeches, he thanked the Germans for the fact that "they are the only ones who are decent to animals"). Like other heads of the Third Reich. Hitler himself adored his shepherd blondie. And when it came to power in 1933, soon signed the law on the protection of the smaller brothers. Among other things, Vivisection was banned. "It’s necessary. To protect animals and save them from pain, and this is a law for all mankind, "said Goering about the decree of Hitler.

In 1942, countless cars for livestock will be drawn to German camps from the East. People go in them. Under Stalingrad kill ordinary German soldiers. On the cities of Germany bombs. But the Minister of Science, Education and Folk Education Bernhard Rust is worried about another. He sends the German universities circular. On the eve of the onset of winter cold, he cares about the fate of the guinea pigs intended for medical experiments, and writes that "under any circumstances avoided the long transportation of these experimental animals".

But back to our rabbits. "King Heinrich", as the Himmler called admiring ladies, of course, remembered the excellent Angora wool, which has greatly proven itself in the years of the First World War. The breeding of Angoret in general became a typical German industry in the XVII century, when snow-white wool was brought to the country from the United Kingdom. Judging by the reports, however, in Germany in the 1930s, only 65 to 100 rabbits breeders were officially registered.

With a purely German pedantry "Bloody Peat Europe" decided to establish a release of luxurious wool. And of course, without departing from the cashier – right under the nose in the prisoners of concentration camps: there is enough space, and workers hands. To implement a conceived, Himmler created a combined organization of breeders called Reich Specialized Group.

In the skirts of white and fluffy, it was planned to climb the elite of the German army and the top of the top in addition. Socks – for Crygsmarine submariners (German naval forces in the era of the Third Reich), flight jackets and collars – for the Luftwaffe Asov, Pants – for the Wehrmacht Soldier. Well, so that the rabbits themselves do not need anything, they immediately grown all sorts of vegetables, which were fed not only the army, but also animals. The care of them was carried out in full compliance with science: spacious, clean and heated cells, food prepared by a special recipe, the best veterinary care and a lot of caress. Same "Angora album" with photos (today he belongs to the historical society of Wisconsin in the USA) with his own eyes, Sigrid Schulz wrote: "The tools used to care for rabbits, as if they came down with the showcase Elizabeth Arden (luxurious cosmetology salon in the Manhattan area. – approx. Red.) ". His rabbits Nazis adored.