Protective Custody Camp

The protective custody camp commander is responsible for the entire area of the prisoner camp. By utilizing an appropriate surveillance system, he must at all times be aware of all the events occurring in the camp.

He must pay particular attention that the prisoners are treated strictly but fairly. He must report any mistreatment immediately to the Kommandant

After carefully searching through the files, he chooses which prisoner becomes a block leader, Kapo, or other functionary, and installs them in their jobs. If a prisoner turns out to be unsuitable for the job, he must inunediately relieve him of his duty. All new arrivals are to be immediately informed of the camp regulations.

Also it is his responsibility to instruct all released, all transferred, and all exchanged prisoners to keep the strictest secrecy as to what they saw and experienced while in the camp. He must carefully scrutinize the reports to the Gestapo and the Kripo headquarters. After listening to the block leaders, those prisoners not known to him are paraded before him so he can form a mental picture of the new prisoners.

Any punishment report must be checked over carefully and he must personally interview every prisoner. He makes his judgment about the prisoner and proposes to the Kommandant the length of time to be served by that prisoner.

By constantly checking the work sites, he must know how much work was accomplished.

He must use all measures in order to prevent a prisoner escape.

The prisoners who are suspected of escaping must be identified, marked, and must not be assigned to any work outside the protective custody camp.

Each time the prisoners march out of the camp to their various work sites or into the camp, he must be present.

He must immediately eliminate any adverse condition which may arise.

Sick prisoners must be put in the hospital. He must pay particular attention to the utmost cleanliness and orderliness in the whole camp area.

Through periodic checks, he must convince himself that every prisoner receives the food he is entitled to. He has to watch over the preparation of the food by sampling the food.

Camp detention must always be checked by him.

All camp personnel in the protective custody camp must be present at lectures by the protective custody camp commander, especially those pertaining to the mistreatment of prisoners!

The duty officer is responsible to the protective custody camp commander for an exact prisoner count at roll call. He has to be apprised of any change in the protective custody camp.

He must ensure punctuality when prisoners are presented to the camp commander for roll call, or to the doctor, appointments at the Political Department and other departments of the Kommandant’s office. He must also have the prisoners ready on time when their release or transfer comes up.

The duty officer is the superior of the block leaders, regulates their duties and watches over them. Block leaders not suited for this position must be reported to the camp commander for a replacement.

Any poor condition of the camp must be reported by him to the camp commander.

Any punishment ordered by the Kommandant or the camp commander must be carried out by him and a written report of it must be submitted.

The block leaders are responsible for a certain number of prisoners who are assigned to them. They are responsible for order and cleanliness in the assigned barracks and have to supervise the respective block elders, room elders, clerks, etc. They have to be able to give an opinion about every single prisoner assigned to them.

At the various work sites, they must perform control patrols in order to keep themselves informed of the work accomplished by the prisoners.

The block leader of the day supervises the main gate to the protective custody camp. During the marching in and marching out of the prisoners.

He is responsible for an accurate count of the prisoner columns marching through. Those prisoners who move out without a guard have to be exactly accounted for in order to discover any possible escape attempt early enough.

Anyone not permitted to enter the camp, whether he is a member of the SS or a civilian employee, must be refused entry by him.

Any disagreements have to be reported immediately to the camp commander.

The work Kommando leader puts together the work Kommandos according to occupations and abilities and has to be ready when work Konunandos are demanded.

He selects the Kapos and foremen and recommends them to the camp commander.

On the day before a work Kommando is needed, he requisitions the necessary guards from the guard company. He has to take care in issuing the correct work orders and in the selection of the work Konunandos.

By constant controls of all of the work places he must be exactly informed about the progress of all work. If he finds any problems, he must report them immediately to the camp conunander.

For major work projects, there are designated work Kommando leaders. They are responsible for the entire work Kommando. Their job is to make certain the prisoners are working in their fields of expertise and that no stoppage of work occurs.