Statement

written on 10. 12. 1945 with Mr. Josef Kláber, retired captain, residing in Prague III., Újezd 15

Dr. Löwenstein, whose arrival from Minsk in Russia, where he had been a so-called police prefect since 1941, was a mystery to us, because he was imprisoned right after his arrival, but not as a regular prisoner. He was imprisoned, or rather separated from the others, and had a bed with white sheets and a comforter in his cell and received better food. Every day he received German newspapers from the kommandatura that a Jewish elder had to pick up at the kommandatura and then hand them over to the police, who delivered them to him. In May 1942, when Dr. Löwenstein wrote a long letter to Berlin to the highest office of the SS for Jewish emigration, commanders Dr. Eichmann and Günther arrived in October from Berlin. They spoke with Dr. Löwenstein in his cell for a long time and that very same day or the next the Lagerkomandant announced to the Jewish Elder, that Dr. Löwenstein must get an important post in the ghetto, upon which he was appointed head of the entire security service. Dr. Löwenstein began by training the Prussian system. He found many agents who would be his informants and he had the privilege of being able to visit the Lagerkomandant anytime, something that only the Jewish elder could have done until then, or another person accompanied by him. Dr. Löwenstein, as he himself said, was a first lieutenant in the German navy, he was supposedly the guardian of the German prince Eitel, with whom he was – as he said himself – in connection since Postupim until he was called away to Minsk in Russia. He spoke with restraint about his activities in Minsk, but said that many Jews were executed there and that every day this one or that one was shot by the leaders of the SS for petty reasons or none at all.

He was then sent to Theresienstadt, probably by the Gestapo, who wanted to replace him or remove him from office, maybe even save him. He was supposedly mixed race, divorced his Jewish wives, and his former mother-in-law Mrs. Hamburgerová was also in Theresienstadt, where she also passed away.

Dr. Löwenstein also tried and in a large part succeeded in being popular among his subordinates, acquiring various advantages for them. On the other hand, given his Prussian military training, he was not only strict, but for small infractions of his subordinates he issued punishments of 6-week prison terms, expulsion from the camp guards. Members of the camp guards, most of whom were former soldiers, or rather the non-commissioned officers and officers of the former Czechoslovak army, were supplemented or replaced by a similarly ranked German national. He was also willing to accept one or two former SS members who had come to Theresienstadt as mixed race individuals to the ranks of the camp guards, etc. One of them was shortly thereafter expelled because it turned out that he was a thief.

On the other hand, Dr. Löwenstein informed the Lagerkomandatur about internal affairs and people, mainly from the council of elders and so the Lagerkomandant was always well informed about what was going on. He got into a dispute with the first Jewish elder Edelstein, later with Dr. Epstein and Ing. Zucker and others, he didn’t hesitate to write down his thoughts about these Lagerkomandants. One or two of these letters were intercepted. They weren’t handed over to the right place. Struggles with the main leaders of the council of elders led to almost all of the former members of camp guards being sent to Poland where they died.

In the year 1944, several members of the camp guards denounced Dr. Löwenstein, upon which he was sentenced to 3 months in jail by a Jewish court. In jail, for the letter that he tried to send to the Lagerkomandant his punishment was lengthened by two months. To know the activities and reasons why a criminal complaint about Dr. Löwenstein was filed, the returning members of the camp guards in Theresienstadt Mr. Katz, Mr.. Ing. Neumann, and Mr. Soss should submit reports.

It can’t be said that Dr. Löwenstein treated the Jews in a particularly friendly manner. It was more his vanity than his will to serve and help Jews. On the other hand, though, he wanted to help the Lagerkomandant, about which he once said that he has a difficult position because he has certain responsibilities towards the lagerkomandatur, which was much more accommodating towards him. His behavior didn’t betray his feelings towards Jewishness and his suffering, rather his personal interest.

Signature:

Documentation campaign: Scheck