Dec. 9, 1958

To the

Central Council of Jews

in

Düsseldorf

for the attention of Dr. van Damm

Dear Doctor!

I have heard that the wife of the former bloody commander of the Lemberg-Janowska concentration camp, who lives in Saarbrücken, receives a widow's pension as a war widow.

Willhaus was one of the bloodiest executioners in the martyrdom history of the Jews in Eastern Galicia, who distinguished himself by a personal sadism. His "account" includes the death of 70,000 Jews. Numerous survivors of the Lviv concentration camp, including me, can actuate the cruelties he perpetrated in this camp.

He owned a villa with a large terrace close to the Appellplatz of the concentration camp, separated from the camp only by a double wire fence.

In the presence of his wife and children on the terrace he always amused himself by shooting at prisoners in the camp from this place. We all still know a picture of how he shot some bricklayers (prisoners) who worked opposite his villa, simply to demonstrate his accuracy to his wife and children.

Mrs. Willhaus herself was a beneficiary of the regime in that her husband, even at the time when the Lemberg ghetto existed, had furniture, clothing, etc. confiscated from Jewish apartments, which the concentration camp prisoners then brought to the commandant’s private apartment.

I ask you to find out whether this information, which I have received, that Mrs. Willhaus receives a widow's pension from the state, is correct and, in the affirmative case, file a protest from the Central Council.

I would be grateful for an answer and if you need material about the activity of Willhaus, I will provide it not only from Austrian sources, but also from Israeli sources.

With best regards!

Yours

Simon Wiesenthal, Dipl.Ing.

Central Council of Jews in Germany

Secretariat

Düsseldorf Dec. 30, 1958

Fischerstrasse 49

Telephone 448697/443108

DrvD./Kr.

Mr

Dipl.-Ing. Simon Wiesenthal

Linz

Raimundstrasse 39.

Dear Mr. Wiesenthal!

We have sent your letter of Dec. 9, 1958 to the Saar Synagogue Community in Saarbrücken for the attention of the former Senate President Dr. Lewy.

Yours sincerely

[SIGNATURE]

Dr. H.G. van Damm

Secretary General