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00:27:45
00:30:37
00:27:45
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Transcription: [00:27:45]
{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
I believe that played a role in that, too. But in the final end, he was, he was- he decided himself, I want to get out of here.

[00:27:56]
Probably, because he knew if he didn't do it on his own, he would be removed by the SS. This could well be.

[00:28:04]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Uh, he was actually forced out, 'cause I've seen the documents on this.

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
Oh-

[00:28:08]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
He was really forced out. I mean, he wasn't, it's not- The SS didn't push super hard, but they brought up these charges against Zanssen, and—

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
I know that-

{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
—and the army, army-

[00:28:22]
And I don't know the full story, but it appears that the army leadership decided it isn't worth the touble of protecting Zanssen. We'll just transfer him somewhere else.

[00:28:31]
And so they didn't cover for him. I know he was a very close friend of Dornberger.

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
He was, he was.

[00:28:39]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Uh, did you know a lieutenant colonel Stegmaier?

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
Stegmaier? Yes, I knew him. By the way, he was an old member of the party too. Stegmaier.

[00:28:54]
I had very little to do with him. Um, Schilling and Thiel had by far more to do with him than I.

[00:29:12]
So, I heard only through them the difficulties that once in a while arrived, uh, arose with him. But I personally had no contact with him.

[00:29:26]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
What were their complaints about Stegmaier?

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
Narrow mindedness.

[00:29:34]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Yeah? Just very rigid in the way he wanted to do things?

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
Yeah, exactly. That, yeah.

[00:29:40]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Was he considered a competent administrator?

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
Well, since he was so narrow minded, you can only say he was a competent administrator if difficulties arose- how he would help to solve them.

[00:29:57]
And in that sense, I would say, he was not a good administrator.

[00:30:05]
But I had no direct connection, therefore, I could only repeat what I had heard from Schilling and Thiel.

[00:30:19]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Do you know, I don't even have Stegmaier's first name,- Do you know his first name?

[00:30:25]
{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
Why don't we ask? [[Laughing]] [[inaudible]] he's coming. Okay, okay—

[00:30:33]
{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Okay, but [[crosstalk - whisper]] he did not have a—