Fred A. Leuchter - The Leuchter Reports: Critical Edition

By Germar Rudolf

The Leuchter Report , first published in 1988, is the work of a pioneer. It was the first study that subjected the claim that human beings were killed in masses in homicidal gas chambers during the Third Reich to a forensic investigation. Because Fred Leuchter had only two weeks to prepare his expert report focusing on the Auschwitz and Majdanek camps and because he lacked in-depth knowledge of the historical background, his report could not possibly have the scientific depth the topic deserves. It was therefore to be expected that it would be subject to detailed criticism.

Instead of criticizing the Leuchter Report , the author of these lines decided in 1989 to do a better job with the original task. After all, it is always easy to complain, but it is quite difficult to do a better job on a topic so complex and imbued with prejudices and emotions. This improved Leuchter Report, my own expert report called The Rudolf Report , was first published in German in 1993 In contrast to the success of the Leuchter Report , my own expert report remained something of an insiders secret resource, probably because it is only second in line and also because dense, in-depth scientific studies covering physical, chemical, toxicological, and engineering questions, as well as detailed historical documentations, are not the kind of publications that attract the masses. They are simply not easy to digest.

Considering the fact that the Leuchter Report remains popular, I decided to put it back in print. But since historical research on Auschwitz and Majdanek has made huge progress since 1988 not least because many archives in eastern Europe became accessible after the collapse of the Soviet Union it would be irresponsible to simply reprint it. It was therefore decided to publish a commented version of it. The text of the original Leuchter Report was left intact, since it also has become a historical document. The reader will find many footnotes throughout the report, however, which were all added by me. They either give references to sources and further explanations that back up Leuchters claims, or they correct or comment on Leuchters statements where necessary. All illustrations embedded in the text section of the report were also added for this edition, so that the reader can visualize the locations, devices and items Leuchter is writing about. At the end of this first Leuchter Report , the reader will find several additional chapters, which explain in more detail the issues involved.

What is unknown to many is the fact that Fred A. Leuchter not only authored the famous first Leuchter Report , but that he also compiled three more studies on related issues in the years that followed. They were called The Second , Third , and Fourth Leuchter Report .

The idea to publish this critical edition of the Leuchter Reports was triggered by the fate of the person on whose behalf they had been compiled: Ernst Zndel. The reader will be introduced to Ernst Zndels trials and tribulations in the introduction by Robert Faurisson, so I will restrict myself to saying that these four Leuchter Reports are the core of Zndels legacy, for which he is sitting in a German jail as I write these lines, because in Germany doubting the veracity of the official version of the Holocaust is a thought crime punishable with up to five years in prison.

This critical edition is not only dedicated to Ernst Zndel, but also, of course, to the author of the reports whose name they bear, who suffered like no other American because of his historical dissent. After Ernst Zndel had published Leuchters first report, Jewish organizations launched a vicious smear campaign, which eventually destroyed not only Leuchters reputation but also his ability to make a living. Leuchters contracts with state authorities for the manufacture, installation and servicing of execution hardware were cancelled. He was financially forced out of his home in Massachusetts and had to find private work elsewhere.

But who is Fred A. Leuchter anyway? A number of mainstream media reported on Fred Leuchter. Some of their statements were:

A feature article in The Atlantic Monthly (Feb. 1990) described Leuchter as

the nations only commercial supplier of execution equipment. [] A trained and accomplished engineer, he is versed in all types of execution equipment. He makes lethal-injection machines, gas chambers, and gallows, as well as electrocution systems []

Similarly, a lengthy New York Times article (October 13, 1990), complete with a front-page photo of Leuchter, called him

The nations leading adviser on capital punishment.

In his book about Americas capital punishment industry, Stephen Trombley confirms that Leuchter is:

Americas first and foremost supplier of execution hardware. His products include electric chairs, gas chambers, gallows, and lethal injection machines. He offers design, construction, installation, staff training and maintenance.

Thus, with Fred A. Leuchter we have the foremost, if not the only expert on execution technology in the U.S. at that time. Should such a person not be competent to judge the technical feasibility of the alleged execution technology applied by the Third Reich? Well, at least he should have the right to voice his opinion, should he not?

According to Fred Leuchter, killing someone in a gas chamber is very dangerous for those who carry out the execution, above all because the body of the dead prisoner is saturated with lethal gas. After the execution, explains Leuchter:

You go in. The inmate has to be completely washed down with chlorine bleach or with ammonia. The poison exudes right out through his skin. And if you gave the body to an undertaker, youd kill the undertaker. Youve got to go in; youve got to completely wash the body.