they ALL talk IN the END
Six horrific methods by which the Gestapo obtained ‘evidence’
forced standing
Prisoners brought in for questioning could be kept standing for hours on end in the corridors of Gestapo offices or locations chosen for interrogation – denied food and the use of the bathrooms. Useful as an clean method of torture that would not leave physical scars and also to ‘soften up’ prisoners before questioning. use: officially sanctioned
the strappado
A wooden post the prisoner could be lifted onto with his/ her hands tied behind their back, the wrists balanced on a high nail. The whole body would then lean forwards with weight resting on the chest, forcing the dislocation of the shoulders, restricting breathing and causing immense pain. When no post was available officers could use trees or an implement attached to a wall. use: sanctioned only with authorisation in special cases
extraction of teeth and fingernails
Gestapo officers could slowly remove fingernails, toenails and teeth with the promise of reducing further suffering if the prisoner confessed. A number of individuals interrogated after the July 1944 assassination attempt against Hitler are also known to have had metal spikes driven under their fingernails. use: not officially sanctioned but applied in special cases
the Baignoire
This form of waterboarding a manacled prisoner by repeatedly plunging the individual into a bath of cold water until almost drowned was said to have been pioneered by a Belgian member of the French Gestapo named Masuy. While on trial in 1947 Masuy would maintain that his method was more humane than pulling fingernails. use: not officially sanctioned but applied in special cases
sleep Deprivation
Similar to forced standing, sleep deprivation could be used to make a prisoner more responsive to the demands and questions of an officer without leaving physical evidence of its application. The prisoner could be placed inside a brightly lit cell and constantly monitored by a guard so as not to be allowed to sleep – or subject to prolonged interrogation with different officers over a duration of days. use: officially sanctioned
Bludgeoning the Prisoner
Physical acts against a prisoner could be used to elicit a confession or provide further information. A Gestapo memo dated June 1942 officially outlined that more than 20 blows with a stick would require the presence of a doctor. Despite this, violence against prisoners was not uncommon when the offender came from an officially undesirable group or when operations were carried out in occupied countries. use: officially sanctioned but with limited application