>>212396677
Yes, **Mercedes-Benz** (then **Daimler-Benz**) played a significant and documented role in supporting the Nazi war machine and the Holocaust through **forced labor, arms production, and direct collaboration** with the SS. Here’s a breakdown of its involvement:

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### **1. Reliance on Slave & Concentration Camp Labor**
- Used **tens of thousands of forced laborers** from occupied Europe, including:
- Prisoners from **Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald, and Auschwitz**
- Soviet POWs and civilians (considered *Untermenschen* by Nazis)
- Workers were **starved, beaten, and worked to death** in Daimler factories.
- The company **requested more prisoners directly from the SS** as demand for war production grew.

### **2. Military Production for the Nazi War Effort**
- Produced **truck engines, tanks, and aircraft components** for the Wehrmacht.
- Developed the **DB 600 series engines** for Luftwaffe planes (e.g., Messerschmitt fighters).
- Built **armored vehicles** used in invasions and atrocities across Europe.

### **3. Direct Ties to the SS & Holocaust Logistics**
- **Senior executives were Nazi Party members** (e.g., Wilhelm Kissel, CEO until 1942).
- Factories were strategically placed near **concentration camps** (e.g., Genshagen near Sachsenhausen).
- Profited from **"Aryanization"** (seizure of Jewish-owned businesses).

### **4. Post-War Whitewashing**
- **Denied knowledge of slave labor** until the 1980s.
- Joined a **German industry compensation fund** in 1999 after lawsuits.
- Today, Mercedes-Benz acknowledges this history but **downplays its severity** in official accounts.

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### **Key Evidence**
- **Archival documents** show Daimler-Benz **negotiating with the SS** for more prisoners.
- Survivor testimonies describe **brutal conditions** in its factories.
- U.S. Army reports (1945) noted Daimler’s **deep integration** with Nazi genocide.