English Translation

94 archives, museums, public collections, documents, books, works of art, etc., whose collection and proper treatment consists of a German Jnteresse. Jm Jnterse of the consolidation of German folkdom and the Reichsdefense will all be mentioned in paragraph 2 of the order of confiscation of the 1st century. In December 1939, Vf/Rk VI 39 Ga/Lp — items mentioned in the decree of the Führer and Chancellor of the Reich of 12 December 1939. In October 1939, parts of the empire became parts of territories, as well as those in the General Goubernement for the occupied Polish territories in favor of the German Neiches at the disposal of the Reichskommissar for the consolidation of German ethnicity, so far as Neichs or Volksdeutsche do not possess more than 75 percent of their property rights. (a) historical and prehistoric objects, documents, books, documents which are important for the handling of cultural and public rights, in particular for the question of the German contribution to the historical, cultural and economic structure of the country, as well as documents which have significance for the history of the jeit; dgl. c) Decorative and decorative objects made of precious metals. At the present time, the final fate of the culturally valuable objects is being negotiated under consideration of the general cultural policy measures envisaged by the Reichskommissar for the consolidation of German ethnicity. With regard to the procedure for confiscation of art objects, archives, documents, collections, etc., reference is made to the urgent decrees of the Reichsführer ß and Chief of the German Police of 16 December 1939 — SI V 1 Nr. 844 III/39 — 151 → Sdb. P. — and to the Eilrund- schrift der Haupttreuhandstelle Ost of 21 June 1940 — GV/Ost/1176/40/Ga/He — (f. Annex p. 222, 223, 224). 2. The cultural assets of the resettled German ethnic groups For the cultural assets brought back to the Reich as a result of the relocation of the people of Germany, there was the need for a general recording, uniform treatment and appropriate support. To this end, the Neichsführer 4, Reichskommisfar commissioned the research and teaching community »Das Annenerbe e. V.« with the implementation of the following tasks: a) recording and processing of the entire material and intellectual cultural property of all German peoples to be relocated, b) recording of and processing all pre- and pre-historic as well as ethnological questions in the new eastern regions. The execution of these tasks must be carried out according to the instructions given by the head of the cultural department of the Reichsführer ß, Reichskommissar für die Festigung deutschen Volkstum. The necessary funds will be provided to the Ancestor Foundation by ReichsFührer 4, Reichscommissar for the consolidation of German peoples (order 12/1I of 2 January 1940 (see Appendix p. 219). The treatment Since the draft treaties with Latvia and Eftland for the resettlement of the People's Germans did not take into account the possibility of a repatriation of German cultural assets, the Reich beat. in the Staats= sührer §ß, Reichskommissar für die Festigung deutschen Volkstums, the Federal Foreign Office, in contracts to create corresponding clauses according to which also the return of German cultural goods to the Reich is guaranteed. The head of the Cultural Commission, appointed by the Reichs Kommissar for the consolidation of German ethnicity by Reichsführer 93, was appointed. the representatives of the Reichssippenamt and the Reich Archivverwaltung were also involved, managed to negotiate German cultural values in the joint commissions to a considerable extent. The German position that the part of the cultural goods remaining in the possession of the ethnic group, which was to be approached as inalienable by the German people, had to be exported,