English Translation

Page 2 of note from 16.9.1939 (I./Ku.) 16 names Ritzenthaler (Head of the civil servants' association in Vienna) is mentioned, for me it is clear that the same forces are at work in the formation of this company, which are already known in connection with the Ritzenthaler action. Gavenat justified his efforts to establish a new society with the will of the Secretary of State Frank, who was supposed to have given the SS-Oberführer Dauser and Dr. Brecht commitments in this regard about 3 weeks ago. Gavenath, however, later stated in the conversation that a memo from the State Secretary Frank on the discussion with SS-Upperführers Dauser und Dr. Brecht said that he had made him a bit stupendous. Gavenat also expressed his surprise at the fact that without his knowledge I had been appointed as the trustee of a housing cooperative and as the sole member of the board of a residential housing association. He literally said that it was like this here, like with the police apartments, the Ministry of Labour is trying to find suitable deceptive societies and then suddenly the Ss came and piled everything up. So it is also in the Protectorate, where he strives to create the conditions for a healthy housing construction, while the ss in Iglau is already building. I tried to put myself on a good foot with Gavenat and explained to him that we did not want to work against him in the Protectorate, but had to support each other. Since the new establishment of a housing company was not necessary because of the two German cooperatives, I suggested that he try to free the 4,000.00o Reichsmark requested by the Reichsarbeitsministerium for the companies under the SS. He then replied to me that I would like to speak to Fischer-Diskau myself in order to clarify the matter. In the further discussion, I stated that Gavenat had made an effort for the newly founded society to find the site on Letna, for which our planning was already approved by Proffessor Speer. I told him of this plan. His question as to whether the apartments on this Gelün- de are intended only for Gestapo officials, I denied and concluded, that here essentially for the pro- tectorate transferred Germans, i.e. also for the officials with the Lord Reichsprotector, are intended. On a further question from Gavenat, I explained that the Statsekre- tur Frank had been informed by the SS-Oberführer von Gottberg of this construction project and by a brief lecture by me, in general, of the visit of the ground office by State Secretary Frank and that our work would be approved by the State Secretary. In his closing remarks, Gavenat stated that there was no purpose for each new foundation. We agreed that we wanted to stay in touch with each other. Prague, September 16, 1939. Stamp, e.g. Tostmann