English Translation

Copy. G Count G. Bi s m a r c k,M.d.R. Potsdam, 12 April 1942. 4-Oberführer President of the Government To the deputy Reichsprotektor -ObergruppenführER H e y d r i c h in Prague Subject: Request for the cancellation of the confiscation of the goods Tschastalowitz (Oberlandrat Königgrätz) and Sasmuk (Ogerlandrat Kolin), owner of Count Leopold Sternberg. In the middle of February, the state police station in Prague confiscated the above-mentioned businesses in favour of the empire "in the public interest". As no further justification was given, I went to Prague to inform myself of the reason for the confiscation at the request of my cousin, Countess Cecilia Sternberg, born Countess Reventlow. Since the deputy Reichsprotektor was not present to Obergruppenführer Heydrich, I visited Mr. State Secretary Frank, who explained to me that the only and exclusive reason for the attack was that Count Sternberg had signed a manifesto to the then Czech President in 1938. The property of all the owners who had signed this document had now been confiscated, since they were to be regarded as hostile to Germany. Although the fact that Count Sternberg signed the declaration addressed to the Czech President is capable of giving the impression of an anti-German attitude, this impression cannot be maintained if one knows his attitude.