English Translation

E W VV HAMBURGIAN WORLD-ECONOMY INSTITUTE E.V. HAMburg 36, POSTSTRASE 13-19 · FERNRUF: 346336 · TELEGR.-ADR.: WORLDARCHIV BANK: HAMBBURGIAN LANDESBANK-GIRO-ZENTRALE / POSTSCHECK: Hamburg 297 52 Directorate I 23.9.1943 To 4-Obersturmbannführer Dr. G i e s Minlsteramt Prag Eng: 27 SEP. 1943 Czernin-Palais Dear comrade Gies! I'm sorry if I don't come back to you in Prague until today, but after I came back here, I had to do such a wealth of urgent tasks from the institutes entrusted to me that I can only write to you now. I have presented to my Reichsstatthalter the possibility offered by your mediation of a transfer of the Hamburgische Welt-Wirtschafts-Institut and the institute affiliated to it into the Protectorate. Having examined and presented all the difficulties inherently linked to such a transfer, the decision has been made that it is not advisable to move to Pibrans. For Pibrans, the only remaining free place, is so unfavorable for us that the rapid reports of my institute, which expire every day, would suffer considerable delays. Furthermore, the very small printing plants in Pibran are not enough in their entirety to cope with our daily pressure requirements. Finally, while it would be necessary to regulate the location of the workplaces, the difficulties of housing more than 200 people are so great that implementation is excluded. In addition, it is practically almost impossible to disguise the institutions there, because the waterway does not lead close enough to pibrans and because in the case of a land transport it would be such a mass which would correspond to the capacity of approximately 400 trucks. This project is therefore practically impossible to achieve. In the meantime, in Hamburg, security possibilities have arisen by the fact that bomb-proof multi-story large bunkers in the so-called dead area could now be made available as a safe accommodation room for our collections, so that the decision was made that the institutes in Hamburg should be left. I would like to express my warm thanks to you for your great welcome, which I have found with you. I would ask you to convey my most obedient thanks to the Head of the State Minister Frank for the generosity with which he immediately dealt with the institute question. Heil Hitler ! Comrade greeting Hausleiver 580.23 S4.M -44/43 E/0531