1937 REICHSGESETZBLATT, PART I, PAGE 41 German Public Officials Law of 27 January 1937
A career as a public official, rooted in the German people and permeated by National Socialist ideology and loyalty bound to the Fuehrer of the German Reich and people, forms a foundation pillar of the National Socialist State. Therefore the Reich Government has enacted the following law, which is hereby promulgated.
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CHAPTER I
Official Relationship [Beamtenverhaeltnis]
ARTICLE 1.
(1) The German official stands in a public service and trust relationship to the Fuehrer and to the Reich.
(2) He carries out the will of the state, which is based on the National Socialist German Labor Party.
(3) The state demands of the official absolute obedience and complete fulfillment of duty; in return it guarantees him a position for life.
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CHAPTER II Duties of Officials
1. General
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ARTICLE 3.
(1) A position in the public service is proof of confidence on the part of the state leadership, which the official must justify by being constantly aware of the increased duties which his position imposes upon him. Fuehrer and Reich demand of him true patriotism, a spirit of self-sacrifice, and complete dedication of his efforts, obedience to his superiors, and comradeship toward his colleagues. He must be a model of loyal fulfillment of duty to all his fellow citizens. He must be faithful to the death to the Fuehrer, who assures him his special protection.
(2) The official must at all times support without reservation the National Socialist State and in all his behavior must be guided by the fact that the National Socialist German Labor Party, in indissoluble union with the people, is the basis of the German state concept. He must report to his superiors occurrences which might endanger the existence of the Reich or of the National Socialist German Labor Party, even when he has not learned of them in the course of his official duties.
(3) The public official is responsible for conscientious fulfillment of his official duties. By his conduct, on or off duty, he must prove himself worthy of the respect and confidence which his profession enjoys. He must not permit any member of his household to engage in any dishonorable activity.
2. Oath of Allegiance.
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ARTICLE 4.
(1) The official confirms his special unity with the Fuehrer and the Reich with the following oath, which he must take upon entering upon his first duty:
"I swear: I will be loyal and obedient to the Fuehrer of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, obey the law, and conscientiously perform my official duties, so help me God."
(2) If a law permits members of a religious affiliation to use other forms of affirmation instead of the oath, the official who is a member of such a religious affiliation may use such form of affirmation.
(3) If the official declares that he has objections to taking the oath in religious form, he can take it without the final words.
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CHAPTER IV
Appointments and Transfers
1. Appointments
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ARTICLE 25.
(1) Only a person who is of German or related blood and who, if he is married, has a spouse of German or related blood can become an official. If the spouse is a mixed-blood second degree, an exception may be made.
(2) An official may marry only a person of German or related blood. If the betrothed is a mixed-blood, second degree the marriage may be approved.
(3) For the admission of an exception under subdivision 1, 2nd sentence, and the approval under subdivision 2, 2nd sentence, the supreme office authority in agreement with the Reich Minister of the Interior and the Deputy of the Fuehrer are the competent authorities. The same authorities may also permit exceptions to subdivision 1, 1st sentence and subdivision 2, 1st sentence, in individual cases.
ARTICLE 26.
(1) Furthermore, only such person may assume public office, who—
1. is a citizen of the Reich or is not a citizen yet only because he does not yet fulfill the requirements therefore because of his age,
2. has the preliminary training prescribed for his career or, in the absence of such regulations, the customary preliminary training or other special requirements for the office to be entrusted to him. and
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3. offers guarantee that he will at all times support the Na-ational Socialist State without reservation.
(2) Exceptions to subdivision 1, No. 1 require the approval of the Reich Minister of the Interior in agreement with the Deputy of the Fuehrer or the authorities appointed by them.
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CHAPTER VII
Termination of Official Relationship * * * * * * *
2. Dismissal from Office (a) Refusal to take the oath
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ARTICLE 57.
Whoever refuses to take the oath of allegiance prescribed by law is to be dismissed.
3. Retirement
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(d) Political Reasons
(1) The Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor may retire a life-time or temporary official on the request of the supreme office authority in agreement with the Reich Minister of the Interior, if the official no longer offers guarantee that he will at all times support the National Socialist State.
(2) The facts justifying this request are to be ascertained in an investigation in which the questioning of witnesses and excerpts on oath is permissible and in which the official is to be heard.
Berlin, 26 Jan. 1937
The Fuehrer and Reichs Chancellor Adolf Hitler
The Reichs Minister of the Interior
Frick
The Reich Minister of Finance Count Schwerin von Krosigk
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Extract from the Civil Service Law, authorizing the forced retirement of officials whose political loyalty cannot be guaranteed
Authors
Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)
Adolf Hitler
Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)
- Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
- Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
- Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
- Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
- Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
- Member of: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
- Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin
Wilhelm Frick (Minister of the Interior; chief of Nazi delegation, Reichstag; admin. Plenipotentiary)
Wilhelm Frick
German Nazi official (1877-1946)
- Born: 1877-03-12 (Alsenz)
- Died: 1946-10-16 (Nuremberg)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: diplomat; lawyer; politician
- Member of political party: German Völkisch Freedom Party; National Socialist Freedom Movement; Nazi Party
- Member of: AGV München; Thule Society
- Participant in: Aryanization; Beer Hall Putsch; International Military Tribunal (role: defendant)
- Position held: Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (period: 1943-08-24 through 1945-05-04; replaces: Konstantin von Neurath); Reichsminister des Innern (period: 1933-01-30 through 1943-08-20; replaced by: Heinrich Himmler; replaces: Franz Bracht); member of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany; member of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic
Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk (Graf; Reich Minister of Finance)
Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk
German nobleman, jurist, and senior Nazi government official (1887-1977)
- Born: 1887-08-22 (Rathmannsdorf)
- Died: 1977-04-03 1977-03-04 (Essen)
- Country of citizenship: German Empire; Germany; Nazi Germany; Weimar Republic
- Occupation: diplomat; economist; jurist; military personnel
- Member of political party: Nazi Party (since: 1937-01-30)
- Participant in: Aryanization; Ministries Trial (role: defendant); Nuremberg Medical Trial (date: 1947-02-06; role: affiant)
- Significant person: Karl Brandt (role: acquaintance)
- Position held: Chancellor of Germany (period: 1945-05-01 through 1945-05-23; replaced by: Konrad Adenauer; replaces: Joseph Goebbels); Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs (period: 1945-05-02 through 1945-05-23; replaces: Arthur Seyss-Inquart); German Foreign Minister (period: 1945-05-02 through 1945-05-23; replaced by: Georg Dertinger; replaces: Arthur Seyss-Inquart); Leading Minister (period: 1945-05-01 through 1945-05-23)
Date: 26 January 1937
Literal Title: German Civil Service Law of January 26, 1937 . . . (d.) Political reasons
Defendant: Wilhelm Frick
Total Pages: 1
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-2340
Citation: IMT (page 255)
HLSL Item No.: 450234
Trial Issues
Conspiracy (and Common plan, in IMT) (IMT, NMT 1, 3, 4) IMT count 1: common plan or conspiracy (IMT) Nazi regime (rise, consolidation, economic control, and militarization) (I…
Document Summary
PS-2340: 26 January 1937. Comprehensive Civil Service Law issued by the Reich Government, Signed by SCHWERIN von KROSIGK together with Hitler and Frick.
German Public Officials law of 27 January 1937 (RGBl, 1937, I. p.41) signed by Hitler, Frick, and SCHWERIN-KROSIGK.
Article 4 (1) prescribes the following oath: