National Socialist German Workers Party Party Chancellery The Chief of the Party Chancellery
Fuehrer Headquarters, 13 Sep 1944
Proclamation
Chancellery Rosenberg, Rec'd No. 2594 K/ 19 Sep 44 Presented to the Reichsleiter on the 20 Sept. Rdsdir.
For the Information of:
1. Staff leader [Init.]
2. Central Office 27 Sep 44 [Init.]
3. Administration 27 Sep 44 [Init.]
Returned to the Chancellery
Subject: Treatment of Prisoners of War—Tasks of the guard units. '
The regulations, valid until now, on the treatment of Prisoners of War, and the tasks of the guard units are no longer justified in view of the demands of the total war effort. Therefore, the Supreme Command (OKW) of the Armed Forces, on my suggestion, issued the regulation, a copy of which is enclosed.
The following is cited for its contents:
1. The understanding exists between the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces (OKW) and myself, that the cooperation of the party in the commitment of prisoners of war is inevitable. Therefore, the officers, assigned to the prisoner of war system, have been instructed, to cooperate most closely with the bearers of sovereignty [Hoheitstraeger]; the commandants of the prisoner of war camps have to detail immediately liaison officers to the Kreisleiters.
Thus the opportunity will be afforded the Hoheitstraeger, to alleviate existing difficulties locally, to exercise influence on the
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232—PS
behavior of the guard units and to better assimilate the commitment of the 'prisoners of war to the political and economic demands.
2. The increase of performance [Leistungssteigerung] of the prisoners of war depends decisively on how the guard and auxiliary units understand their task, and what position they take toward the prisoners of war. From this knowledge the necessity is derived, to orient them again and again politically and ideologically, to put the meaning of their mission constantly before their eyes. For that, in all base camps [Stalags] National Socialist leaders from headquarters [hauptamtliche NS-Fuehrungs-offiziere] are being assigned.
I request the Hoheitstraeger to support the commandants of the prisoners of war in the selection of capable officers. Above that, the Hoheitstraeger are to furnish the commandants of the prisoner of war camps with capable speakers for the orientation of the guard and auxiliary units. Collaborators of the offices for national questions [Volkstumfragen] are to be called upon especially for that.
Furthermore, a constant political orientation of the plant owner, who is invested now with special rights toward the prisoners of war and toward the guard units, must take place in cooperation with the German Labor Front (DAF).
/s/ M. Borrrrann.
1 Enclosure!
Distribution:
Reichsleiter
Gauleiter
Verbaendefuehrer
Kreisleiter,
Authenticated: [illegible]
Cross index file: Prisoners of war—-Treatment—Guard units File No. 8810.
Instructions for the cooperation of military officers with the party in the management of POWs in order to maximize their contribution to the war effort, including the political instruction of camp guards and plant managers
Authors
Martin Bormann (Chief, Party Chancellery, deputy to Hess, then Hitler)
Martin Bormann
German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery (1900-1945)
- Born: 1900-07-17 1900-06-17 (Halberstadt)
- Died: 1945-05-02 (Berlin)
- Country of citizenship: German Empire; Nazi Germany; Weimar Republic
- Occupation: farmer; military personnel; politician
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Member of: Schutzstaffel
- Participant in: Aryanization; International Military Tribunal (role: defendant; since: 1945-11-19)
- Military rank: Obergruppenführer; soldier
Date: 13 September 1944
Literal Title: Proclamation. . . . Subject: Treatment of Prisoners of War - Tasks of the guard units.
Defendant: Martin Bormann
Total Pages: 2
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-232
Citation: IMT (page 2808)
HLSL Item No.: 453158
Document Summary
PS-232: Announcement by the director of the party office, Bermann, No. 243/44, regarding treatment of P/Ws
PS-232: Notification from Bormann to the political leaders, 13 September 1944, concerning the need for cooperation by the party when prisoners of war are used for labor and concerning the political instruction of the camp guards